ay have many enjoyments, though not able to be active
like other boys. You must keep up your spirits; it is the will of God
and you must submit."

Poor Mrs. Parker having disburdened her mind of a great load, and
performed her dreaded task, left the room, telling her husband that the
boy bore it very well, indeed, he did not seem to feel it much. The bell
being already out for church, she called the young people to accompany
her thither, leaving one maid-servant and the errand boy at home, and
poor Joe to meditate on his newly-acquired information that he would be
a cripple for life. Edith looked in and asked softly, "shall I stay?"
but the "No" was so very decided, and so very stern that she did not
repeat the question, so they all went off together, a cheerful family
party.

The errand boy betook himself to a chair in the kitchen, where he was
soon sound asleep, and the maid-servant to the back gate to gossip with
a sailor; so Joe was left alone with a hand-bell on the table, plenty of
books if he liked to read them, and as far as outward comforts went
with nothing to complain of. "And here I am a cripple for life,"
ejaculated the poor fellow, when the sound of their voices died away and
the bell ceased; "and, oh, may that life be a short one! I wish, oh, I
wish, I were dead! who would care to hear this? no one--I wish from my
heart I were dead;" and here the boy sobbed till his poor weak frame was
convulsed with agony, and he felt as if his heart (for he had a heart)
would break.

In his wretchedness he longed for affection, he longed for some one who
would really care for him, "but _no one_ cares for me," groaned the lad,
"no one, and I wish I might die to night." Ah, Joe, may God change you
_very_ much before he grants that wish! After he had sobbed a while, he
began to think more calmly, but his thoughts were thoughts of revenge
and hatred. "_John_ has been the cause of it all." Then he thought
again, "they may well make all this fuss over me, when their son caused
all my misery; let them do what they will they will never make it up to
me, but they only tolerate me I can see, I know I am in the way; they
don't ask me here because they care for me, not they, it's only out of
pity;" and here, rolling his head from side to side, sobbed and cried
afresh. "What would I give for some one to love me, for some one to wait
on me because they loved me! but here I am to lie all my life, a
helpless, hopeless, cripple; oh d