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“Don’t cry, dear,” Mrs. Martin said, soothingly.

“Indeed, ma, I do love father,” the child said–looking up earnestly into her mother’s face, the tears still streaming over her cheeks. “Won’t you tell him so?”

“Yes, Emma, I will tell him,” the mother replied.

“And won’t you ask him to come up and kiss me after I’m in bed?”

“Yes, dear.”

“And will he come?”

“Oh, yes; he will come and kiss you.”

Martin remained with her little girl until her feelings were quieted down, and then she descended with reluctant steps to the parlour. There was that in the scene which had just passed, that sobered, to a great extent, the half-intoxicated husband and father, and caused him to feel humbled and pained at his conduct; which it was too apparent was breaking the heart of his wife, and estranging the affection of his child.

When Mrs. Martin re-entered the parlour, she found him sitting near a table, with his head resting upon his hand, and his whole manner indicating a state of painful self-consciousness. With the instinctive perception of a woman, she saw the truth; and going at once up to him, she laid her hand upon him, and said:

“James–Emma wants you to come up and kiss her after she gets into bed. She says that she does love you, and she wished me to tell you so.”

Mr. Martin did not reply. There was something calm, gentle, and affectionate, in the manner and tones of his wife–something that melted him completely down. A choking sob followed; when he arose hastily, and retired to his chamber. Mrs. Martin did not follow him thither. She saw that his own reflections were doing more for him than anything that she could do or say; and, therefore, she deemed it the part of wisdom to let his own reflections be his companion, and do their own work.

When Mr. Martin entered his chamber, he seated himself near the bed, and leaned his head down upon it. He was becoming more and more sobered every moment–more and more distinctly conscious of the true nature of the ground he occupied. Still his mind was a good deal confused, for the physical action of the stimulus he had taken through the day, had not yet subsided; although there was a strong mental counteracting cause in operation, which was gradually subduing the effect of his potations. As he sat thus, leaning his head upon his hand, and half-reclining upon the bed, a deep sigh, or half-suppressed sob, caught his ear. It came from the adjoining chamber. He remembered his child in an instant. His only child–whom he most fondly loved. He remembered, too, her conduct, but a short time before, and saw, with painful distinctness, that he was estranging from himself, and bringing sorrow upon one whose gentle nature had affected even his heart with feelings of peculiar tenderness.

“My dear child!” he murmured, as he arose to his feet, and went quietly into her room. She had already retired to bed, and lay with her head almost buried beneath the clothes, as if shrinking away with a sensation akin to fear. But she heard him enter, and instantly rose up, saying, as she saw him approach her bed–

“O, pa, indeed I do love you!”

“And I love you, my child,” Mr. Martin responded, bending over her and kissing her forehead, cheeks, and lips, with an earnest fondness.

“And don’t you love ma, too?” inquired Emma.

“Certainly I do, my dear! Why do you ask me?”

“Because I see her crying so often–almost every day. And she seems so troubled just before you come home, every evening. She didn’t use to be so. A good while ago, she used to be always talking about when pa would be home; and used to dress me up every afternoon to see you. But now she never says anything about your coming home at night. Don’t you know how we used to walk out and meet you sometimes? We never do it now!”