"Then Eva thought long of it, and had many an earnest conversation upon the subject with her little cousin Ruth; and one day she said: 'Ruth, will you promise me, true for true, that you will come and hold my hand when they operate upon my eyes?'
"'I promise you, true for true,' said Ruth.
"And so the matter was settled.
"Time passed on; and Eva was now eleven years old, and Ruth nine.
"Then Eva made a great resolution, and going to her father, she said: 'Father, I am ready now.'
"They were simple words; but poor little Eva had prayed to God, for nights and nights, and many times in the day, to give her strength to say them, and God had heard her prayer; for though her father turned deadly pale at the words, the low sweet voice of the child did not tremble.
"And now the good doctor came, all his roughness gone, and he held that little head, with its glossy waves of hair, to keep it steady, but it trembled far less than he did; for he had watched Eva from her infancy, and dearly loved her, and he was intensely interested in the result of the experiment about to be performed.
"Near Eva stood her mother and her brave and faithful cousin Ruth, holding her hand, as she had promised 'true for true,' and telling her to take courage, for all would be well.
"'Patience,' said the operator, softly; 'a pang, and half the suffering will be over.'
"The little hand which held Ruth's was clasped more tightly, and a groan smote on the listeners' ears. The room reeled—a faintness came over the heroic child; but she was soon herself again.