The Best of Husbands Volume 3 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 edition. Excerpt: ...in the lobby though snow environed him from head to heel, she knew, but would have come right on into her beloved presence. In this case, indeed, there was still more delay, for she heard Mrs. Morden summoned, and then voices in hushed converse. The visitors, in fact, were her father and Mr. Linch, and she had but to cast one look on then earnest faces, as they entered the room, to know that they were the bearers of grave tidings. 'Oh father, you have news of John ' cried she. 'Yes, Maggie, ' answered the old man, in broken tones; 'there is news; and alas, bad news.' CHAPTER VIII. THE APPOINTED TIME. Bad news? Of course there was. Who is it that has reached middle life, and been so fortunate as never to have experienced that moment when he has been called aside, it may be from some scene of pleasure, or from one, at least, wherein his 'bosom's lord sat lightly on its throne, ' by some unwilling messenger of woe Whether it be friend or servant, there is no mistaking the nature of his errand. Before the 'Oh sir, come home at once ' of the one, or the 'Friend, I am sorry to bring you evil tidings, ' of the other, is spoken, we know that Fate has done us some ill turn. And if this be so on ordinary occasions, how much more when we have reason to fear her malice That bad news had come respecting John, Maggie was as well aware as they who brought it; she only dared to hope that it was not the worst. Nay, beyond that deep, in her case, lay a lower deep, for she knew not what that worst might be. 'A letter came this morning, Maggie, ' said Mr. Linch, since her father, after feeling blindly about him for a chair, had sat him down and remained silent, as though unequal to the task he had proposed to himself--' a letter from shipboard.' 'From John? Oh, give...