Ethel Lynn Beers

“ Frankie would smile and double up the feeble hand, and Uncle Charlie would somehow find those troublesome glasses quite misty again, and fidget about miserably, and whisper slyly to Frankie's mother, "Mary, do feed that boy up a little more. I can't stand it to see him so thin any longer."
Frankie always loved to see Uncle Charlie come in, he was so kind and so merry. But he couldn't help wondering nowadays how it felt to be such a great big man, and to be able to walk about so strong and firm. ”

“ It was a great many days before Susan could say to the people who came to the door to inquire, "Frankie is better;" but every body was so good to him that he didn't mind it very much. There was dear merry Cousin Rosa, who had come back on purpose to take care of him, and she had such funny, pleasant ways of amusing him. She could cut horses, dogs, and cats out of paper, or a long row of dancing girls, or of soldiers, each one with a feather in his hat and a musket over his shoulder. ”

“ Now you know men don't like to have people see them cry. And so when Uncle Charlie looked at the frail little creature—when he felt how slender the wrist was, and how faint the heart beat even yet, he would feel great tears coming in his eyes ”