Grandmother's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled through the tears.
"God is good and sends new blessings When the old He takes away," she whispered to herself.

It was a blessing, a very great blessing and pleasure to have what she had so often longed for, the care of her dear little grand-daughters herself.
"And Ralph," she added, "I cannot help feeling the responsibility with him even greater.

An old woman like me, can I have much influence with a boy?
But he is a dear boy in many ways, and I was pleased with the way he spoke yesterday.

It was honest and manly.

Ah! if we could teach our boys what _true_ manliness is, the world would be a better place than it is." The days were beginning to close in now.