"Will you
accept them, Arthur?"
"What, sir?"
"Your articles."
"Oh! Mr. Galloway--"
"No thanks, my boy. I am in your debt far deeper than I like to be! A
trifling thing such as this"--touching the parchment--"cannot wipe out
the suspicion I cast upon you, the disgrace which followed it. Perhaps
at some future time, I may be better able to atone for it. I hope we
shall be together many years, Arthur. I have no son to succeed to my
business, and it may be--But I will leave that until the future comes."
It was a valuable present gracefully offered, and Mr. Channing and
Arthur so acknowledged it, passing over the more important hint in
silence.
"Children," said Mr. Channing, as, the festivities of the day at an
end, and the guests departed, they were gathered together round their
fireside, bereft of Constance "what a forcible lesson of God's mercy
ought these last few months to teach us! Six months ago, there came to
us news that our suit was lost; other troubles followed upon it, and
things looked dark and gloomy. But I, for one, never lost my trust in
God; it was not for a moment shaken; and if you are the children I and
your mother have striven to bring up, you did not lose yours. Tom,"
turning suddenly upon him, "I fear you were the only impatient one."
Tom looked contrite. "I fear I was, papa."
"What good did the indulgence of your hasty spirit do you?"
"No good, but harm," frankly confessed Tom.
Pages:
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767