Half an hour later Prof. Seabrook came in, looking
a trifle pale and anxious.
Dorothy arose and went forward, with radiant face,
to meet him. He could not speak, but opened his
arms to her and held her close for a minute, his trembling
lips pressed against the fair head lying on his breast.
Presently she gently released herself, remarking:
“Papa, do you know, when you came in, you looked
as if you expected to find what we have all wished
for so long.”
“I did and—I didn’t,”
he replied, with a faint smile. “When I
had finished what Mrs. Minturn asked me to do, and
started to leave the room, I saw your crutches standing
in the corner where I had put them after you were
seated.
“While I stood blankly staring and wondering,
that blessed woman came to me with such a light on
her face—it fairly shone with joy and love.
“‘Dorrie has gone,’” she said.
“’I saw her walk out with her mother.’
“Involuntarily I put out my hand to take the
crutches,
“‘No—leave them,’ she
said, ’she will never need them again, and you
do not wish any reminders of error about you.’
So I came away praying ‘Lord, I believe, help
thou my unbelief.’”
A momentous errand.
There were only three more sessions, but they were
wonderful “sittings together,” for every
member had been deeply impressed by the signal manifestation
of God’s power in their midst, in connection
with Dorothy; and felt that the place whereon they
stood was indeed “holy ground.”
Then the class was dismissed with solemn, but loving,
injunctions to go forth to “cheer the faint,
uplift the fallen, and heal the sick.”
But, before letting them go, Mrs. Minturn cordially
invited the students to spend the following Thursday
at her home in Manchester; to enjoy a reunion and
an outing before finally separating to go to their
different fields of labor.
As their last meeting occurred on Tuesday, there intervened
but one day in which to prepare for the prospective
festivities on Thursday. But willing hearts and
hands—for Mr. Minturn was now at home,
and Prof. Seabrook and Dr. Stanley proffered their
services--made light work of the various things to
be done.
Katherine, Sadie and Jennie planned elaborate decorations
for the veranda; accordingly the coachman and hostler
were dispatched to the woods for pine boughs, evergreens,
etc., then to a florist’s, for potted ferns
and plants, with an order for cut-flowers to be sent
on Thursday morning, and it was not long before the
house began to put on quite a festive appearance.
On Wednesday, just after lunch, Mr. Minturn repaired
to the attic and brought forth a box supposed to contain
Chinese and Japanese lanterns, with other decorations;
but, alas! when it was opened it was found that the
mice had made sad havoc with its contents, and they
were condemned as utterly useless.
