THE BETTER WAY. 125

To comfort and cheer his grandfather had
become the law of Jem’s life; though he was
Dinah’s special charge, he clung closely to the. -
dark-eyed lad who so nearly resembled his father,
and as day followed day he leaned more and more
in helpless dependence upon him.

“You are main fond of me, aint you, grandad ?”
Jem often asked, with the quizzical smile his
mother could never resist, and the old man’s look
was sufficient answer.

“And you aint lonely, not a little bit,’ he
asked, when he found him sitting, wrapped ‘in
thought, seemingly far away from all his sur-
roundings. His boyish heart was touched, and
his soul was impressed with the sorrow of the old
man’s life; to keep him from brooding over the
past was his daily care, and to find himself
necessary to his comfort gave him keen joy. A
shake of the silvered old head reassured him.

“My sight aint so good as it was,” he answered,
_stretching his hand out to the horizon bounded
by hills; “but who has got a finer outlook than
such a poor old body as me. has, lonely feelings
can’t stay in sight of that. I was only——” he
paused, there was a pathetic quiver in his voice.