She slipped her hand into Walter 's and pressed it hard . `` And when I 'm over there , Rilla , in that hell upon earth which men who have forgotten God have made , it will be the thought of you that will help me most . I know you 'll be as plucky and patient as you have shown yourself to be this past year -- I 'm not afraid for you . I know that no matter what happens , you 'll be Rilla-my-Rilla -- no matter what happens . '' Rilla repressed tear and sigh , but she could not repress a little shiver , and Walter knew that he had said enough . After a moment of silence , in which each made an unworded promise to each other , he said , `` Now we wo n't be sober any more . We 'll look beyond the years -- to the time when the war will be over and Jem and Jerry and I will come marching home and we 'll all be happy again . '' `` We wo n't be -- happy -- in the same way , '' said Rilla . `` No , not in the same way . Nobody whom this war has touched will ever be happy again in quite the same way . But it will be a better happiness , I think , little sister -- a happiness we 've earned . We were very happy before the war , were n't we ? With a home like Ingleside , and a father and mother like ours we could n't help being happy . But that happiness was a gift from life and love ; it was n't really ours -- life could take it back at any time . It can never take away the happiness we win for ourselves in the way of duty . I 've realised that since I went into khaki . In spite of my occasional funks , when I fall to living over things beforehand , I 've been happy since that night in May . Rilla , be awfully good to mother while I 'm away . It must be a horrible thing to be a mother in this war -- the mothers and sisters and wives and sweethearts have the hardest times . Rilla , you beautiful little thing , are you anybody 's sweetheart ?
If you are , tell me XXXXX I go . ''
With at before for from in into over that upon