At the word father, I saw his former trouble come into his face. He subdued it as before, and it was gone in an instant; but it had been there and it had come so swiftly upon my words that I felt as if they had given him a shock. I again inwardly repeated, wondering, "That I could readily understand. None that I could readily understand!" No, it was true. I did not understand it. Not for many and many a day.
"Take a fatherly good night, my dear," said he, kissing me on the forehead, "and so to rest. These are late hours for working and thinking. You do that for all of us, all day long, little housekeeper!"

At the word father, I saw his former trouble come into his face. He subdued it as before, and it was gone in an instant; but I felt my words had given him a shock. Wondering, I inwardly repeated his words: "No trouble that I could readily understand!" No, I did not understand it. Not for many and many a day.
"Take a fatherly good night, my dear," said he, kissing me on the forehead, "and so to rest. These are late hours for working and thinking. You do that for us all day long, little housekeeper!"
