brother lost to me in spite of every effort to find him. I asked
to go into the kitchen, thinking the change would be a relief to
both of us. The kitchen used to be a paradise to me in those old
days; it was so warm to a half-starved child--and I always got
something to eat when I was there. You have no idea, Herbert, how
poor and how empty the place looked to me now. I was glad to get
out of it, and go upstairs. There was a lumber-room at the top of
the house; I used to play in it, all by myself. More changes met
me the moment I opened the door."

"Changes for the better?"

"My dear, it couldn't have changed for the worse! My dirty old
play-room was cleaned and repaired; the lumber taken away, and a
nice little bed in one corner. Some clerk in the City had taken
the room--I shouldn't have known it again. But there was another
surprise waiting for me; a happy surprise this time. In cleaning
out the garret, what do you think the landlady found? Try to
guess."

Anything to please her! Anything to make her think that he was as
fond of her as ever! "Was it something you had left behind you,"
he said, "at the time when you lodged there."

"Yes! you are right at the first guess--a little memorial of my
father. Only some torn crumpled leaves from a book of children's
songs that he used to teach me to sing; and a small packet of his
letters, which my mother may have thrown aside and forgotten.
See! I have brought them back with me; I mean to look over the
letters at once--but this doesn't interest you?"