344 the beautiful ladder. 
has been my kind and unfailing benefactor; he 
it was who paid all my bills, and gave me back 
to you and usefulness; and what shall we do 
to repay him for all his goodness to us ?” 
“ What shall we do, my child ? Why, thank 
and bless him all the days of our lives, and pray 
for him as long as we have a tongue to utter a 
petition to the Giver of all good!—Oh, sir,” she 
said, turning to Davidson, “ if a mother’s daily 
blessing can make any return for your generous 
care for my precious child in her affliction, and 
her daily earnest supplications bring happiness 
to your heart here and hereafter, then you will 
not go wholly unrewarded for your noble deed 
of charity. Oh, that I had some way to show 
how deeply and truly grateful I am!” 
As the scene was becoming intensely trying 
to spirit and nerves, the opportunity was seized 
to release the strain; and so Davidson said, 
“ I have not done enough to merit such 
warm commendations, and certainly not enough 
to bring you under obligations that you can 
never repay. You can repay me, and leave me 
in debt to you beyond all calculation or hope 
of discharge. I have given you and her but a 
small sum out of a store that was not percepti- 
