Chapter 12

The little boy, who followed them, saw the handkerchief fall, ran to pick it up, and gave it the old man, saying, "Here, good old man, you dropped your handkerchief, and here it is."--"Thank you, heartily, my little friend," said the old man. "Here is a good natured lad, who does not ridicule old age, nor laugh at the afflictions that attend it. You will certainly become an honest man. Come both of you to my habitation, and I will give you some milk." They had no sooner reached the old man's cottage, than he brought out some milk, and the best bread he had, which, though coarse, was good. They all sat down upon the grass, and made a comfortable repast. However, Charlotte began to be afraid her parents might come home, and be uneasy at her absence; and the little boy was sorry to go, but was sadly afraid, should he stay, of being scolded by his mother.

"This mother of yours," said the old man, "must be very cross to scold you."--"She is not always so," replied the boy; "but though she loves me, she makes me fear her."--"And your father?"--"Oh, I scarcely knew him, he having been dead these four years."--"Dead these four years!" interrupted the old man, and fixing his eyes attentively on the boy. "Is it possible that I have some recollection of your features? Can it be little Francis?"--"Yes, yes, Francis is my name."

For a few moments the old man stood motionless, and, with an altered voice, his eyes swimming with tears, cried out, "My dear Francis, you do not recollect your grandfather! Embrace me! you have got the very features of my son! My dearest child, you were not thinking of me! My son affectionately loved me, and his son will love me also. My old age will not be so miserable as I expected, and the evening of my life will not pass without some joy. I shall depart in peace!--But I forget that by detaining you, I may expose you to your mother's anger. Go, my dear child, for I do not wish that my joy should cost you tears. Go, love your mother, and obey her commands, even though you should not come and see me. Come and see me if you can; but do not disobey or tell a story on any account."

He then turned to Charlotte, and said, though he then did not wish her to stay, for fear of offending her parents, yet he hoped she would come again. He then dismissed them, giving them a hearty blessing, and the two children walked away hand in hand. Charlotte got home safe before her parents, who were not long after her, when she told them every thing that had passed, which furnished an agreeable conversation for the evening.

The next day they all went to see the good old man, and afterwards frequently repeated their visits. Francis also came to see his grandfather, who was rejoiced to hear him speak, and to receive his affectionate caresses. Francis, on his side, was equally rejoiced, excepting when he did not meet with Charlotte, for then he went home sorrowful and sad.

The nearer Francis arrived to manhood, the more his affections for Charlotte increased; and accordingly, when he was old enough to marry, he would think of no other woman, though she was not rich. The old man lived to see them married and happy, and then finally closed his eyes in peace.

+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | | | In the Contents, page 113 for the chapter titled "Alfred and | | Dorinda" has been changed to 118. | | | | Page 20, double closing quotation mark has been added to the | | end of the chapter--ruin." | | | | Page 25, closing quotation mark has been removed--munched | | alive. | | | | Page 134, "about gardening. but" has been changed to "about | | gardening; but" | | | | Page 159 punctuation after "contentedly" has been | | interpreted as a comma | | | | Page 215 "Ah!"' said he" has been changed to "Ah!" said he" | | | | Page 223 "down her cheeks The" has been changed to "down her | | cheeks. The" | | | | Page 246 "treason, and been" has been changed to "reason, | | and been" | | | | Page 266 "entored into conversation" has been changed to | | "entered into conversation" | | | | Page 269 "and hear it is" has been changed to "and here it | | is" | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

End of Project Gutenberg's The Looking-Glass for the Mind, by M. Berquin