They watched over her with tenderest love and care, doing everything in
their power to relieve, strengthen, comfort her; never giving way in her
presence to the grief that often wrung their hearts.
Dearly as Mr. Travilla and Elsie had loved each other before, this
community of sorrow drew them still closer together; as did their love
for, and joy and pride in, their beautiful child.
The consolations of God were not small with any of our friends at Ion and
the Oaks; yet was it a winter of trial to all.
For some weeks after the above conversation, Mr. Dinsmore and Rose called
every day, and showed themselves sincere sympathizers; but young Horace
and little Rosebud were taken with scarlet fever in its worst form, and
the parents being much with them, did not venture to Ion for fear of
carrying the infection to wee Elsie.
By God's blessing upon skilful medical advice and attention, and the best
of nursing, the children were brought safely through the trying ordeal,
the disease leaving no evil effects, as it so often does. But scarcely had
they convalesced when Mr. Dinsmore fell ill of typhoid fever, though of a
rather mild type.
Then as he began to go about again, Rose took to her bed with what proved
to be a far more severe and lasting attack of the same disease; for weeks
her life was in great jeopardy, and even after the danger was past, the
improvement was so very slow that her husband was filled with anxiety for
her.
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