I don't think she loves
papa. Perhaps our treatment is the chief reason why life, seemingly,
has become to him a burden. When he's not busy in he office he
drinks, and drinks, and I fear it is only to forget his trouble.
Once or twice this summer he has looked like a man, and appeared
capable of throwing off this destroying habit, and then by my
wretched folly I made him do worse than ever," and she burst into
a remorseful passion of tears.
"That's right, my child," said Mr. Eltinge, taking off his
spectacles that he might wipe his sympathetic eyes; "you were very
much to blame. Thank god, there are no Pharisees in this garden.
God bless you; go on."
"This that I've told you about my father ought to be my chief
trouble, but it isn't," faltered Ida. "I fear you won't understand
me very well now, and you certainly will never be able to understand
how I could be tempted to do something at the very thought of which
I now shudder."
"No matter; my Master can understand it all if I can't. He's
listening, too, remember."
"It frightens me to think so," said Ida, in an awed, trembling
tone.
"That's because you don't know him. If you were severely wounded,
would you be frightened to know that a good physician was right at
hand to heal you?"
"But isn't God too infinite and far away to listen to listen to
the story of my weakness and folly? I dare not think of him.
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