oicing within herself at the way in which her father had been brought
to eat his supper there at home after all. She was the only one that
enjoyed anything, though her father and mother ate to please her. Mrs.
Mathieson had asked an account of Nettie's illness, and got a very
unsatisfactory one. She had been faint, her husband said; he had found
her at Mrs. August's and brought her home; that was about all. After
supper he came and sat by Nettie again; and said she was to sleep there,
and he would go up and take Nettie's place in the attic. Nettie in vain
said she was well enough to go upstairs; her father cut the question
short, and bade Mrs. Mathieson go up and get anything Nettie wanted.
When she had left the room, he stooped his head down to Nettie and said
low--

"What was that about your lip?"

Nettie started; she thought he would fancy it had been done, if done at
all, when he gave her the push at the frame-house. But she did not, dare
not, answer. She said it was only that she had found a little blood on
her handkerchief, and supposed she might have cut her lip when she fell
on Mrs. August's threshold, when she had fainted.

"Show me your handkerchief," said her father. Nettie obeyed. He looked
at it, and looked close at her lips, to find where they might have been
wounded; and Nettie was sorry to see how much he felt, for he even
looked pale himself as he turned away from her. But he was as gentle and
kind as he could be; Nettie had never seen him so; and when he went off
up to bed and Nettie was drawn into her mother's arms to go to sleep,
she was very, very happy. But she did not tell her hopes or her joys to
her mother; she only told her thanks to the Lord; and that she did till
she fell asleep.

The next morning Nettie was well enough to get up and dress herself.
That was all she was suffered to do by father or mother. Mr. Mathieson
sent Barry for water and wood, and himself looked after the fire while
Mrs. Mathieson was busy; all the rest he did was to take Nettie in his
arms and sit holding her till breakfast was ready. He did not talk, and
he kept Barry quiet; he was like a different man. Nettie, feeling indeed
very weak, could only sit with her head on her father's shoulder, and
wonder, and think, and repeat quiet prayers in her heart. She was very
pale yet, and it distressed Mr. Mathieson to see that she could not eat.
So he laid her on the bed, when he was going to his work, and told her
she was t