THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 269 
close embrace, Mrs. Farley holding a large envel¬ 
ope in her hands. As they stepped back, fearing 
that they were intruding on some family scene 
which should be kept sacred from strangers, the 
daughter arrested their steps by saying, 
“ Don’t be frightened, gentleman, but please 
help yourselves to seats, for mother and I are 
so happy just now as to be a little flighty, I 
fear.” 
Happy !” cried the mother, while both voice 
and frame were tremulous with emotion— 
“ happy ! yes, thrice happy ! ‘ Bless the Lord, 
O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his 
holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
forget not all his benefits. I will sing unto the 
Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise unto 
my God while I have my being,’ ‘ who remem¬ 
bered us in our low estate : for his mercy en- 
dureth for ever!’ — See this, gentlemen,” she 
cried, putting the deed into their hands—“ see 
this I We have a home once more, paid for 
and furnished, and to-morrow we are to move 
into it.—Oh, Alice, my child I my child I” she 
cried as she pressed her frail form to her bosom, 
“ we have a home once more—a home I a ho—” 
and then her voice failed her from excess of joy. 
