Thus she grew
warm and happy in the idea of taking Ruth home; but Ruth remained
depressed and languid under the conviction that he no longer
loved her. No home, no future, but the thought of her child,
could wean her from this sorrow. Miss Benson was a little piqued;
and this pique showed itself afterwards in talking to her brother
of the morning's proceedings in the sick chamber.
"I admired her at the time for sending away her fifty pounds so
proudly; but I think she has a cold heart: she hardly thanked me
at all for my proposal of taking her home with us."
"Her thoughts are full of other things just now; and people have
such different ways of showing feeling: some by silence, some by
words. At any rate, it is unwise to expect gratitude."
"What do you expect--not indifference or ingratitude?"
"It is better not to expect or calculate consequences. The longer
I live, the more fully I see that. Let us try simply to do right
actions, without thinking of the feelings they are to call out in
others. We know that no holy or self-denying effort can fall to
the ground vain and useless; but the sweep of eternity is large,
and God alone knows when the effect is to be produced. We are
trying to do right now, and to feel right; don't let us perplex
ourselves with endeavouring to map out how she should feel, or
how she should show her feelings."
"That's all very fine, and I dare say very true," said Miss
Benson, a little chagrined.
Pages:
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183