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73 MALAESEA.
The sick man himself became greatly attached to her, and could not
bear that she should even leave his chamber. — -
The young girl was very happy in feeling ‘herself thus prized and
loved, and the ‘quick wecks spent in that old house were per-
hap? among the happiest of her life, in spite of the saddening 2ss0-
ciations which surrounded her. we
One morning while she was sitting sith the old ‘gentleman, who
had grown so gentle and dependent that those who had known him
in former years would scarcely have recognized him, Mrs. Danfort th
entered the room, bearing several letters in her hand.
** European letters, my dear,’* she said to her husband, “and while
. She put on her glasses and seated herself to read them, Sarah stole
~
out into the garden.
“She had ‘not been there long, enjoying the fresh’ loveliness of the
day, before she heard Mrs. Danforth call her.
“Sarah, my dear; Sarah.”?
The girl went back to the door where the old lady stood.
-* Share a little good news with me in the midst of allour trouble,”
she said; ‘* my dear boy — my grandson — is coming home.’
Sarah’s first thought was one of regret — every ‘thing would be
so changed by the arrival of a stranger; but that was only a, pass
ing pang of selfishness; her next reflection was one of unalloyed de
-light, for the sake of that aged couple.
**T am very glad, dear madame; his coming will do his grand
father so much good.’? -
~ *¢ Yes, indeed; more than all the doctors i in the world.’ 29
“When do you expect him?’
-.“ Any day, now; he was to sail a few days after the ship that
brought these letters, and as this vessel has been detained by an acci-
dent, , he can not be fur away.’
«Tam to go back to school to-day,’’ said Sarah, regretfully.
‘But you will be -with us almost as much,’’ replied Mrs. Dan
forth. ‘I have your mother’s permission, and will go myself to
speak with Madame. You will run over every day to your lessons,
but you will live here; we can not lose our pet so soon.’?
“©You are very kind —oh, so kind,’? Sarah said, quite radiant
at the thought of not being confined any longer, in the a ‘old
school-building.
“It is you who are good tous. But- come, we will go. over Y NOW;
I must tell Madame Monot at once.’’
‘The explanations were duly made, and Sarah yetarned to her old
‘routine of lessons; but her study-room was now the garden, or any ~
place in Mr. ‘Danforth’ s house that she fancied.
The old gentleman was better again; able to be wheeled out of
doors into the sunshine; and there was nothing he liked so much as
sitting in the garden, hig wife knitting by his side, Sarah studying
at his feet, and the robins singing in the pear-trees overhead, as if
feeling ita sacred duty to pay their rent by morning advances of
melody.
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