Humphrey, "that I would care for her
boy so long as I lived to do so, and that promise I intend to keep."
"And," added Mrs. Humphrey, "as long as we possess a home, he shall not
be homeless. For if we can do no more we can at least pray for him; and
I have a hope that the prayers offered in faith will yet meet with an
answer."
Time passed on, till the evening preceding the fourteenth birth-day of
Ernest. Mr. Humphrey sat with his wife by their lonely fireside, Ernest
had gone out directly after tea, and the hour was growing late. They
were speaking of him, for they felt very sad.
"I often wonder," said Mr. Humphrey, addressing his wife, "in what duty
I have failed to Ernest. I have endeavored to set before him a good
example, and to do by him in all things as I would have done by my own
son. I have prayed with and for him; and yet since quite a little child,
he has been a source of grief and anxiety to us, by his evil conduct."
"I am conscious," replied Mrs. Humphrey, "that I have erred in his early
training, by too often yielding to his childish will, rather than
administer punishment to enforce obedience from him. I meant well, and
if I have done him a wrong it is now too late to remedy it.
Pages:
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375