I had never realized before the exceeding beauty and holiness of this tender tie.

As I looked upon Edith in her graceful, endearing attitude, so expressive of dependence and love, many a sentence descriptive of a brother's tenderness floated up to the surface of memory.

I remembered part of a beautiful hymn,-- "Fair mansions in my Father's house For all his children wait; And I, your elder _brother_ go, To open wide the gate." The Saviour of mankind called himself our brother,--stamping with the seal of divinity the dear relationship.
I had imagined I felt for Richard Clyde a sister's regard.

No, no! Cold were my sentiments to those that beamed in Edith's upturned eyes.
Ernest described his travels, his life abroad, and dwelt on the peculiarities of German character, its high, imaginative traits, its mysticism and superstition, till his tongue warmed into enthusiasm,--and _one_ of his hearers at least felt the inspiration of his eloquence.

His mother had said he was reserved! I began to think I did not know the right meaning of the word.