a cripple for life. Edith looked in and asked softly, "shall I stay?"
but the "No" was so very decided, and so very stern that she did not
repeat the question, so they all went off together, a cheerful family
party.

The errand boy betook himself to a chair in the kitchen, where he was
soon sound asleep, and the maid-servant to the back gate to gossip with
a sailor; so Joe was left alone with a hand-bell on the table, plenty of
books if he liked to read them, and as far as outward comforts went
with nothing to complain of. "And here I am a cripple for life,"
ejaculated the poor fellow, when the sound of their voices died away and
the bell ceased; "and, oh, may that life be a short one! I wish, oh, I
wish, I were dead! who would care to hear this? no one--I wish from my
heart I were dead;" and here the boy sobbed till his poor weak frame was
convulsed with agony, and he felt as if his heart (for he had a heart)
would break.

In his wretchedness he longed for affection, he longed for some one who
would really care for him, "but _no one_ cares for me," groaned the lad,
"no one, and I wish I might die to night." Ah, Joe, may God change you
_very_ much before he grants that wish! After he had sobbed a while, he
began to think more calmly, but his thoughts were thoughts of revenge
and hatred. "_John_ has been the cause of it all." Then he thought
again, "they may well make all this fuss over me, when their son caused
all my misery; let them do what they will they will never make it up to
me, but they only tolerate me I can see, I know I am in the way; they
don't ask me here because they care for me, not they, it's only out of
pity;" and here, rolling his head from side to side, sobbed and cried
afresh. "What would I give for some one to love me, for some one to wait
on me because they loved me! but here I am to lie all my life, a