The Old Man

by Thomas Perry

All dogs wanted to be good dogs, no matter how unpromising they seemed. You just had to help them find a way.

the old man wasn’t just an old man, like somebody’s uncle. He was old in the way a seven-foot rattlesnake was old.

You’re a wonderful daughter and always have been. If I die tonight, my life won’t have been wasted because I had you. Keep being the same kind of person. Do good in the world.