This story is an honest record of what we, who are all writers, and all very intimate friends, have seen and heard as we looked on at the lives of certain people in whom we are deeply interested. We used to talk about these people when we sat together after the day's work was done."They don't understand one another," said one of the ministers, "else there wouldn't be much trouble.""I think the little girl means better than she is supposed to," said Grace."And I know the two boys are not half so mean as they are made out to be," declared Paranete."They are like a great many people in this world," interposed the other minister, "working at cross purposes; making failures of their lives, just because they do not try to put themselves in one another's places.""Making failures, also, because they are trying to carry their own burdens without the help of the only real Helper," said one of the ladies. "O, yes! of course," spoke out both ministers; "that is really the foundation source of their troubles, as of most others." Said Faye Huntington: "Let's write a book about them! One that will help others, as well as them. We can tell their story, but tell it in such a way that they won't even recognize themselves; they will only know that it fits, somehow, and helps." (Summary taken from the preface)