`` Yes , I do , '' persisted Jims . `` You look kinder and -- nicer now . '' It was the nearest Jims could get to expressing what he felt as he looked at the picture . The young girl was beautiful , but her face was a little hard . There was pride and vanity and something of the insolence of great beauty in it . There was nothing of that in Miss Avery 's face now -- nothing but sweetness and tenderness , and a motherly yearning to which every fibre of Jims ' small being responded . How they loved each other , those two ! And how they understood each other ! To love is easy , and therefore common ; but to understand -- how rare that is ! And oh ! such good times as they had ! They made taffy . Jims had always longed to make taffy , but Aunt Augusta 's immaculate kitchen and saucepans might not be so desecrated . They read fairy tales together . Mr. Burroughs had disapproved of fairy tales . They blew soap-bubbles out on the lawn and let them float away over the garden and the orchard like fairy balloons . They had glorious afternoon teas under the beech tree . They made ice cream themselves . Jims even slid down the bannisters when he wanted to . And he could try out a slang word or two occasionally without anybody dying of horror .
Miss XXXXX did not seem to mind it a bit .
Avery Burroughs Jims afternoon bannisters beauty garden saucepans soap-bubbles taffy