d himself now
been some time absent from England, he might have been able to give them
very little information. David, however, confessed to Margaret that he
felt somewhat curious on the subject. This was increased when the new
part of the house having been finished, Mr Skinner fitted up one
chamber which he said was for his sister, and two other pretty little
rooms for his elder nieces, and certainly the furniture, which he put in
to them, was scarcely such as he would have chosen for young children.

Just at the time Mr Skinner was expecting the arrival of his sister,
Mrs Ramsden and her family, Donald and David had to leave home to visit
some distant township on business. Mr Skinner had, before this asked
the assistance of Margaret and Janet in fitting up his house. Janet,
with her usual kindness of heart, offered to remain for a day or two to
receive the new comers, whom she understood had no servant with them.

"The poor lady may be tired, and the bairns will ha' na one to gie them
their supper, and put them to bed, and it will be just like old times
coming back, and be a muckle pleasure to me," she observed, to Margaret.
Mr Skinner was very glad to accept her services, feeling sure that she
would be of much assistance, although he might not have supposed that
his nieces would require the attendance of a nurse.

Janet was to bring word to Margaret when Mrs Ramsden would be able to
see her, and she proposed then walking over with Alec to visit her.

She had numberless occupations which kept her and Janet fully employed;
for though her husband had engaged a sturdy Scotch girl to milk the
cows, and perform some of the rougher work of the farm, the damsel
herself required her constant superintendence. There were poultry of
several varieties, as well as pigs, to be fed; the flower and kitchen
garden to be cultivated, and numerous household duties to be attended
to, Alec himself being constantly engaged in clearing fresh ground, and
in the more laborious work about the farm.

Margaret had greatly missed Janet the days she had been absent, and with
much satisfaction, therefore, she saw her with her knitting in hand--
without which, even in Canada, she never moved abroad--approaching the
house.

"Oh yes, they are come, my bairn," she said, to Margaret's inquiry.
"Mistress Ramsden herself is a brave lady, and seldom have my eyes
rested on twa mair bonny lassies than her daughters, na pride, na
nonsense about the