“Yes, sir, I will,” returned Max, taking Grace’s hand and leading her away, while Lulu lingered a moment to give their father another hug and kiss, saying joyfully, “Thank you ever so much, dear papa! I’m so glad I may be your little nurse! I shall just love to wait on you and do every thing I can to help you to forget your pain. O papa, if I could only bear it for you!”
“My dear, loving little daughter,” he said, with emotion, and holding her in a close embrace, “it would be far worse to me to see you suffer than to bear the pain myself. Don’t be so distressed for me, my child, it is no more than I can very well bear; especially remembering those sweet Bible words: ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God,’ and that my kind heavenly Father will not suffer me to have one pang that is not needed to make me fit to dwell with him at last.”
“Papa,” she said, gazing wonderingly into his eyes, “it does seem to me that you are as good as you can be now, so I don’t see why you should ever have any pain or trouble at all.”
“‘The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart,’” he quoted.
“My little daughter can’t see her father’s heart, but God does, and though he sees there love to him and an earnest desire to live to his honor and glory, he sees also remains of the old evil nature born in us all, and that has to be taken entirely away before we can be fit for heaven; so in his great love and kindness he sends trouble and trial to root it out.
“‘Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as father the son in whom he delighteth.’”
“Or the daughter,” murmured Lulu thoughtfully; “yes, I see how it is that you punish me to cure me of my faults, even though you love me very much.”
“Because I love you very much,” he corrected. “It would often be much easier, and more agreeable to me to let them pass unnoticed. But go now, my child; Gracie will be wanting you.”
She had scarcely gone when Max returned, and sitting down by his father’s side, proceeded to give a satisfactory report of what he had been doing in the village.
There were some improvements in progress on the estate to which the captain strongly desired to give personal oversight; but his injuries now made this impossible, unless by bringing them to a halt till he should be able to get about again.