Ida's mother has an
undoubted right to her; a better right than any we can urge."
"Then it would be better," said his wife, tearfully, "if she had
never been placed in our charge. Then we should not have had the
pain of parting with her."
"Not so, Mary," said the cooper, seriously. "We ought to be grateful
for God's blessings, even if he suffers us to possess them but a
short time. And Ida has been a blessing to us, I am sure. How many
hours have been made happy by her childish prattle! how our hearts
have been filled with cheerful happiness and affection when we have
gazed upon her! That can't be taken from us, even if she is, Mary.
There's some lines I met with in the paper, to-night, that express
just what I feel. Let me find them."
The cooper put on his spectacles, and hunted slowly down the columns
of the paper, till he came to these beautiful lines of Tennyson,
which he read aloud,--
"I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all."
"There, wife," said he, as he laid down the paper; "I don't know who
writ them lines, but I'm sure it's some one that's met with a great
sorrow, and conquered it."
"They are beautiful," said his wife, after a pause; "and I dare say
you're right, Timothy; but I hope we mayn't have reason to learn the
truth of them by experience.
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