Stella Rosevelt — page 299: what you’re looking at

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

ss FOSEPHINE’S INGRATITUDE. 293 bought, even at the sacrifice of nothing more than your nerves and strength,” he concluded, in a stern tone. Star reached out one white hand and laid it gently upon his, saying, with grave sweetness, while she wiped away her tears: ‘‘Uncle Jacob, let us not judge too harshly nor be unfor- giving. ‘Charity,’ you know, ‘suffereth long and is kind, and never faileth.” Surely you would not have had me run away like a coward, and leave her sitting there playing with that mad creature, knowimg that she was in such fearful danger?” ‘N-o,” he admitted, reluctantly. ‘‘Just think,” Star went on; ‘‘she had him im her lap, and I did not speak one instant too soon, for hardly had I told her that he was mad, when he snapped at her. No; Iam glad - that I did what was right, and Josephine Richards’ life was every bit as precious to me yesterday as that of any one else, and I should have done just the same had she been an enemy a hundred-fold more than she is. She has endeavored to injure me, I know, in every possible way, and, in all the ordinary walks of life, I should let her alone. Her spite and ill-will, however bitter, cannot do me any real harm, although they may annoy me exceedingly, and doubtless will, in the end, rebound upon herself; but 1 am glad that I did not falter yesterday. I did what I could with the kindest of motives; and if she does not feel that she owes me anything, it cannot alter the fact that I did my duty.” Mr. Rosevelt regarded her with an almost worshipful look. ** That good book, which you love so well, says that ‘a little child shall lead them ;’ and truly, Star, you in your youth shame me in my maturer years by your Christian spirit,” he said, in an humble tone. Star did not reply, but she looked very happy. ‘‘Surely Uncle Jacob must have been reading some in ‘that good ktook,’sto quote thus from it,” she thought, while his remark about a Christian spirit told that he was thinking upon Eomicbooks.