l mean much to my child in after life to
have had the refining influences of this house at the most
impressionable age." Truth was, that Ruby was growing a little old for
her Kindergarten, and he wanted Redford to offer her (gratis, of
course) a share in Francie's governess. "I could not endure to see her
grow up like the daughters of so many of my brother clergy, ignorant of
the very rudiments of decent life"--meaning not decent life in the
ordinary acceptation of the term, but the life that included evening
dress and finger-glasses. "She has caught the colonial accent already
at that horrid school. 'When is the new keeow coming?' says she. And,
by the way, that reminds me--your good father promised me the cow a
fortnight ago. The one we have gives us hardly enough milk for the
table; we have had no butter from her for months."

"I am so sorry," grieved Mary, as if Redford had failed in its sacred
duty of hospitality. "I will tell him about it. The men have all been
so busy with the shearing."

She was also distressed that she could not definitely invite Ruby for
the impending holidays. But Deb had issued her commands that Redford
was not to be saddled with a nurseless child at Christmas, when
everybody's hands would be full.

Mary was Ruby's willing foster-mother when Redford had her in charge;
she was also the kindest hostess of them all to Ruby's father. To her
was left the task of entertaining him, and she never neglected it.
Naturally, he gave her no thanks. When he said that what Ruby needed
was a mother's tender care, it was at Deborah he looked, who never
turned a hair's-breadth in his direction at any time, except when good
manners obliged her, and who was not tender to Ruby, whom she called
"that brat", and had smartly spanked on several occasions.

A beautiful woman cannot help having objectionable lovers any more than
a king can help a cat looking at him. This man--a most well-meaning,
good-hearted, useful little underbred person, typical of so large a
class in the Colonial Church--was Deb's pet aversion, and did not know
it. He was not made to see his own deficiencies as she saw them. When
first she flashed upon his dazzled vision, splendid in a scarlet dinner
gown, and carrying her regal head as if the earth belonged to her, he
really saw no reason why he, with his qualifications of comparative
youth, good looks (his sort of good looks), and notorious pulpit
eloquence, should not aspire to rush in whe