The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 21 CHAPTER II I love thee more, my own fireside, Than lofty halls of stately pride. THat same evening Richard Lawrence was seated by the cheerful fire in the neat, comfortable parlour of the cottage, #o many years inhabited by his widowed mother and sister. The unexpected intelligence that Mr. Grindem had given her son a month’s rest, in order to re-establish his health, had brought the long absent smiles to his sister’s and his parent’s cheek. A month! what did it not promise? From the day he first entered the counting-house, during the six years of his slavery, Richard had never had more than a three days’ holiday, and that only once a-year—eighteen days in six years. Certainly his moments of recreation had not been many, and yet he felt grateful for them. “ Only think, mother,”’ he exclaimed, as soon as he had changed his wet clothes, and was installed in the comfortable easy chair, “a month’s rest! you will scarcely know me—I shall get so strong.”’ ° ‘‘ Heaven grant it!” thought the widow, for her heart was too full to answer except by a smile. “ Would it COniiclooecl SS (SO