or his father was a heavy man and needed
something firm to lean upon. The dame, though none of your fragile
ladies, was in such a state of alarm and excitement at the bold step
they were taking in lifting him without the meester's orders that she
came near pulling her husband over, even while she believed herself to
be his main prop and support.

"Steady, vrouw, steady," panted Raff. "Have I grown old and feeble, or
is it the fever makes me thus helpless?"

"Hear the man!"--Dame Brinker laughed--"talking like any other
Christian! Why, you're only weak from the fever, Raff. Here's the chair,
all fixed snug and warm. Now, sit thee down--hi-di-didy--there we are!"

With these words Dame Brinker let her half of the burden settle slowly
into the chair. Hans prudently did the same.

Meanwhile Gretel flew about generally, bringing every possible thing to
her mother to tuck behind the father's back and spread over his knees.
Then she twitched the carved bench under his feet, and Hans kicked the
fire to make it brighter.

The father was sitting up at last. What wonder that he looked about him
like one bewildered. "Little Hans" had just been almost carrying him.
"The baby" was over four feet long and was demurely brushing up the
hearth with a bundle of willow wisps. Meitje, the vrouw, winsome and
fair as ever, had gained at least fifty pounds in what seemed to him a
few hours. She also had some new lines in her face that puzzled him. The
only familiar things in the room were the pine table that he had made
before he was married, the Bible upon the shelf, and the cupboard in the
corner.

Ah! Raff Brinker, it was only natural that your eyes should fill with
hot tears even while looking at the joyful faces of your loved ones. Ten
years dropped from a man's life are no small loss; ten years of manhood,
of household happiness and care; ten years of honest labor, of conscious
enjoyment of sunshine and outdoor beauty, ten years of grateful
life--one day looking forward to all this; the next, waking to find them
passed and a blank. What wonder the scalding tears dropped one by one
upon your cheek!

Tender little Gretel! The prayer of her life was answered through those
tears. She LOVED her father silently at that moment. Hans and his mother
glanced silently at each other when they saw her spring toward him and
throw her arms about his neck.

"Father, DEAR Father," she whispered, pressing her cheek close to his,
"don't cry. We a