ow him, went out.

He took them round the farm buildings, commenting on and explaining
everything, showed them cattle and horses, pigs and poultry, barns and
stables, and then asked them how they thought they'd like to work there.

"Uncommon!" was Bobby Frog's prompt reply, delivered with emphasis.

"Fust rate!" was Tim Lumpy's sympathetic sentiment.

"Well, then, the sooner we begin the better. D'you see that lot of
cord-wood lying tumbled about in the yard, Bob?"

"Yes, sir."

"You go to work on it, then, and pile it up against that fence, same as
you see this one done. An' let's see how neatly you'll do it. Don't
hurry. What we want in Canada is not so much to see work done quickly
as done well."

Taking Tim to another part of the farm, he set him to remove a huge heap
of stones with a barrow and shovel, and, leaving them, returned to the
house.

Both boys set to work with a will. It was to them the beginning of
life; they felt that, and were the more anxious to do well in
consequence. Remembering the farmer's caution, they did not hurry, but
Tim built a cone of stones with the care and artistic exactitude of an
architect, while Bobby piled his billets of wood with as much regard to
symmetrical proportion as was possible in the circumstances.

About noon they became hungry, but hunger was an old foe whom they had
been well trained to defy, so they worked on utterly regardless of him.

Thereafter a welcome sound was heard--the dinner-bell!

Having been told to come in on hearing it, they left work at once, ran
to the pump, washed themselves, and appeared in the dining-room looking
hot, but bright and jovial, for nothing brightens the human countenance
so much, (by gladdening the heart), as the consciousness of having
performed duty well.

From the first this worthy couple, who were childless, received the boys
into their home as sons, and on all occasions treated them as such.
Martha Mild, (her surname was derived from her character), had been
similarly received and treated.

"Well, lads," said the farmer as they commenced the meal--which was a
second edition of breakfast, tea included, but with more meat and
vegetables--"how did you find the work? pretty hard--eh?"

"Oh! no, sir, nothink of the kind," said Bobby, who was resolved to show
a disposition to work like a man and think nothing of it.

"Ah, good. I'll find you some harder work after dinner."

Bobby blamed himself for having been so