"I never thought that he really meant such a thing, he had always loved
me so dearly, and I loved him so much. I wrote again and again, but
there was no answer to any of my letters. Then, my darling, you were
born, and soon after, the great South African War broke out, and your
dear father made me leave Johannesburg and bring you to England. Of
course, I came to the old home--Sunnycoombe--but only to find I was
still unforgiven, for the letter I sent to say I was in the village was
not answered either, humbly as I begged my father to see me. All the
same, Hepsie, I have remained here at your father's wish, for he lost
money, and had to 'trek north,' as they say, to a wild part of Rhodesia,
where white women could not go."
Mrs. Erldon's tears were nearly falling as she added: "Things have gone
badly with him, and only once has he been able to come to England to
spend a few months with us, as you remember, five years ago, but soon,
now you are older, I shall go and face the life, however rough it may
be. Now, no more talk, for here we are, darling, and, please God, this
may be the last Christmas that we spend without daddy, in England or
Africa, as it may be."
"And I won't grieve you again to-day, darling little mother," whispered
Hepsie, quite sobered at the thought of mother without either her daddy
or Hepsie's on Christmas Day again, and no letter from Africa by the
usual mail.
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