Mrs. Blake hastened to open it, when a strangely familiar voice sounded on my ear.
There was a hearty ring of welcome in her voice as she bade him welcome.
"Come right in; you'll find things better'n you might expect."
I turned to see who was coming. A swift and kindly look of recognition in the deep, blue eyes took me back to my first experience of Cavendish; and an instant after I recollected, with a good deal of satisfaction, that it was the Rev. Mr. Lathrop, whom I first saw at Mrs. Daniel Blake's funeral. He extended his hand with such hearty cordiality that I gave him mine in return with a good bit of my heart along with it.
"I am glad to see you here." It was not so much in the words themselves as the way he spoke them, that such welcome meaning was conveyed.
"Indeed, you may be," Mrs. Blake responded.
I saw Mr. Bowen eagerly waiting to speak to his minister, and even the children were edging up to him with expectant faces. "He always brings us apples," my little lad explained to me in a whisper.
With entire change of voice he turned to Mr. Bowen and said:—"How fares it with you, brother, in the darkness?"
"Well, all is well."
In low, sympathetic tones he asked:—"He still provides songs in the night?"