so much for their little
ones 'twas no use; they wouldn't eat."

"I'm glad of that," cried Minnie, eagerly. "I'm glad your sheep love
their children. In Ireland, sometimes they won't own them."

"We had a great deal of trouble with the merinos," Mr. Sullivan went on,
directing his remark to Mr. Lee. "Not one in ten cared any thing about
her lamb. If she had milk enough, I could tie her; but it often made my
heart ache to hear the poor wee things crying for a mother's care. I was
almost glad when they died off, as they generally did. I find it's the
universal opinion now that merinos make poor nurses."

The shepherd turned smilingly to Minnie: "Have you any more questions to
ask, Miss?"

"O, a great many! But as we are going to stay all night, I shall have
time."

"Then, my dear, I will go in," said her mother, laughing. "I think you
have catechised Mr. Sullivan quite enough for the present."

The next hour was spent by the child in wandering all over the farm. In
company with her father and the good-humored shepherd, she examined the
neat continuous racks all around the sheep-house, which, in winter,
were filled with hay or husks for their food. Long troughs were
underneath, into which, as night approached, she was much amused to see
the boy, Isaac, pour the scalded meal.

In the centre of the house was a large, shallow box or trough, filled
with clear water from a neighboring hill. This, Mr. Sullivan assured
them, had not frozen during the winter.

Minnie stood for a long time watching the pearly drops as they trickled
slowly through the pipe, wondering why the water never rose any higher
in the trough. At length her father showed her a little pipe which
carried off the waste water into the ground.

They were sitting at the supper table, and Minnie was giving a glowing
account of her discoveries, when they were startled by a loud shouting:
"Stop, Israel! Go along, Moses! Ssh! hi! there, Obadiah! Here, Jonah,
Amos, Nebuchadnezzar, Moses! what are you about?"

"What is the stupid fellow bringing up the sheep at this time for?"
queried Mr. Sullivan, glancing at the clock; and then, seeing the look
of merriment on the faces of his visitors, he burst into a hearty laugh.

"I believe you'll have to excuse me," he said, rising hastily. "Isaac
will never be able to get them into the fold alone."

"I want to go, too," whispered Minnie.

She was rather frightened at first at the loud bleating of the ewes, and
the