It must be so , since Mrs. Davis had come to ask for Una in the full and confident belief that he would hand the child over to her as unconcernedly and gladly as one might hand over a strayed , unwelcome kitten . And , if so , what then ? John Meredith groaned and resumed his pacing up and down the dusty , disordered room . What could he do ? He loved his children as deeply as any father could and he knew , past the power of Mrs. Davis or any of her ilk , to disturb his conviction , that they loved him devotedly . But WAS he fit to have charge of them ? He knew -- none better -- his weaknesses and limitations . What was needed was a good woman 's presence and influence and common sense . But how could that be arranged ? Even were he able to get such a housekeeper it would cut Aunt Martha to the quick . She believed she could still do all that was meet and necessary . He could not so hurt and insult the poor old woman who had been so kind to him and his . How devoted she had been to Cecilia ! And Cecilia had asked him to be very considerate of Aunt Martha . To be sure , he suddenly remembered that Aunt Martha had once hinted that he ought to marry again . He felt she would not resent a wife as she would a housekeeper . But that was out of the question . He did not wish to marry -- he did not and could not care for anyone . Then what could he do ? It suddenly occurred to him that he would go over to Ingleside and talk over his difficulties with Mrs. Blythe .
Mrs. XXXXX was one of the few women he never felt shy or tongue-tied with .
Blythe Cecilia Davis Ingleside Martha Meredith Una ilk one sense