I could bear to hear of any misfortune but that she suffered pain.
My father smoked his cigar peacefully.

He had laid a guitar on his knees, and flipped a string, or chafed over all the strings, and plucked and thrummed them as his mood varied.

We chatted, and watched the going down of the sun, and amused ourselves idly, fermenting as we were.
Anything that gave pleasure to us two boys pleased and at once occupied my father.

It was without aid from Temple's growing admiration of him that I recovered my active belief and vivid delight in his presence.

My younger days sprang up beside me like brothers.