"
But she was very near crying herself; and she would have given
way, I believe, if she had not found the wholesome outlet of
scolding Sally, for expressing just the same opinion respecting
Ruth's proceedings as she herself had done not two hours before.
Taking what her brother had said to her as a text, she delivered
such a lecture to Sally on want of faith that she was astonished
at herself, and so much affected by what she had said that she
had to shut the door of communication between the kitchen and the
parlour pretty hastily, in order to prevent Sally's threatened
reply from weakening her belief in the righteousness of what Ruth
had done. Her words had gone beyond her conviction.
Evening after evening Mr. Benson went forth to gain news of Ruth;
and night after night he returned with good tidings. The fever,
it is true, raged; but no plague came nigh her. He said her face
was ever calm and bright, except when clouded by sorrow as she
gave the accounts of the deaths which occurred in spite of every
care. He said that he had never seen her face so fair and gentle
as it was now, when she was living in the midst of disease and
woe.
One evening Leonard (for they had grown bolder as to the
infection) accompanied him to the street on which the hospital
abutted. Mr. Benson left him there, and told him to return home;
but the boy lingered, attracted by the crowd that had gathered,
and were gazing up intently towards the lighted windows of the
hospital.
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