138 The Love of God.

The woman obferved Theodore’s eye, and faid,
“* Ay, without help we fhall neither of us be here
long !”

“I will help you,” faid Theodore, “ tell me
what I can do!” |

“‘ What can you or any one do, for a dying
woman and a half-ftarved child?” groaned the
poor creature. ‘ Food, food ! medicine and help!”
Thefe words burft from her in broken accents—
“* T am dying!”

“Are you fo very ill?” afked Theodore, turn-
ing deadly pale; and he murmured to himfelf—
“¢ Death again! I dare not fee it again fo foon!
Here!” continued he, thrufting gold into her
hand, “ now you fee that I will help you! Look,
I will fend you food, and you hall be brought to
the houfe: but let me take the child, he cannot
do you good, and I will fee to him.” “ He muft
not fee her die ;’”” was Theodore’s inward thought.

“Ay, take him,” muttered the woman gloomily,
“‘and fend me cordials. No one wants to go
even an hour before their time !”

Theodore obeyed almoft mechanically, and lift-
ing up the little boy, he made a fhift to carry him
to the houfe. On arriving there, he called for his
houfekeeper and defired her to take food and wine
to the woman he had left, and to bring her to the
houfe. Then he fent another fervant fora doctor,
and afterwards undertook himfelf the care of the
forlorn child. He placed him on a fofa in his
ftudy and fat down by him.