I've had enough of them for one while;" and Jack shrugged his broad shoulders as if a burden had been taken off.
In the evening Ed came, and Jack was quite satisfied when he saw how pleased his friend was at what he had done.
"I never meant you should take so much trouble, only be kind to Bob," said Ed, who did not know how strong his influence was, nor what a sweet example of quiet well-doing his own life was to all his mates.
"I wished to be really useful; not just to talk about it and do nothing.
That isn't your way, and I want to be like you," answered Jack, with such affectionate sincerity that Ed could not help believing him, though he modestly declined the compliment by saying, as he began to play softly, "Better than I am, I hope.

I don't amount to much." "Yes, you do! and if any one says you don't I'll shake him.

I can't tell what it is, only you always look so happy and contented--sort of sweet and shiny," said Jack, as he stroked the smooth brown head, rather at a loss to describe the unusually fresh and sunny expression of Ed's face, which was always cheerful, yet had a certain thoughtfulness that made it very attractive to both young and old.
"Soap makes him shiny; I never saw such a fellow to wash and brush," put in Frank, as he came up with one of the pieces of music he and Ed were fond of practising together.
"I don't mean that!" said Jack indignantly.

"I wash and brush till you call me a dandy, but I don't have the same look--it seems to come from the inside, somehow, as if he was always jolly and clean and good in his mind, you know." "Born so," said Frank, rumbling away in the bass with a pair of hands that would have been the better for some of the above-mentioned soap, for he did not love to do much in the washing and brushing line.
"I suppose that's it.

Well, I like it, and I shall keep on trying, for being loved by every one is about the nicest thing in the world.