this will be fun
to remember some day." And Mrs. Culver called it "our school" and told
Helen that they must both strive to know the best and easiest way of
doing everything while they had to do all for themselves.

Helen's eyes filled with tears when she heard of the death of Rosanna's
young father and mother in a railroad accident when she was such a
little thing that now she could scarcely remember them.

"And then you came to live with your grandmother?" she said, struggling
not to go to Rosanna and hug her tight. A little girl without mother or
father! It was too dreadful.

"Yes, she came to the hospital and as soon as I was well--I was just
scratched up a little--she brought me here."

"Well," said Helen briskly, "it must be fine to have a grandmother. I
suppose grandmothers are 'most exactly as good as mothers," she went on,
trying to make light of Rosanna's misfortune. "I expect they cuddle you
and play with you and hold you 'most exactly like mothers."

"Mine doesn't," said Rosanna sadly. "She kisses me good-night; at least
she holds her cheek so I can kiss _her_, but she never plays with
anybody. And she never holds me: she says I am too big to get on
people's laps. But I guess I must have been a big baby because she never
did hold me even when I was little. There must be different kinds of
grandmothers."

"A little girl I know has one, and my grandmother says that it is a
disgrace the way she spoils that child, and she says she wants me to
grow up to be an honor to our house. You see I am the only grandchild
there is.

"Grandmother had a daughter long ago, but she died when she was only
two, and grandmother was married twice and both her husbands died."

"You seem to have quite a dying family," said Helen politely.

"Yes, we have." Rosanna commenced to feel quite proud of the fact now
that Helen had mentioned it.

"I have an uncle too, and he 'most died over in France but he is home
now."

"My father was there too," said Helen proudly. "He had to give up
everything to go, but mother wouldn't let him say that he had to stay
home and work for us so he went. Mother went to work typewriting and we
lived in three rooms, and I went to school and cooked our suppers at
night. Mother used to come home so tired. After the dishes were washed,
we used to sit and knit. I learned to knit without looking on, so I
could knit and study all at the same time. You are the only friend I
have here in Louisville," con