!" The
words were almost a sob, and she clung about her father's neck, hiding
her face on his shoulder.

"I, too, miss my boy more than words can tell," he replied, stroking her
hair with gently caressing touch, and she was sure his tones trembled a
little with the pain of the thought of Max left alone among strangers;
"but I thank God, our Heavenly Father, that I have by no means lost my
eldest son, while I still have another one and three dear daughters to
add to my happiness in our sweet home."

"I do want to add to it, you dear, dear, good papa!" she said, hugging
and kissing him over and over again. "Oh, I wish I was a better girl for
your sake, so that my wrong-doing would never give you pain!"

"I think--and am very happy in the thought--that you are improving," he
said, repeating his caresses; "and it is a great comfort to me," he
continued, "that my little girls need not be sent away from home and
their father to be educated."

"To me also, papa," she returned. "I am very thankful that I may live
with my dear father always while we are spared to each other. I don't
mean to ever go away from you, papa, but to stay with you always, to
wait on you and do everything I can to be a great help, comfort, and
blessing to you; even when I'm grown up to womanhood."

"Ah!" he returned, again smoothing her hair caressingly and smiling down
into her eyes; then holding her close, "I shall be very glad to keep you
as long as you may prefer life with me, my own dear, dear child," he
said in tender tones. "I look upon my dear eldest daughter as one of the
great blessings my Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me, and which I
hope he may spare to me as long as I live."

"Papa, I'm so, so glad you love me so dearly!" she exclaimed, lifting to
his eyes full of love and joy; "and oh, I do love you so! I want to be a
great blessing to you as long as we both live."

"I don't doubt it, my darling," he replied. "I doubt neither your desire
nor purpose to be such."

"Yes, sir, I do really long to be the very greatest of comforts to you,
and yet," she sighed, "I have such a bad temper you know, papa, I'm so
wilful too, that--that I'm afraid--almost sure, indeed--I'll be naughty
again one of these days and give you the pain of punishing me for it."

"That would grieve me very much, but would not diminish my love for
you," he said; "nor yours for me, I think."

"No, indeed, papa!" she exclaimed, creeping closer into his embrace,
"