perhaps, her prime favourites. Not that she would
acknowledge them at all equal to "Fleckie" or "Blackie," now, probably,
the favourites of another mistress on the other side of the sea. But
"Brindle and Spottie were wise-like beasts, with mair sense and
discretion than some folk that she could name," and many a child in
Merleville got less care than she bestowed on them. Morning and night,
and, to the surprise of all the farmers' wives in Merleville, at noon
too, when the days were long she milked them with her own hands, and
made more and better butter from the two, than even old Mrs Snow, who
prided herself on her abilities in these matters, made from any three on
her pasture. And when in the fall Mr Snow went to Boston with the
produce of his mother's dairy, and his own farm, a large tub of Janet's
butter went too, for which was to be brought back "tea worth the
drinking, and at a reasonable price," and other things besides, which at
Merleville and at Merleville prices, could not be easily obtained.

The Indian-summer had come again. Its mysterious haze and hush were on
all things under the open sky, and within the house all was quiet, too.
The minister was in the study, and the bairns were in the pine grove, or
by the water side, or even farther away; for no sound of song or
laughter came from these familiar places. Janet sat at the open door,
feeling a little dreary, as she was rather apt to do, when left for
hours together alone by the bairns. Besides, there was something in the
mild air and in the quiet of the afternoon, that "'minded" her of the
time a year ago, when the bairns, having all gone to the kirk on that
first Sabbath-day, she had "near grat herself blind" from utter
despairing home-sickness. She could now, in her restored peace and
firmness, afford to to feel a little contemptuous of her former self,
yet a sense of sadness crept over her, at the memory of the time, a
slight pang of the old malady stirred at her heart. Even now, she was
not quite sure that it would be prudent to indulge herself in thoughts
of the old times, lest the wintry days, so fast hastening, might bring
back the old gloom. So she was not sorry when the sound of footsteps
broke the stillness, and she was pleased, for quite other reasons, when
Mr Snow appeared at the open door. He did not accept her invitation to
enter, but seated himself on the doorstep.

"Your folks are all gone, are they?" asked he.

"The minister