he glanced at them,
while they worked, such beautiful expressions rested on their faces.
Unconsciously their natures had opened like young flowers, and as at the
hearts of young flowers there is for each a clear drop of honey, so in
each of their minds there must have been one same thought, the
remembrance of their mothers. Altogether it was as though they were
assembled there in honor of her, not to make use of her.

As to posing itself, one had not a thing to do but sit perfectly still!
One got such a good rest from being too much on one's feet! And they had
placed for her such a splendid carved-oak chair! When she took her seat,
all at once she had felt as if at home again. There were immense
windows; she had had all the fresh air she wished, and she did enjoy
fresh air! The whole roof was a window, and she could look out at the
sky: sometimes the loveliest clouds drifted over, and sometimes the
dearest little bird flew past, no doubt on its way to the park. Last,
but not least, she had not been crowded. In New York it was almost
impossible to secure a good seat in a public place without being nudged
or bumped or crowded. But that had actually happened to her. She had had
a delightful chair in a public place, with plenty of room in every
direction. How fortunate at last to remember that she might pose! It
would fit in perfectly at times when she did not have to go out for
needlework or for the other demands. Dollars would now soon begin to be
brought in like their bits of coal, by the scuttleful! And then the
piano! And then the teacher and the lessons! And _then_, and _then_--

Her happy story ended. She had watched the play of lights on his face as
sometimes he, though hungry, with fork in the air paused to listen and
to question. Now as she finished and looked across the table at the
picture of him under the lamplight, she was rewarded, she was content;
while he ate his plain food, out of her misfortunes she had beautifully
nourished his mind. He did not know this; but she knew it, knew by his
look and by his only comment:

"You had a perfectly splendid time, didn't you?"

She laughed to herself.

"Now, then," she said, coming to what had all along been most in her
consciousness--"now, then, tell me about _your_ day. Begin at the moment
_you_ left _me_."

He laid down his napkin,--he could eat no more, and there was nothing
more to eat,--and he folded his hands quite like the head of the house
at ease after