ng women, and
managed to maintain themselves in a simple, frugal way. Oatmeal and
potatoes were grown on the croft; bread could be obtained from the
passing baker's cart in exchange for eggs; butter, and sometimes milk,
could be sold to neighbors; the widow's knitted stockings fetched a
fair price with the hosier in the county town; in these various ways
they made ends meet.

Old-age pensions were then unheard of, and the Lamonts would have
thought themselves insulted had any one suggested parish relief for the
old woman; although her helpless condition would have justified it, for
she never moved from her corner by the fire, to which she was carried
from her bed in the morning to be borne back to bed at night. An
accident which had befallen her when in the prime of life had rendered
her a cripple without power to move her lower limbs.

Like many of their class, the Lamonts were full of an honest pride, and
although they may have possibly felt the pinch of poverty now and
again, they would have scorned to acknowledge it. By the exercise of
diplomacy Penny has often managed to help them in little ways from time
to time; she will visit the old woman to inquire after her health, and
take with her in a neighborly way some little delicacy in the shape of
soup or pudding. At one time she tried to furnish her with some orders
for stockings, but it turned out that the Lamonts considered it next
door to heresy to take payment from the priest's house, and Penny's
charitable attempts were frustrated. She found it better to "borrow" a
few eggs occasionally (even though she was not in great need of them),
and to more than pay their value in little presents--an acknowledgment
of the kindness of the lenders.

"The very thing for the Lamonts!" exclaimed Val at breakfast one
morning. He had been reading his letters, just delivered, and I was
glancing through that day's paper. I looked up in token of interest.

"I have an application from the Inspector of the Poor," he continued,
"for a quiet, reliable family, who would be willing to take charge, for
payment, of a poor daft fellow. He is about thirty, and has been in
this state since he was eighteen, when he had a bad fever. He is
perfectly tractable, quite inoffensive, and thoroughly good-tempered.
The only reason for moving him from his present home is that it is in a
village, and the children tease and annoy him. I fancy the Lamonts
would jump at the opportunity."

I q