"
The slow, bewildered words were spoken with his eyes fixed blindly on
the floor. At the sight of his dreadful composure, his wife's loud
weeping died into a frightened whimper. He did not repeat the
explanation. Dr. Lavendar heard it from Mrs. Wright, as she knelt
beside the poor, stony father, patting his hand and mothering him.
"It was an accident, Dr. Lavendar. Sammy took a notion to clean his
father's pistol. And it went off. And oh, he had just come back to us
again. And he was so glad to get home. He went to church yesterday
morning. I didn't have to urge him. He wanted to go. I feel sure he
had begun to think of his Saviour. Yes; and he wanted to go back to
the bank, and write up his ledgers; he was so happy to be among us
again. Oh, Dr, Lavendar, he said to me, 'I just had to come home,
mother, to you and father,' And I kissed him, and I said, 'Yes, my
darling; home is the best place,' And he kissed me, Dr, Lavendar.
Sammy was not one to do that--a big boy, you know. Oh, I am so glad he
_wanted_ to come home. And now the Lord has taken him. Oh, Samuel,
try, try to say: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord!'"
The senior warden stared in silence at her plump hand, shaking and
trembling on his knee. Dr. Lavendar did not urge any word of
resignation. He sat beside the stricken pair, hearing the mother's
pitiful babble, looking at the father's bent gray head, saying what he
could of Sam--his truthfulness, his good nature, his kindness.
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