He looked, therefore, upon decline
as upon an approaching foe, and the father's heart became sentinel
for the welfare of his child, and watched every symptom of the dreaded
disease that threatened her, with a vigilance that never slept. Under
such circumstances we need not again assure our readers that his
parental tenderness for this beautiful girl--now his "only one," as
he used to call her--was such as is rare even in the most affectionate
families; but in this case the slight and doubtful tenure which his
apprehensions told him he had of her existence raised his love of her
almost to idolatry. Still she improved in person, grace, and intellect;
and although an occasional shadow, as transient as that which passes
over and makes dim the flowery fields of May or April, darkened her
father's heart for a time, yet it passed away, and she danced on in the
light of youthful happiness, without a single trace of anxiety or care.
Her father's affection for her was not, however, confined to herself;
on the contrary, it passed to and embraced every object that was dear
to her--her favorite books, her favorite playthings, and her favorite
companions.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25