t I have dreamt so often
that he came home, and woke up to find it was only a dream, I'm half
afraid now to be as happy as I might be."

"Be as happy as you please, Sophrony!" spoke up Reuben, who had seemed
to be listening to Mr. Ducklow's apologies for not coming over the night
before, while he was in reality straining his ear to catch every word
his wife was saying. He was dressed in his uniform and lying on a
lounge, supported by pillows. "I'm just where I want to be, of all
places in this world,--or the next world either, I may say; for I can't
conceive of any greater heaven than I'm in now. I'm going to get well,
too, spite of the doctors. Coming home is the best medicine for a fellow
in my condition. Not bad to take, either! Stand here, Ruby, my boy, and
let yer daddy look at ye again! To think that's _my_ Ruby, Pa Ducklow!
Why, he was a mere baby when I went away!"

"Reuben! Reuben!" entreated the young wife, leaning over him, "you are
talking too much. You promised me you wouldn't, you know."

"Well, well, I won't. But when a fellow's heart is chock-full, it's hard
to shut down on it sometimes. Don't look so, friends, as if ye pitied
me! I a'n't to be pitied. I'll bet there isn't one of ye half as happy
as I am at this minute!"

"Here's Miss Beswick, Mother Ducklow," said Sophronia. "Haven't you
noticed her?"

"Oh! how do you do, Miss Beswick?" said Mrs. Ducklow, appearing
surprised.

"Tryin' to keep out o' the way, and make myself useful," replied Miss
Beswick, stiffly.

"I don't know what I should do without her," said Sophronia, as the tall
spinster disappeared. "She took right hold and helped me last night;
then she came in again the first thing this morning. 'Go to your
husband,' says she to me; 'don't leave him a minute. I know he don't
want ye out of his sight,--and you don't want to be out of his sight,
either; so you 'tend right to him, and I'll do the work. There'll be
enough folks comin' in to hender, but I've come in to help,' says she.
And here she's been ever since, hard at work; for when Miss Beswick says
a thing, there's no use opposing her,--that _you_ know, Mother Ducklow."

"Yes, she likes to have her own way," said Mrs. Ducklow, with a
peculiar pucker.

"It seems she called at the door last night to tell you Reuben had
come."

"Called at the door! Didn't she tell you she came in and made us a
visit?"

"No, indeed! Did she?"

Mrs. Ducklow concluded, that, if nothing had been