They could not forget how he had fought
with death for them and for their children.
Of all his former skill but little remained now except
his wonderful presence in the sick-room.
He could still inspire the greatest confidence and hope.
Still at his coming a sick man's fears fell away from
him, and in their stead came hope and good cheer. This
was the old man's good gift that even his years of sinning
could not wholly destroy. God had marked him for a great
physician.
CHAPTER III
THE PINK LADY
When Mrs. Francis decided to play the Lady Bountiful to
the Watson family, she not only ministered to their
physical necessity but she conscientiously set about to
do them good, if they would be done good to. Mrs. Francis's
heart was kind, when you could get to it; but it was so
deeply crusted over with theories and reflections and
abstract truths that not very many people knew that she
had one.
When little Danny's arms were thrown around her neck,
and he called her his dear sweet, pink lady, her
pseudo-intellectuality broke down before a power which
had lain dormant. She had always talked a great deal of
the joys of motherhood, and the rapturous delights of
mother-love. Not many of the mothers knew as much of the
proper care of an infant during the period of dentition
as she. She had read papers at mothers' meetings, and
was as full of health talks as a school physiology.
But it was the touch of Danny's soft cheek and clinging
arms that brought to her the rapture that is so sweet it
hurts, and she realised that she had missed the sweetest
thing in life.
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