Hence, she quietly but effectively limited the circle of the children's friends to those who were able and were willing to make the Rectory their social centre.

She saw to it that for Herbert's intimate boy friends the big play room at the top of the house, once a bare and empty room and later the large and comfortable family living room, became the place of meeting for all their social and athletic club activities.

With unsleeping vigilance she stood on guard against anything that might break that circle of her heart's devotion.

The circle might be, indeed must be enlarged, as for instance to take in the Maitland boys, Herbert's closest chums.

She was wise enough to see the wisdom of that, but nothing on earth would she allow to filch from her a single unit of the priceless treasures of her heart.
To this law of her life she made one glorious, one splendid exception.
When her country called, she, after weeks of silent, fierce, lonely, agonised struggle gave up her boy and sent him with voiceless, tearless pride to the War.
But, when the boy's Colonel wrote in terms of affectionate pride of her boy's glorious passing, with new and strange adaptability her heart circle was extended to include her boy's comrades in war and those who like herself had sent them forth.