“GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN”
as she cried out in a shocked tone of voice, “Why is this? why are you not lying in your chair, Clara? What are you all thinking about?” But even before she had got close to them she threw up her hands in astonishment, exclaiming further, “Is it really you, dear child? Why, your cheeks have grown quite round and rosy! I should hardly have known you again!” And she was hastening forward to embrace her, when Heidi slipped down from the seat, and Clara, leaning on her shoulder, the two children began walking along quite coolly and naturally. Then indeed grandmamma was surprised, or rather alarmed, for she thought at first that it must be some unheard-of proceeding of Heidi’s devising.
But no—Clara was actually walking steadily and uprightly beside Heidi—and now the two children turned and came towards her with beaming faces and rosy cheeks. Laughing and crying she ran to them and embraced first Clara and then Heidi, and then Clara again, unable to speak for joy. All at once she caught sight of Uncle standing by the seat and looking on smiling at the meeting. She took Clara’s arm in hers, and with continual expressions of delight at the fact that the child could now really walk about with her, she went up to the old man, and then letting go Clara’s arm she seized his hands.
"My dear Uncle! my dear Uncle! how much we have to thank you for! It is all your doing! it is your caring and nursing”
"And God’s good sun and mountain air,” he interrupted her, smiling.
"Yes, and don’t forget the beautiful milk I have,” put in Clara. "Grandmamma, you can’t think what a quantity of goat’s milk I drink, and how nice it is!
[357]
