whose gentle hands, guided
from afar, have woven many
a golden strand into life's
mysterious web, this book is
dedicated with unuttered fondness.

CONTENTS

  1. [The Ashes on the Hearth]
  2. [The Wine-Press Alone]
  3. [Love's Labourer]
  4. [The Riches of the Poor]
  5. [A Flow of Soul]
  6. [An Investment]
  7. ["Effectual Calling"]
  8. [Of Such is the Kingdom]
  9. [A Belated Enquirer]
  10. [Sheltering Shadows]
  11. [Food for Thought]
  12. [The Encircling Gloom]
  13. [The Dews of Sorrow]
  14. [The Weighing of the Anchor]
  15. [A Parental Parley]
  16. [David the Diplomat]
  17. [Friendship's Ministry]
  18. [Voices of the Past]
  19. [A Brush With Death]
  20. [The Restoring of a Soul]
  21. [A Heated Debate]
  22. [Breakers Ahead]
  23. [Ingenuity of Love]
  24. [The Victor's Spoils]
  25. [What Made the Ball so Fine?]
  26. ["The Fair Sweet Morn Awakes"]
  27. [A Brother's Mastery]
  28. [A Light at Midnight]
  29. [How David Swept the Field]
  30. [A Journalist's Injunctions]
  31. [The Trough of the Wave]
  32. [Harvey's Unseen Deliverer]
  33. [Plain Living and High Thinking]
  34. [The Overflowing Hour]
  35. ["Into His House of Wine"]
  36. [A Mistress Of Finance]
  37. [The Conqueror's Home-Going]
  38. [The Fleeing Shadows]

THE WEB OF TIME

I

THE ASHES ON THE HEARTH

"No, father's not home yet—go to sleep, dear," and the mother-hand tucked the clothes securely about the two snuggling forms; "don't ask any more, Harvey, or you'll waken Jessie—and go to sleep."

Mrs. Simmons went back to the kitchen, crooning softly to the wakeful baby in her arms. Glancing at the clock, she marked, with an exclamation of surprise, how late it was. "He might be in any minute now," she said to herself as she thrust in another stick for the encouragement of the already steaming kettle. Then she busied herself a few minutes about the table; a brief pause, as if pondering, ended in her moving quickly towards the pantry, emerging a moment later with some little luxury in her hand.

"Poor Ned, this night-work seems so hard—if he's working at all," she thought to herself, "and he'll be cold and tired when he comes in—hush, baby, isn't that your father?" as she laid a finger on the crowing lips.

The footfall came nearer, firm and steady, too—at which the anxious face lighted up; but a moment later it was gone, and silence reigned again. The baby seemed, in some mysterious way, to share the disappointment; in any case, it became suddenly quiet, the big blue eyes gazing up at the mother's. The unfathomed depths, as such depths are prone to do, seemed to start some hidden springs of thought in the woman's mind; for the anxious eyes that peered into them were now suffused with tears, then bright again with maternal fondness as she clasped the infant to her breast.