If 'she' (my father had
never been able to reconcile himself to pronounce the name of my mother
since her untimely death)--if 'she' were here I would not hesitate, but to
bring another orphan into a family already half-orphaned doesn't seem right
to me."
"Don't worry, sir, a little more work doesn't worry Teresa Rouland. She
will have to get up a little earlier and go to bed a little later, and that
will be all."
"Well, Teresa, I'll think about it, and it needs to be 'thought about' a
good deal."
"And why do you say that, sir? One doesn't have to reflect long about doing
good."
"Well, I'll tell you why I hesitate. I'm sure that someone else could much
better replace the parents of this orphaned girl. I must confess that for
my part I don't feel equal to the task."
"Sir, would you like to know what I think? You have said to yourself, 'From
the time that my wife died life has become a burden, and if it wasn't for
the children I would have died of grief, but for love of them I must work
and live. Therefore, with my heart torn and desolated as it is, I don't
feel called upon to take any responsibility upon myself other than that of
my own children!'"
"There is a good deal of truth in what you say, Teresa.
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