“What are you doing with that great boy upon your back?” he continued.
“I’m going to carry him home, sir.”
“Nonsense! He can walk well enough.”
Half ashamed, I began to struggle to get down, but Turkey held me tight.
“But you see, sir,” said Turkey, “we’re friends now. He’s done what he could, and I want to do what I can.”
“Very well,” returned my father, rising; “come along; it’s time we were going.”
When he bade her good night, the old woman actually rose and held out her hand to both of us.
“Good night, Grannie,” said Turkey. “Good night, Elsie.” And away we went.
Never conqueror on his triumphal entry was happier than I, as through the starry night I rode home on Turkey’s back. The very stars seemed rejoicing over my head. When I think of it now, the words always come with it, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth,” and I cannot but believe they rejoiced then, for if ever I repented in my life I repented then. When at length I was down in bed beside Davie, it seemed as if there could be nobody in the world so blessed as I was: I had been forgiven. When I woke in the morning, I was as it were new born into a new world. Before getting up I had a rare game with Davie, whose shrieks of laughter at length brought Mrs. Mitchell with angry face; but I found myself kindly disposed even towards her. The weather was much the same; but its dreariness had vanished. There was a glowing spot in my heart which drove out the cold, and glorified the black frost that bound the earth. When I went out before breakfast, and saw the red face of the sun looking through the mist like a bright copper kettle, he seemed to know all about it, and to be friends with me as he had never been before; and I was quite as well satisfied as if the sun of my dream had given me a friendly nod of forgiveness.
