you for a little while," and she put her right arm affectionately
round her daughter's waist.

"Dearest mother," said Susan.

"Ah! there's one dearer than me, I guess," and Mrs. Bell smiled
sweetly, as she made the maternal charge against her daughter.

Susan raised herself quickly in the bed, and looked straight into
her mother's face. "Mother, mother," she said, "what is it? You've
something to tell. Oh, mother!" And stretching herself over, she
struck her hand against the corner of Aaron's letter. "Mother,
you've a letter. Is he coming, mother?" and with eager eyes and
open lips, she sat up, holding tight to her mother's arm.

"Yes, love. I have got a letter."

"Is he--is he coming?"

How the mother answered, I can hardly tell; but she did answer, and
they were soon lying in each other's arms, warm with each other's
tears. It was almost hard to say which was the happier.

Aaron was to be there that evening--that very evening. "Oh, mother,
let me get up," said Susan.

But Mrs. Bell said no, not yet; her darling was pale and thin, and
she almost wished that Aaron was not coming for another week. What
if he should come and look at her, and finding her beauty gone,
vanish again and seek a wife elsewhere!