Octavia's Pride; or, The Missing Witness — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

ey a tte Fie ‘(ge iPiyyrs ae es my caged, arn ue Helv : tick el te AY RO I tO gs RI ATEN BRE 1 md ee ota kM” BESS Ws; OCTAVIA’S PRIDE 61 ‘¢ It isa pitiful chance—don’t build uponit. Ten against one. Are you willing to risk it?” | “Anything! anything! It will be bad enough at best, but I can do something with my hands, and poor little Jenny won’t mind a crippled daddy if she has his love.’ Oh, my little Jenny! there will be nobody to love her if I die. Her mother went this very year.” Lhe cold drops stood on his forehead—agony SE mind beyond torture of body. ‘* My poor fellow, tell me your story now, before we begin with you; just words enough for me to understand how I may help your child, if the need. comes.” And then Doctor Morley listened to a pitiful story, com- mon enough, too, alas! in the colony, of how the man had been lured into wrong by the indulgence of strong drink— how when maddened by its poison, and when under the pernicious influence of his evil passions he had transgressed the laws, been discovered, tried, and sentenced to trans- portation. And his faithful wife had followed, and kept as near as possible to him, and her love and the glimpses caught of his babe had been his sole joy and comfort. And now the devoted wife was dead, and the child was left to his sole care. She was there now in the care of the matron of the convict boarding-house, a little girl of ten. What would become of her if anything should take him away? And again he groaned in agony. Doctor Morley took the trembling hand in his. ‘“My poor fellow, rest easy, your child shall not suffer, nor want a good home, if she is unfortunate enough to lose her father too. Keep up as brave a heart as possible, in orderto help you through, and believe me that you shall have careful treatment. The rest is in Heaven’s hands.” The poor, suffering creature clung to the cool, strong fingers. ‘‘ Doctor, doctor! you’re a man to be trusted. You’ve - com (@) es) boo Cate) : ~*~ a ag : ‘ f iA ae | * - ~ >