“How shall I tell him?” she thought, and her eyes went from his face to the basket and chair where baby’s clothes were lying. The little white dress, with its shoulder knots of blue; the flannels and the soft wool socks were all there in plain sight, and Will saw them, too, as his eye followed Rose’s. “Rose, tell me, what is that? What does it mean?” he asked, and then, without a word, Rose led him into the adjoining room, where in his crib slumbered her beautiful boy,—_their_ beautiful boy rather. He was hers alone no longer, for the father was there now, and the happiest moment he had ever known was that when he knelt by his baby’s cradle, and felt how much he had for which to thank his Maker. He could not wait till morning before he heard the sound of his first-born’s voice, and he took him at once in his arms, every pulse thrilling with pride and exquisite delight, as he felt the soft, baby hands in his own, and looked into the beautiful dark eyes which met his so wonderingly as baby awoke and gazed up into his face. It was not afraid of him, and Rose almost danced with joy as she saw it smile in its father’s face, and then turn slily away. “It was so terrible till baby came last Christmas,” she said, beginning to explain how they believed him dead, and how much she had suffered. “Even baby did not make me as glad as it ought,” she continued, “for I could not forget how happy you would have been to come home and find him here, and now you’ve come. God is very, very good; I love him now, Will, better, I hope than I love you, or baby, or anything. I’ve given baby to Him and given myself, too, but he had to punish me so hard before I would do it.” Then together the re-united couple knelt and thanked the Father who had remembered them so mercifully, and asked that henceforth their lives might be dedicated to his service, and all they had be subject to his will. There was no more sleep in the Mather mansion that night, for by the time Mrs. Carleton and the servants had recovered from their surprise and joy, the early morning was red in the east, and the sun was just beginning to show the returned soldier how pleasant and beautiful his home was looking.