prehended my love for my own poor bairns;
and this permission to visit Melbourne, that I may hear about them, is
a great favour, and one I will never forget to be grateful for.'

"'You are not to let me off in this way,' said he. 'You will find a
hundred pounds lying in the bank to your credit, which, as you are a
prudent woman, you may be trusted to invest yourself in any way that
you may judge best for yourself or the orphans. My idea is that you may
take a little shop, and this sum would stock it. I could assist you
with my name further than the sum of money I have given to you, if it
is necessary.'

"It flashed on my mind that this was a grand opening; but it seemed so
selfish and greedy-like to take advantage of his kindness, and to leave
him, and Mrs. Phillips, and the bairns, to further my own plans. I said
as much to him, but he would not hear of a refusal.

"'You never can manage to do much for the children at service, for all
your wages, except your own necessary expenses, goes home and is spent;
but by having a little business, you may save more than you could send
to them now, and get them a better education, and give them a better
start. No doubt we will miss you here; but Mrs. Bennett is a very
excellent person, and now I hear that Dr. Grant is going to buy Mr.
McDougall's station, only fifteen miles off, we can get him to come on
an emergency, though he says he would rather not practise. I will not
say that we can do very easily without you, but we must not keep you
always here.'

"The kindness of Mr. Phillips I will never forget. Well, it was done
all as he planned it. I went to Melbourne and saw Sandy Lowrie, and he
gave me good accounts of the bairns, as growing in stature, and Tam and
Jamie keen of their learning, but the old woman, their grandmother, he
said was sore failed, and no likely to be long spared.

"I took a little shop at a low rent, in a little village, a bit out of
the town, for I was frightened to incur much risk, and I set up on my
own footing, with 'M. Walker, general store,' over my door-cheek.

"I was doing a decent business, in a small way, among poor people
mostly; and I set my face very steady against giving credit, for two
reasons--first, that I was not clever enough to keep accounts; and
besides that, it just does working folk harm to let them take on. At a
time of sickness I might break through my rule, but at no other time.
All the folk about me called me Miss Walker, v