"Whether it was or not, I don't complain. I am too happy to-day to complain of anything. To see him home again! But I have dreamt so often that he came home, and woke up to find it was only a dream, I'm half afraid now to be as happy as I might be." "Be as happy as you please, Sophrony!" spoke up Reuben, who had seemed to be listening to Mr. Ducklow's apologies for not coming over the night before, while he was in reality straining his ear to catch every word his wife was saying. He was dressed in his uniform and lying on a lounge, supported by pillows. "I'm just where I want to be, of all places in this world,--or the next world either, I may say; for I can't conceive of any greater heaven than I'm in now. I'm going to get well, too, spite of the doctors. Coming home is the best medicine for a fellow in my condition. Not bad to take, either! Stand here, Ruby, my boy, and let yer daddy look at ye again! To think that's _my_ Ruby, Pa Ducklow! Why, he was a mere baby when I went away!" "Reuben! Reuben!" entreated the young wife, leaning over him, "you are talking too much. You promised me you wouldn't, you know." "Well, well, I won't. But when a fellow's heart is chock-full, it's hard to shut down on it sometimes. Don't look so, friends, as if ye pitied me! I a'n't to be pitied. I'll bet there isn't one of ye half as happy as I am at this minute!" "Here's Miss Beswick, Mother Ducklow," said Sophronia. "Haven't you noticed her?" "Oh! how do you do, Miss Beswick?" said Mrs. Ducklow, appearing surprised. "Tryin' to keep out o' the way, and make myself useful," replied Miss Beswick, stiffly. "I don't know what I should do without her," said Sophronia, as the tall spinster disappeared. "She took right hold and helped me last night; then she came in again the first thing this morning. 'Go to your husband,' says she to me; 'don't leave him a minute. I know he don't want ye out of his sight,--and you don't want to be out of his sight, either; so you 'tend right to him, and I'll do the work. There'll be enough folks comin' in to hender, but I've come in to help,' says she. And here she's been ever since, hard at work; for when Miss Beswick says a thing, there's no use opposing her,--that _you_ know, Mother Ducklow." "Yes, she likes to have her own way," said Mrs. Ducklow, with a peculiar pucker. "It seems she called at the door last night to tell you Reuben had come." "Called at the door! Didn't she tell you she came in and made us a visit?" "No, indeed! Did she?" Mrs. Ducklow concluded, that, if nothing had been said on that subject, she might as well remain silent; so she merely remarked,-- "Oh, yes, a visit,--_for her_. She a'n't no great hand to make long stops, ye know." "Only when she's needed," said Sophronia; "then she never thinks of going as long as she sees anything to do. Reuben! you mustn't talk, Reuben!" "I was saying," remarked Neighbor Jepworth, "it'll be too bad now, if you have to give up this place; but he"----