le who have never made an effort or conquered an obstacle.
You know our position"--and she glanced at the open newspaper.

"Yes, I do. I feel both surprised and grieved at your uncle's
extraordinary settlement," said Miss Thomson.

"My uncle always used to point to you as an instance of what women
could do if they tried, and I am sure he must have had you in his eye
when he felt so sure of my success in life. Could you, would you teach
me to farm, and I will keep your books, write your letters, manage your
household, be your factotum, if you will allow me. I have studied
agricultural chemistry, and if you would permit me to learn from you
the practical details of farming operations, I might really be of use
to you."

Miss Thomson shook her head. "My dear girl, you do not know what you
ask. Without capital, and a large capital, no one need think of taking
a farm in Scotland; and all those things that you offer to do for me
are precisely the things that I can do for myself, and I hope will be
able to do for the next ten years. I should be better for an assistant,
it is true, but it must be some one who can ride to market, buy stock,
sell to butchers, take or let grass parks, and oversee my working farm
steward, for I am getting rather old for such long rides as I have been
in the habit of taking on the farm. And, my poor girl, anxious as I am
to befriend you in your straits, and to encourage your honest ambition,
I have nephews and nieces, and grand-nephews and grand-nieces of my
own, who have all claims upon me. My two married sisters have large
families, and not very much to keep them on, so I have to help in
various ways. Do as you like, the burden of bringing up the next
generation is pretty equally divided among us, and I am only thankful
that Providence has so prospered me that I can be of use of the young
people. I have arranged that my nephew, John Forrester, is to come and
do for me what I cannot so well manage without help; and as I have no
idea of falling behind the high farming of the times, I have given him
a thorough course of the agricultural chemistry, so much in fashion,
before he tries the practical branch of the science. I hope he will not
be too new-fangled and upsetting altogether with his theories; but he
is a good lad in the main, and I think he will do. Besides John, I have
to help his brother James to begin business, and I have two nieces
whose education I am making more thorough than their pare