“‘I wish she hadn’t a chance to know that, father.’
“‘Yes,’ said the cobbler,—‘your mother’s sickness—that seems the hardest evil we have had to do with. It’s not easy to find any present comfort of that; nor any present good; for I am afraid it makes me more impatient than patient. Maybe that’s why I have it. But if we can’t see the reason of a great many things now, we shall by and by. We shall know, Sue, what the reason was. _‘Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no._’’
“Sue lifted up her head, and her little face was beautiful for the strong patience, and bright trust, and love that was in it. Her eyes were swimming and her lips were speaking, though they only moved to tremble.
“‘We can wait, Sue,’ said the cobbler, gently. Sue laid down her head again.
“‘So it seems we have got the reason of it already,’ Mr. Peg went on, ‘if not the good.’
“‘Maybe we’ve got some of the good too, without knowing it,’ said his little daughter.
“‘Still, well be very glad to have mother get well.’
“‘And it will teach us how to be thankful for the common things we forget.’
“‘Then you would like to have me go to school,’ said Sue; ‘and I can’t.’
“‘And if you could I shouldn’t have the pleasure of teaching you myself,’ said the cobbler. ‘I can bear that.’
“‘But then I can’t learn so many things,’ said Sue.
“‘Of one kind you can’t, and of another kind you can,’ said her father. ‘I don’t believe there’s a school-girl in Beachhead that can broil a blue fish as you can.’
“‘Do you think broiling blue fish comes by nature?’ said the cobbler. ‘I can tell you there are many people that can’t learn it at all. And that’s only one of your accomplishments.’
“‘O father!’ said Sue again, smiling a little.
“‘You can nurse a sick mother, and mend a hole in your father’s coat, and put up a room, and make a bed, with anybody.’
“‘Still, father, you’d like to have me go?’
“‘Yes, I would,’ said the cobbler. ‘Maybe I shall never be sorry, by and by, that I couldn’t.’
“‘And then, father,’ said Sue, ‘you can’t get work enough.’
“‘Yes!’ said the cobbler. ‘If I could do that, it would be all smooth. But God could give it to me if it pleased him, and if it don’t please him there must be some reason; can’t we trust him and wait?’