If he could have chosen, his will would certainly have been for Susan to return to them; but, since he could not have his choice, he felt that there were some things which would be all the happier for him because of her absence.
He put Dolly to bed, and then went out to shut up the shop for the night.
As he carried in his feeble arms a single shutter at a time, he heard himself hailed by a boy's voice, which was lowered to a low and mysterious whisper, and which belonged to Tony, who took the shutter out of his hands.
"S'pose the mother turned up all right ?" he said, pointing with his thumb through the half open door.
"No," answered Oliver.

"I've had another letter from her, and she's gone out to India with her husband, and left the little love to live alone with me." "But whatever'll the Master say to that ?" inquired Tony.
"What master ?" asked old Oliver.
"Him--Lord Jesus Christ.

What'll he say to her leaving you and the little 'un again ?" said Tony, with an eager face.
"Oh! he says a woman ought to leave her father, and keep to her husband," he answered, somewhat sadly.

"It's all right, that is." "I s'pose he'll help you to take care of the little girl," said Tony.
"Ay will he; him and me," replied old Oliver; "there's no fear of that.
You never read the Testament, of course, my boy ?" "Can't read, I told you," he answered.

"But what's that ?" "A book all about him, the Lord Jesus," said Oliver, "what he's done, and what he's willing to do for people.