d the
fields, two by two, like comfortable married couples, and these in turn
had changed into billowy piles of yellow straw, through which herds of
cattle foraged, giving a touch of life and colour to the unending
colourless landscape. The trees stood naked and bare. The gardens where
once the corn waved and the hollyhocks flaunted their brazen beauty,
now lay a tangled litter of stalks, waiting the thrifty farmer's torch
to clear them away before the snow came. The earth had yielded of her
fruits and now rested from her labour, worn and spent, taking no
thought of comeliness, but waiting in decrepit indifference for her
friend, the North Wind, to bring down the swirling snow to hide her
scars and heal her unloveliness with its kindly white mantle.

But although the earth lay sere and brown and dust-laden, the granaries
and elevators were bursting with a rich abundance. Innumerable
freight-trains loaded with wheat wound heavily up the long grade,
carrying off all too slowly the produce of the plain, and still the
loads of grain came pouring in from the farms. The cellars were full of
the abundance of the gardens--golden turnips, rosy potatoes and rows of
pale green cabbages hanging by their roots to the beams gave an air of
security against the long, cold, hungry winter.

Inside of John Watson's home, in spite of November's dullness, joy and
gladness reigned, for was not Pearl coming home? Pearl, her mother's
helper and adviser; Pearl, her silent father's wonder and delight, the
second mother of all the little Watsons! Pearl was coming home.

Events in the Watson family were reckoned from the time of Pearl's
departure or the time of her expected home-coming. "Pa got raised from
one dollar and a quarter to one dollar and a half just six weeks from
the day Pearl left, lackin' two days," and Mrs. Evans gave Mary a new
"stuff" dress, "on the Frida' as Pearl left or the Thursda' three weeks
before," and, moreover, the latest McSorley baby was born "on the
Wednesda' as Pearl was comin' home on the Saturda' four weeks after."

Domestic affairs were influenced to some degree by Pearl's expected
arrival. "Don't be wearin' yer sweater now, Tommy man, I'm feart the
red strip'll run in it when its washed; save it clean till Pearlie
comes, there's a man."

"Patsey, avick, wobble yer tooth now man alive. Don't be havin' that
loose thing hangin' in yer jaw, and Pearlie comin' home so soon."

The younger children, whose appetite