Think of his great black fingers making a little more sleep and rest and warmth for her--and all in those few minutes!" "Suppose he couldn't have done it," said Willie.

"Do you think the watchmaker could ?" "That I can't tell, but I don't think it likely.

We should most probably have had to get a new one." "Suppose you couldn't get a new one ?" "Then we should have had to set our wits to work, and contrive some other way of fastening the door, so that mamma shouldn't take cold by its being open, nor yet be disturbed by the noise of it." "It would be so nice to be able to do everything!" said Willie.
"So it would; but nobody can; and it's just as well, for then we should not need so much help from each other, and would be too independent." "Then shouldn't a body try to do as many things as he can ?" "Yes, for there's no fear of ever being able to do without other people, and you would be so often able to help them.

Both the smith and the watch maker could mend a lock, but neither of them could do without the other for all that." When Willie went to bed, he lay awake a long time, thinking how, if the lock could not have been mended, and there had been no other to be had, he could have contrived to keep the door shut properly.

In the morning, however, he told his father that he had not thought of any way that would do, for though he could contrive to shut and open the door well enough, he could not think how a person outside might be able to do it; and he thought the best way, if such a difficulty should occur, would be to take the lock off his door, and put it on mamma's till a better one could be got.