He would have been but an additional burden upon her had he lived and remained at home, but he would have been company for her at least.

Emily was a comfort, but she had little hope of Emily's being able to leave her school or the family which her salary as teacher helped to support.

No, she must carry her project through alone, all alone.
She spoke but seldom and Captain Obed, noticing the change in her manner and possibly suspecting the cause, did his best to divert her thoughts and cheer her.

He chatted continuously, like, as he declared afterwards, "a poll parrot with its bill greased." He changed the topic from Mr.
Cobb and his piety to the prospects of good fishing in the spring, from that to the failure of the previous fall's cranberry crop, and from that again to Kenelm Parker and his sister Hannah.

And, after a time, Thankful realized that he was telling a story..