The Awakening of Helena Richie

he and David came into the study after tea; "I suppose

ble s

vendar admitted, a

r," sai

want a Bi

boy shook

avendar chuckling,

ith a bored look; it was then that he sighed. After a while he got up and wandered about the room, his hands gripped in front of him, his lips shut tight. Dr. Lavenda

picture," Dr. L

, "is the gentlem

that was meant to be our Saviour when He was being baptized.

David asked gently, "I

o

hink the picture looks like a kind Father, then it is. And David, I

interested eyes upon his face that he was flattered into enlarging upon his theme. The child listened b

d Dr. Lavendar, when the tale was done. "Well, we

id David, thoughtfully, "and you'

hen he said, meekly, "

made n

Lavendar, "I'll h

eight, and as the clock began to strike, Dr. Lavendar, with some eagerness, opened his lips to say good night-an

y bedti

avendar blinked nervously. Young persons were generally kissed. "I should

e that other pipe. Before he had finished it

ar. "Samuel, I feel as if I had dr

nk; sometimes he foun

end

ersons are ve

vouch for that," his ca

said Dr. Lavendar. "I wish you'd tak

, "Well, you miss a lot of comfort in life. I

t down heavil

hing to think about?" Dr.

yond my comprehension! I may say candidly, that I cann

ing w

ld him one day last week to write to a man in Troy, New York, about a bill of exchange. Well, he wrote. Oh, yes-he wrote. Back comes a letter from the man, enclosing my young gentleman's epistle, with a

hunted for his spectacles. When he settled them on his nose he

ed a thousand ships, And burnt

s? I don't

ite to Troy, it made me think of those lines.' He added that not wishing to forget them, he wrote them down on a sheet of paper, and that probably he us

y, "do you recall whose face it was tha

shook h

said Dr.

y understood. "Oh, yes, I know all abou

" Dr. Lavendar said sympathetically, "but-

hutting his hands, his face very red. The o

the matter with you? Ca

his mouth as though to hide some tremb

in fun. I'm sure you know that I meant no disre

ines, but his mouth twitched. A minute afterwards he began to speak with ponderous dignity. "This love-making business is, of course, most mortifying to me; and al

l!" said D

ry humble opinion it was contemptible for a man to

up in shocked d

ries, I shall have to support his wife. According to my poor theories of pro

have put it that way,"

more, unless he stops dangling at her apron-strings,

n't do such a

l? Not put up a single barr

now what barriers

t made no

something t

are, to some extent, correct. But a man canno

he may get a bad strai

s father

w, sir, to wh

man can experience unforgiving anger, and not be crippled. You didn't foun

perfectly deaf; then he

ervedly so. She will have nothing to do with him. In stoppin

dar, "I never begrudge u

rbed in his own troubles to

of Mrs. Richie-do you think she'd be a good

e no fault to find with her. She pays her rent and goes to ch

ndar agreed nodding; "but going t

o church," the senior

o church are not good,"

ff! absolute stuff! His mother sometimes tells me of it. Why," he ended pit

tand generally is bosh

ndar tho

sense, sir; I don't pretend

on't," Dr. Lavendar said sadly; and the

ng a drama. He told his mother so. Writing

work," Dr. Lavendar agreed; "but play-wr

on writing-so she says." He sighed, and got up to put on his coat. "Well; I must go home. I suppose he has been i

with his coat. "Gently does

ould reach Sam's mind, some one touch that would stir his heart! Yet when he brought his perplexity to Dr. Lavendar, he was only told to hold his tongue and keep his hands off. The senior warden said to himself, miserably, that he was afraid Dr. Lavendar was getting old, "Well, I mustn't bother you," he said; "as for Sam, I suppose he will go his own gait! I don't know where he gets his stubbornness from.

," said Dr