登陆注册
5382100000068

第68章 CHAPTER XVI(4)

and it is not for our sake that you must stay, but for his." Ruth was sobbing. "I do not deserve your kindness," said she, in a broken voice; "I do not deserve it." Her tears fell fast and soft like summer rain, but no further word was spoken. Mr. Benson quietly passed on to make the inquiry for which he had entered the room. But when there was nothing to decide upon, and no necessity for entering upon any new course of action, Ruth's mind relaxed from its strung-up state.

She fell into trains of reverie, and mournful regretful recollections which rendered her languid and tearful. This was noticed both by Miss Benson and Sally, and as each had kind sympathies, and felt depressed when they saw any one near them depressed, and as each, without much reasoning on the cause or reason for such depression, felt irritated at the uncomfortable state into which they themselves were thrown, they both resolved to speak to Ruth on the next fitting occasion. Accordingly, one afternoon--the morning of that day had been spent by Ruth in house-work, for she had insisted on Mr. Benson's words, and had taken Miss Benson's share of the more active and fatiguing household duties, but she went through them heavily, and as if her heart was far away--in the afternoon when she was nursing her child, Sally, on coming into the back parlour, found her there alone, and easily detected the fact that she was crying. "Where's Miss Benson?" asked Sally gruffly. "Gone out with Mr. Benson," answered Ruth, with an absent sadness in her voice and manner. Her tears, scarce checked while she spoke, began to fall afresh; and as Sally stood and gazed she saw the babe look hack in his mother's face, and his little lip begin to quiver, and his open blue eye to grow overclouded, as with some mysterious sympathy with the sorrowful face bent over him. Sally took him briskly from his mother's arms; Ruth looked up in grave surprise, for in truth she had forgotten Sally's presence, and the suddenness of the motion startled her. "My bonny boy! are they letting the salt tears drop on thy sweet face before thou'rt weaned! Little somebody knows how to be a mother--I could make a better myself. 'Dance, thumbkin, dance--dance, ye merry men every one.'

Ay, that's it! smile, my pretty. Any one but a child like thee," continued she, turning to Ruth, "would have known better than to bring ill-luck on thy babby by letting tears fall on its face before it was weaned. But thou'rt not fit to have a babby, and so I've said many a time. I've a great mind to buy thee a doll, and take thy babby mysel'." Sally did not look at Ruth, for she was too much engaged in amusing the baby with the tassel of the string to the window-blind, or else she would have seen the dignity which the mother's soul put into Ruth at that moment.

Sally was quelled into silence by the gentle composure, the self-command over her passionate sorrow, which gave to Ruth an unconscious grandeur of demeanour as she came up to the old servant. "Give him back to me, please. I did not know it brought ill-luck, or if my heart broke I would not have let a tear drop on his face--I never will again. Thank you, Sally," as the servant relinquished him to her who came in the name of a mother. Sally watched Ruth's grave, sweet smile, as she followed up Sally's play with the tassel, and imitated, with all the docility inspired by love, every movement and sound which had amused her babe. "Thou'lt be a mother, after all," said Sally, with a kind of admiration of the control which Ruth was exercising over herself. "But why talk of thy heart breaking? I don't question thee about what's past and gone; but now thou'rt wanting for nothing, nor thy child either; the time to come is the Lord's and in His hands; and yet thou goest about a-sighing and a-moaning in a way that I can't stand or thole." "What do I do wrong?" said Ruth; "I try to do all I can." "Yes, in a way," said Sally, puzzled to know how to describe her meaning.

同类推荐
  • 济公诗词

    济公诗词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 戊戌定乱平粜记略

    戊戌定乱平粜记略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上护国祈雨消魔经

    太上护国祈雨消魔经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 道林寺

    道林寺

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Christian Science

    Christian Science

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 只喜欢你一个

    只喜欢你一个

    “凌霖,你真的不记得我了?”一个漂亮的‘女孩’拦住凌霖的去路。凌霖看了眼前的人许久:“记得。”“既然你记得我,我也该报恩了。”“嗯?”凌霖疑惑。“你放心,救命之恩当以身相报,我一定会以身相许的!”某人拍着胸脯表示。凌霖很想叫停,别拍了,再拍那里就像她一样长不大了。“我是女的。”你也是女的,不能以身相许。时韩九:…他是男的啊喂!没看到他的短发吗?(然而某人只以为是女汉子了些…)没看到他的衣服吗?妥妥的男装(然而某人只以为是女孩子为了耍酷什么事情都干得出来…)还有他哪里像女的了?(某人乃至第一眼看见他的人都以为这是一个女孩子…)【青春校园加都市,青梅竹马,娱乐圈,重生,系统,热血?…】
  • 来自阴间的快递

    来自阴间的快递

    少壮不努力,长大送快递,已然黯淡的命运,还要遭受快递包裹带来的杀机,是命运的黑手,还是隐藏的阴谋?尼玛小小的快递包裹,竟牵扯出一段秘辛和隐于芸芸众生中的四大道法家族!天下苍生,神秘使命,始于来自阴间的快递!
  • 龙城村往事

    龙城村往事

    讲诉龙城村的一些故事。
  • 承言欢

    承言欢

    终须奉长剑,直上三重天。不断此生念,怎堪大道间?尽在承言欢……
  • 薄情总裁的替身妻

    薄情总裁的替身妻

    他是慕容集团呼风唤雨的神秘东家,却坐了三年的牢;她聪慧美丽,却是世人眼中三高的大龄剩女。出狱当天,兄弟为他接风洗尘,总统套房,他与她翻云覆雨,彻夜享欢——同患难,共缠绵,她是他的妻,她以为他怜她、爱她,为他甘受委屈;却不知从始至终,他爱的只是她肩胛处的一朵百合、眉梢处的一颗痣……替身的悲哀,吃穿都是为别人...***她撕了她的衣服,当场换来他一记耳光…怀孕一月,她接连被逼抽血,孩子流产,她冷笑刺骨,他痛不欲生..大着肚子,她四处躲窜,受惊难产,她命悬一线;一年后,爱子却被他强行带走,冰天雪地,她跪晕在大门口…认清局势,她决意重生,再嫁良人,新婚之夜,他却当着她未婚夫的面,将她绑于床上,强行夫妻之实…***某天,她一把尖刀刺穿肩胛,鲜血淋漓,他仰天痛哭:“不,为什么这么做?”“宁死…我再也不做别人的影子!它,从来就不属于你..”一朵至死不渝的百合,一颗草里藏珠的黑痣,一断错情的露水姻缘,改变了她一生的命运!她要什么,他都可以给,除了婚姻,偏偏,她唯一要的却是他最不能给的!她不知,他的一生,重生的爱恨情仇,全为她——他不知,百合的花语,除了代表纯洁的爱,还有…至死不渝!【求【收藏】O(∩_∩)O】
  • 途经华岳

    途经华岳

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梦回异兽之都

    梦回异兽之都

    苏沫瑾转学进入了一个神秘的拉普顿大学,拥有了独特的异能,一步步寻找自己身世的真相,搅翻了异兽界与人类的和平,成为了异兽界的霸主。
  • 如果巴黎不快乐2

    如果巴黎不快乐2

    他是那样曾风光无限的男人,为了她,甘愿窝在一个小渔村里,画漫画养家。她在漂亮的小楼里,为心爱的男人煮咖啡,抱着他们的小宝贝。恍如世外桃源,而这样的神仙眷侣生活,与现实屡屡相碰,他们能在小渔村窝多久?究竟发生了什么,让佟卓尧重新回归商场,成为从前那个叱咤风云的商界精英男人。而又是怎样的变故,让阮曼君回到律师行业,重新做她最心爱的职业。他们回到上海,他做回佟家三少,重振家族生意,她在一家律师事务所,事业蒸蒸日上。那么,他们的爱情呢?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 人间(下)

    人间(下)

    “我若能说万人的方言,并天使的话语,却没有爱,我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹一般。我若有先知讲道之能,也明白各样的奧秘,各样的知识,而且有全备的信,叫我能够移山,却没有爱,我就算不得什么。我若将所有的周济穷人,又舍己叫人焚烧,却没有爱,仍然与我无益。爱是恒久忍耐,又有恩慈;爱是不嫉妒,爱是不自夸,不张狂,不做害羞的事,不求自己的益处,不轻易发怒,不计算人的恶,不喜欢不义,只喜欢真理;凡事包容,凡事相信,凡事盼望,凡事忍耐,爱是永不止息……”
  • 普济本事方续集

    普济本事方续集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。