It sounded to her as though her granny did not want her mother; and her chin quivered and her eyes filled, for she wanted her mother very much, and every one else should want her too, she thought.
Her grandfather saw the poor little quivering lips and tear-filled eyes, and understood.

"The rose may be past," he said cheerfully, "for the time, any way, but we'll have flowers of some kind ready for mother whenever she comes.

'Tis you and I, little maid, will see to that, won't we?
We must make it our business to have something blooming all the year round, then we'll be sure to be right." Jessie looked up at him gratefully, and the tears changed to smiles.
Something told her that granp would be glad to see mother whenever she came.

The thought of growing flowers for her was a lovely one, too; it seemed to bring her mother nearer; and, though granny and granp were so kind, oh, she did want her so very, very much.
She wanted her to see the garden and the house, and the kitten, and to have bacon and eggs for breakfast, and milk in her tea, and nice butter on her bread.
Then, in the midst of these thoughts, something that granny was saying caught her attention, and, for the moment, drove all other thoughts out of her head.
"I've been thinking I'd better go into Norton this afternoon, and do some shopping," she remarked to granp, "for the child must have some clothes, and as soon as possible, too; and I reckon I'd better take her with me, though she really isn't fit, her boots and her hat are so shabby; but it'll be better to have her there to be fitted, especially the first time." "Oh, she doesn't look so bad," answered granp cheerfully.

"If she keeps smiling at folks they won't notice her hat nor her boots neither." Granny was not so sure of that.