year-old little girl, who
looked shyly at the pretty lady and then promptly hid her face. Eva's
heart sank; she knew she ought to say or do something, but no words of
tenderness came to her lips. The child might be attractive if clean, but
it looked neglected, while the boys were what she described as
"hobbledehoys." "An impossible crowd," she decided with a shudder, and
yet her life was to be spent in their midst.

"Leave your sister in peace, you young rascals!" said the doctor; "she
is tired. Dick, put on the kettle; Eva will be glad of some tea, I know.
Welcome home, dear daughter. Mother and I have longed for you so often,
and my hopes run high now that you have come. I trust you will be a
second mother to the boys and Babs."

"I will try," Eva replied in a low voice.

Her father noticed her depression, so wisely said little more, but going
out to see a patient, left her to settle into her new surroundings in
her own fashion.

Next morning Eva wakened early and looked out of her window, which was
shaded by a climbing rose that trailed right across it. The house was
boarded and shingled, one little piece of wood neatly overlapping the
other; it was only two stories high, with deep eaves and a wide verandah
all around it.

Breakfast once over, Eva made a tour of the rooms, ending up in the
kitchen, accompanied, of course, by all the boys and Babs at her heels.
Uncertain what to do first, she was much astonished at a voice
proceeding from the washhouse saying in familiar fashion, "Where on
earth are you all?" There had been no knock at the door, no bell
rung--what could it mean?

Standing unconcernedly in the middle of the room unrolling an apron
stood a little woman of about forty years.

"Good day to you, Eva; hope you slept well after your journey. Come out
of the pantry, Jack, or I'll be after you."

"May I ask whom I am talking to?" asked Eva icily, much resenting being
addressed as "Eva."

"I am Mrs. Meadows, and thought I'd just run in and show you where
things are. You'll feel kind of strange."

"Of course it will take some time to get used to things, but I think I
should prefer doing it in my own way, thank you."

"Perhaps that would be best," replied Mrs. Meadows. "To-day is baking
day; can you manage, do you think?"

"I suppose I can order from the baker?"

The woman smiled. "'Help yourself' is the motto of a young country, my
dear; every one is her own cook and baker, too. Let me help you