me?"

"Whao sent oie up? Oie sent up moisel."

"What is your name?"

"Moi neame? Is't moi neame yah wants to knowah? Wall, moi neame is Sare
Ann Pack; feather warks at Measter Turners."

"Have you ever worked out, or been used to take care of children?"

"Why yees, oie 'spect oie ha'. Moother has ten on 'em. Oie be the oldest
on'em. Oi've had nursing enoof, an' wants to get quit on it."

"I am afraid, Sarah, you will not suit me."

"How dew yah noa, Marm, till yah tries?"

"You are very slatternly, and I wanted a clean, tidy, active girl to
nurse my baby."

"Sure moi cloes is clane enoof, and good enoof, for to live amongst the
sadvidges?"

"You'll be put to no such trial," said Flora laughing, in spite of
herself, "without you reckon me and my husband sadvadges. Can you wash
and iron?"

"Noa. But 'spose oie cud larn."

"What work can you do?"

"'Spect anything yah sets oie to. Oie can make doomplings, milk cows,
and keep the pot a bilin'."

"And what wages do you expect for such services?"

"Is it to goor to Cannadah? Oh, oie 'spects tree punds o' month for the
loike o' that."

"You must stay at home then, my good girl, and boil the dumplings," said
Flora. "Indeed, I cannot imagine what induced you to come up here to
offer me your services. You literally can do nothing, for which you
expect exorbitant wages. Why do you wish to leave your friends, to go
out with strangers to Canada?"

"That's moi consarn," said the girl, with one of her gigantic expansions
of mouth. "Oie he'eard 'twas a mortal good place for maids getting
married. Husbands are scearce here, so oise thought, oise might as well
try moi chance as the rest o'un. Won't yah take oie?" Flora shook her
head.

The girl twirled the strings of her checked apron, "Mayhap, yah won't
get anoder so willin' to go, as I'se be."

"Perhaps not. But I want a person of some experience--one who has been
used to service, and could bring a good character from her last
employer."

"Karaktah! Karaktah!" said the girl contemptuously. "What need of a
karaktah in such a place as Cannadah? Folk a' go there need na karaktah,
or they might jeest as well bide to whome."

This last declaration settled the matter, and Flora, not without some
difficulty, got rid of the promising candidate for matrimony and
emigration. Her place was instantly supplied by a tall, hard-featured,
middle-aged woman, who had been impatiently waiting for Miss Pack's
dismissal, in t