"
There was silence for a few minutes; then Bess asked, "Was Grandfather
the man who built the house?"
Uncle William smiled.
"You must find the moral for yourselves, but I acknowledge that Miss
Brown put the idea into my head."
"And you told it because we were cross this afternoon, I know," said
Louise wisely.
"Suppose Miss Brown could tell when we are bad just by looking at the
door!" Carl suggested, laughing.
"It would be dreadful," said Bess soberly.
"But it isn't true about _our_ door, is it?" Helen asked.
"Of course not, goosie," replied her brother.
"Put it the other way, and suppose that Miss Brown could tell when you
are kind and unselfish, that would not be dreadful," said their uncle.
"And I forgot to say," he added, "that the key in the story is
warranted to work like magic anywhere. It was a favorite text of your
grandfather's. When this house was built I was a little boy, hardly as
old as Helen, but I remember distinctly the first time I went through
it. I was very much delighted, and came running down the steps,
calling, 'Oh, father, what a nice house this is!' and he replied, 'I
am glad you like it, William. It is only a house now, but we are going
to try to make it a home.
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