“Yes, no doubt; and I suppose it is because she is our very own that she seems so wonderfully attractive and lovable to me. And yet she seems to be so to others not related to her.”
“Quite true, Max, and my heart sings for joy over her; and yet we cannot tell that she will always be an unmixed blessing, for we do not know what her character in future life may be. Oh, Max, we must try to train her up aright, and we must pray constantly for God’s blessing upon our efforts; for without His blessing they will avail nothing.”
“No, dearest, I am sure of that, and my darling little daughter will be always remembered in my prayers. That will be almost all I can do for her in that line, as my profession will call me almost constantly to a distance from home. You, dearest, will have to bear the burden of her training and education; except such parts as money can procure.”
“I know, I know,” Evelyn replied in moved tones, “and you must pray for me that I may have wisdom, grace and strength according to my day.”
“That I will, dear wife; and we will converse every day by letter, shall we not?”
“Yes, indeed, and you shall know as well as written words can tell you how baby grows, and looks, and learns. And she shall know her papa by seeing his photograph and hearing a great deal about him from mamma’s lips.”
“It is pleasant to think of that,” Max said with a smile. “And of my home-coming, which I hope will be rather frequent, as we are at peace and I am likely to be on some vessel near the shore of this, our own land.”
“Oh, I hope so!” exclaimed Evelyn. “How I shall look and long for your coming! Ah, I envy those women whose husbands are always at home with them.”
“Oh, my dear, some of them would be glad if they weren’t. Unfortunately, all marriages are not the happy ones that ours is; some husbands and wives have little love for each other, little enjoyment in each other’s society.”
“Alas, my dear, that is a sad truth,” sighed Evelyn; “and our mutual love and happiness in each other is still another cause for gratitude to God.”