had changed much during the past four years. His love for Gomer, the
uncertainty of her whereabouts, his grief, his constant preaching to
Israel that fell on deaf ears, had made deep furrows in his face and
brought wrinkles to his forehead.

"Come with me," he said softly to her.

For a moment Gomer stared at him; then she fell in a dead faint at
his feet.

It was a long time before she revived. Sorrow and repentance for her
foolishness in leaving a home where her husband loved her and where
her children would have worshiped her, had she permitted them to do
so, had sapped all her strength. The sudden shock of seeing Hosea and
the knowledge that he had bought her as a slave nearly killed her.

But Hosea had no thought of revenge. In his great heart there was
naught but love for Gomer.

On their way home Gomer began:

"I regret," she said, "I am sorry--"

But Hosea stopped her. He would not even listen to words of explanation
from her whom he loved. He knew that she must have suffered much, that
she was unhappy. It was sufficient now that she was sorry, that she
had repented. Hosea did not want to cause her the pain of a recital of
her sorrows.

That is the way people who love truly do. They forgive and forget,