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y common consent, and without the formality of publication orproclamation, the women had agreed to meet on the day after the funeralfor the purpose of discussing what was best to be done with the boy Fred.From the moment that Mrs. Davis had taken charge of him, he had showna love for her and confidence in her care that had thoroughly touched thatgood woman's heart. She would have liked nothing better than to keep himherself. But there were already five hungry little Davises, and any avoidableaddition to the family was out of the question. To be sure, in the course oftime there were two more added to the number, but that was unavoidable,and is neither here nor there. The good woman sat looking at the boy thenight after his mother had been laid away. He sat upon the floor among herown children, playing in the happy forgetfulness of extreme youth. But tothe mother's keen eye there was still a vague sadness in his bearing.Involuntarily, the scene and conditions were changed, and, instead of poorMargaret, she herself had passed away and was lying out there in a new-made grave in bleak and dreary Woodland. She thought how her ownbairns would be as motherless and forlorn as the child before her, and yetnot quite, either, for they had a father who loved them in his own quietundemonstrative way. This should have consoled her in the sorrows shehad conjured up, but, like a woman, she thought of the father helpless andlonely when she had gone, with the children huddled cheetlessly about him,and a veil of tears came between her and the youngsters on the floor. With a great rush of tenderness, she went and picked the motherless boy up andlaid his head on her breast.
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