"Having death as an ally, I do not tremble at shadows," is an
immortal quotation from some unknown Greek author. Providence, too,
by no miracle, came to our relief. The wife died, as it was foreseen
she must, and that weight being removed, some elasticity and recoil
developed itself. John's one thought now was for his child, and by
means of the child the father passed out of himself, and connected
himself with the future. The child did in fact teach the father
exactly what we tried to teach, and taught it with a power of
conviction which never could have been produced by any mere appeals
to the reason. The father felt that he was battered, useless, and a
failure, but that in the boy there were unknown possibilities, and
that he might in after life say that it was to this battered, useless
failure of a father he owed his success. There was nothing now that
he would not do to help Tom's education, and we joyfully aided as
best we could. So, partly I believe by us, but far more by nature
herself, John's salvation was wrought out at least in a measure;
discord by the intervention of another note resolved itself into a
kind of harmony, and even through the skylight in the Strand a
glimpse of the azure was obtained.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125