Her baby gave her love for love, and the very faintness and feebleness of its little signs of love, made these sweet infant efforts all the more touching and pathetic. How could she trouble herself about Alexander and his doings while her little boy lay smiling in her eyes?
“Baby lips will laugh him down.”
“Yes, my darling boy,” she murmured, gazing fondly on his face, “you will always love me, and when you grow up to be a man you will love me all the more, because I shall be old and feeble.” And her thoughts involuntarily reverted to the bearded man who had rejoiced in her health and beauty, but turned coldly away from her when she was sick and pale, and most needed his love and care.
Anna, who was sitting with her, laughed merrily.
Drusilla looked up, with just a shadow of annoyance on her fair face. And Anna answered the look:
“My dear, I laughed at what you said.”
“Well, but I spoke truth. I know my darling will always love me, and when he grows up a tall, strong man, and I shall be an old and infirm woman, he will love me more tenderly than before, because I am old and infirm,” persisted the fond mother, stooping her lips to her boy’s brow.
Anna laughed louder than ever.
“Why, Drusilla,” she said, “you are but sixteen years old. When your son is grown up, say at twenty, you will be but thirty-six, in the very maturity of a healthy woman’s strength and beauty. Your son will be your dearest friend and companion; if you have lost somewhat of the wife’s happiness, you will have an unusual share of the mother’s joy. You are still so young, such a mere child yourself, that you may take your little son by the hand with the prospect of going nearly the whole journey of life together. You will be his playfellow in his childish sports; his fellow student in his boyish studies, and his comrade in his youthful travels. You will go on in life and grow old together—or almost together.”
“Oh, so we will. I did not think of it before. I was thinking that the mother of a grown son must be quite an aged lady. Alick’s mother was quite aged and infirm.”