I shall be glad to have it done; shall not you?"
"Oh, yes; but so long as it's comin' out so nice, I don't care so very
much. It's all so good now 'at it couldn't be much better. I could
stan' it another day or two, I guess."
"Well, my dear, we will be patient. It cannot but come out right. Are
you glad you are coming here to live with me, Ralph?"
"Yes, ma'am, I am; I'm very much delighted. I've always wanted a
mother; you don't know how much I've wanted a mother; but I never
'xpected--not till Gran'pa Simon come--I never 'xpected to get such a
lovely one. You don't know; I wisht I could tell you; I wisht I could
do sumpthin' so 'at you'd know how glad I am."
She leaned over and kissed him.
"There's only one thing you can do, Ralph, to show me that; you can
come back here when the trial is over and be my boy and live with me
always."
"Oh, I'll come!"
"And then we'll see what you shall do. Would you like to go to school
and study?"
"Oh, may I?"
"Certainly! what would you like to study?"
"Readin'. If I could only study readin' so as to learn to read real
good. I can read some now; but you know they's such lots o' things to
read 'at I can't do it fast enough."
"Yes, you shall learn to read fast, and you shall read to me. You
shall read books to me."
"What! whole books?--through?"
"Yes, would you like that?"
"Oh!" and the boy clasped his hands together in unspeakable delight.
"Yes, and you shall read stories to Mildred, your little sister.
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