"Oh dear, no, Ma'am," cried Martha, her eyes sparkling with joy at the
good news she had to tell; "well, quite well; and she can see us all
now, she is no longer blind."
"Oh, how glad I am," said Willy. "Where is she? How happy she must be,
and how I should like to see her now she can see!"
"She is at the hospital," said Martha. "She was couched only about ten
days ago, and is not allowed yet to go abroad in the daylight; but if
you had but seen her kiss us all round when her eyes first saw, and
then kneel down and thank God for restoring her sight, and preserving
all her children so that she had the blessing of seeing them again.
Well, I really thought we should have cried our eyes out, we were all
so happy!"
"Cry for being happy!" said Willy; "why I thought people laughed when
they were happy."
"So they do," said Martha; "but when they are very, very glad, they
cannot laugh, and then they sometimes cry for joy."
Willy told Betsey and Johnny all about grandmamma's farm and his own
little garden; and they, in return, told him all about their mother
going to the hospital, and how the surgeons had done something to her
eyes which made her see; and what a treat their grandmother was going
to give them when mother was well enough to leave the hospital. "It is
to be a grand drinking tea in the gardens," said she, "and I don't know
how many nice things there will be. She is, I believe, making some of
the pies and cakes already."
When they returned to the inn, there was still daylight enough for
Willy to go over the landlady's garden with his friend Anna, and she
showed him the apricot and peach trees, which were now full of ripe
fruit, whilst, at their first visit, Willy had scarcely noticed them,
seeing nothing but small green balls growing on their branches.
"I will tell you a secret," said Anna, "if you will keep it. Mamma bade
me gather some of these apricots and peaches, and put them in a nice
little basket, almost quite new, and cover the fruit over with fresh
green leaves, as she means to give it to your mamma when she goes away,
to eat while she is on the railroad."
The next morning the landlady came with her bill to be paid, and Willy
was very glad when he saw his mamma take two sovereigns out of her
purse, and a great many shillings, for he thought, "I hope she will
have a good deal instead of a _little over_." Then Anna came with
the nice basket of fruit and offered it; and Willy's mamma was much
pleased, and thanked her, and gave her a pretty silver pencil-case in
return, which delighted Anna.
In a few hours more Willy's travels were ended by his arrival in
London; we shall therefore take leave of him, after his pleasant
journey and his happy return.
THE END.
LONDON:
SPOTTISWOODE and SHAW,
New-street Square.