Page:Orange Grove.djvu/152

 by a woman of Mrs. Claremont's benevolent impulses, and she ordered her carriage to accompany him home escorted by Walter, greatly to the joy of the little intruder, being sure now, he said, that mother would live, when he saw the little articles of comfort Kate deposited in the carriage.

Rosalind followed them to the door, and watched them down the avenue as they glided over the unbroken crust beneath the merry twinkling of the stars which shine with such brilliancy on a clear, frosty night. She closed the door with a shiver and returned to the parlor. Resting her elbow on the mantel and her head upon her hand she looked thoughtfully into the grate for some minutes, and then broke the silence by saying, "There is very little in life worth living for."

Earnest looked at her with wonder as he replied, "That is a singular remark for you to make, surrounded as you are by all that wealth or affection can bestow."

"I was not referring to myself particularly, I was thinking of that little boy who will soon be left, perhaps, without a friend in the world, and be obliged to get his living as a street beggar."

"You would still be his friend would you not? Your mother's visit there to-night may be the source of joy that will atone for hours of bitter suffering. The elastic nature of childhood cannot long be repressed."

"That is true, but when grown to manhood the majority of people have to suffer far more than they enjoy, and this world must lose its attractions."