But Dick did not even groan. He shut his teeth firmly together growing paler and paler every minute, until with a gasp, he lost his consciousness.
Mrs. Stuart felt his hand loosen its grasp on hers; and motioned her husband to run for the camphor bottle.
"Never mind," said the Doctor, "I've almost done. Let him be a minute. These little pieces must be got out or they'll make mischief."
Richard looked so much like death, that his mother could not let him be. She chafed his hands, and kissed his pale cheeks, murmuring words of love; while the faithful physician probed and pressed about the wound until he was quite sure he had removed all the glass.
Then he laid a towel under the foot to catch the blood when it began to flow, and threw a handful of water in the face of the fainting boy, which soon brought back the color to his cheeks.
"All right now, my brave fellow;" he said. "The glass is all out. Now, Mrs. Stuart, if you will give me four spoonsful of real cream, I'll make an ointment."
He poured some liquid from a bottle and gave the mixture a good stir, making a thick, nice salve. This he spread over the soft linen the mother had provided, and bound around the foot.
"You will have to give up farming for a week or two," said the Doctor laughing. "Perfect rest and daily applications of the ointment are all that will be necessary. Next time, Dick, I advise you to wear shoes."
It was a weary time for the poor fellow on many accounts. He worried secretly about the work and about his lessons. He sent to school every day by Eddy to find out who was at the head of the spelling and grammar classes; but he confessed to himself that his punishment was a just one.
After a long conversation with his mother on the subject, he covered his thee and thanked his kind Father in heaven for the chastisement which he could now see was sent in love to remind him of the truth of the words, "The way of transgressors is hard."