had,
and still less could I tell you how he treasured them. When, through
much service, some of them grew weak in the back, he would, though
reluctantly, consent to have them re-bound; and he had a pretty, and to
my mind a touching, way of showing his affection for these old friends,
which I never heard of in any other child. Before a book of his went to
be bound he would carefully--tenderly I might almost say--cut off the
old cover and lay it aside; and among the many sweet traces left by our
boy--but I did not mean to say that, only as it came naturally of itself
I will leave it--few went more to his mother's heart than to find in one
of his drawers the packet carefully tied up of his dear books' old
coats.

Nothing gave Ted so much pleasure as a present of a book. This Christmas
he had set his heart on one, and Christmas was really coming so near
that he had begun to think of presents, and to write out, as was his
habit, a list of all the people in the house, putting opposite the name
of each the present he had reason to think would be most acceptable. The
list ended in a modest-looking "self," and opposite "self" was written
"a book." But all the other presents would have to be thought over and
consulted about with mother--all except hers of course, which in its
turn would have to be discussed with his father or Mabel perhaps--ever
so many times, before it came to the actual buying.

One Sunday--it was about three weeks to Christmas by this time--the head
master of Ted's school, who was also a clergyman, mentioned after the
usual service that he wished to have a special thanksgiving service this
year for the good health that had been enjoyed by the boys this "half."
It had been almost exceptionally good, he said; and he himself, for one,
and he was sure every one connected with the school would feel the same,
_was_ very thankful for it.

Ted's mother and Mabel, who were both, as it happened, at the
school chapel service that afternoon, glanced at their boy when this
announcement was made. They knew well that, despite his merry heart,
Ted was sensitive to things that do not affect all children, and they
were not surprised to see his cheeks grow a little paler. There was
something in the thought of this solemn Thanksgiving, in which he was
to take part, that gave him a little of the same feeling as he had had
long ago in the grand old church, when he looked up to the lofty roof,
shrouded in a mystery of dim light h