text:  The honest man was fond of work; so was he of his children--yes dearly fond of _them_ and they must share with him the evening meal; and he must have them all about him; and he must help them all and see them eat and look with manly joy and pride upon the noisy youngsters for whom his lusty arm had earned the bread that came like manna to him--so wholesome and so sweet! Three girls humbly but neatly dressed the three first steps of this great human ladder were seated at a table administering to the necessities of sundry shirts and stockings that had suffered sensibly in their last week's struggle through the world