"Dora," went on Mr. Grainger, "as the oldest daughter, must be her mother's right hand."
"And what shall I do, father?" asked Katie.
"Be her help and comfort, dear, also," replied Mr. Grainger; "I am afraid I cannot tell you the special way in which you can each strive to fulfil my trust. But you can all try to lighten her cares by sharing them, and cheer her by rendering loving little services."
"Now I'm nine I shall be able to do lots of things for mother," observed Olive, with great satisfaction.
"That's right, my darling," and at her father's words, Olive looked up with a sunny smile. "Children," he went on, "you know what our first golden rule has always been!"
"Obedience," was the quick reply.
The flickering flame of the fire was the only light in the room, and just at that moment the corner where Robert sat was in shadow, so no one saw the crimson flush that rose in his cheeks as the question was asked and answered.
"And remember that now when your mother speaks, she will be speaking for me as well as for herself," went on Mr. Grainger. "You may be quite sure her wishes would be mine."
Again there was a silence, and again Mr. Grainger broke it.
"This, too, is part of the trust," he said. "I want you to promise to be loving and kind to each other; you elder ones being gentle and patient with the younger, and the younger submitting themselves to the elder. I want you to promise that you will struggle bravely in the battle which all God's children must fight against selfishness, discontent, bad temper, and, in fact, everything that you know to be unlovely in God's eight. All of you, down to little Lottie there, have your besetting sins to fight against, and, with God's help, to overcome. My dear children, will you so act that when I return you may each tell me you have tried to keep this promise?"