He was not aware of her entrance till she stood close at his side, her
hand on his shoulder, her eyes fixed, with a gaze of ardent affection,
upon his face.

"Dear child!" he said, looking up from his paper, and smiling
affectionately upon her; then tossing the paper aside and putting an arm
about her waist, he drew her to his knee and pressed fatherly kisses
upon lip and cheek and brow, asking tenderly if anything was wrong with
her that she had come in search of him when he supposed her to be
already in bed and sound asleep.

"I'm not sick, papa," she said in reply; "but oh, I miss Maxie so!" The
words were almost a sob, and she clung about her father's neck, hiding
her face on his shoulder.

"I, too, miss my boy more than words can tell," he replied, stroking her
hair with gently caressing touch, and she was sure his tones trembled a
little with the pain of the thought of Max left alone among strangers;
"but I thank God, our Heavenly Father, that I have by no means lost my
eldest son, while I still have another one and three dear daughters to
add to my happiness in our sweet home."

"I do want to add to it, you dear, dear, good papa!" she said, hugging
and kissing him over and over again. "Oh, I wish I was a better girl for
your sake, so that my wrong-doing would never give you pain!"

"I think--and am very happy in the thought--that you are improving," he
said, repeating his caresses; "and it is a great comfort to me," he
continued, "that my little girls need not be sent away from home and
their father to be educated."