Ben; there are a lot of women good enough, if thou could only think so, but I am feared thou will never be wise enough for that." And Ben laughed grimly when he thought how astonished Jonathan would be.
As soon as the house was his own, he went into Leeds and had a consultation with a firm whose business it was to know just what things were necessary and pretty for such a home. He had sense enough to leave it entirely to them, and as the principle between Ben and all tradesmen was ready cash, and full value for it, the furnishing was perfectly and suitably done.
And perhaps he had never had happier hours than those which he first spent in his own home. The neatly-served meals in his own parlor, the smoke by his own fireside, the rest in his own handsome bedroom, were a new revelation of solid comfort to him. Besides, there was upon the parlor hearth-rug a pretty American rocking-chair, with a cushion of blue damask, and bows and trimmings of blue satin ribbon on it, and though it was yet vacant, Ben had a vision of a bonny young orphan lass in it, and this vision made it the pleasantest kind of object to look at.
