The bell
being already out for church, she called the young people to accompany
her thither, leaving one maid-servant and the errand boy at home, and
poor Joe to meditate on his newly-acquired information that he would be
a cripple for life. Edith looked in and asked softly, "shall I stay?"
but the "No" was so very decided, and so very stern that she did not
repeat the question, so they all went off together, a cheerful family
party.
The errand boy betook himself to a chair in the kitchen, where he was
soon sound asleep, and the maid-servant to the back gate to gossip with
a sailor; so Joe was left alone with a hand-bell on the table, plenty of
books if he liked to read them, and as far as outward comforts went
with nothing to complain of. "And here I am a cripple for life,"
ejaculated the poor fellow, when the sound of their voices died away and
the bell ceased; "and, oh, may that life be a short one! I wish, oh, I
wish, I were dead! who would care to hear this? no one--I wish from my
heart I were dead;" and here the boy sobbed till his poor weak frame was
convulsed with agony, and he felt as if his heart (for he had a heart)
would break.
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