Letitia spoke again.
"Are you really sorry for Atty? Aunt Henrietta said you did not care
for any of us."
"Not care for any of you!" And almost as if it were a real mother's
heart, Christian felt hers yearn over the poor pale face, growing every
minute more ghastly.
"I wonder where papa can be! Letitia, go and look for him. Tell him to
send Barker for the doctor at once."
And then she gave her whole attention to Arthur, forgetting everything
except that she had taken upon herself toward these children all the
duties and anxieties of motherhood. How many--perhaps none--would
she ever win of its joys? But to women like her duty alone constitutes
happiness.
She felt happier than she had done for very, very long, when at last
Arthur lay soothed and quieted in her arms, which clasped round him
close and warm, as finding in him something to comfort, something to
love. She had almost lost sigh of danger and fear, when the door
opened and Phillis entered, Dr. Grey following.
On Christian's first look at the latter, she found out one thing--which
hardly so much lessened her reverence as converted it into a strange
tenderness--that her husband was one of the many men who, brave
enough morally, are the most utter cowards at sight of physical
suffering.
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