ch time all the soldiers had gone to
bed. Mr Campbell then read prayers, and offered up an additional one
for the happiness of the newly married couple, after which they all
saluted the Strawberry and wished her good night; she was then led to
the lodge by Martin, accompanied by Alfred, Henry, Malachi, Percival,
and John, who all went home with them as a guard from any interruption
on the part of the disappointed suitors.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THE INDIAN'S VISIT.

"How cheerful and gay everything looks now," observed Emma to Mary, a
few mornings after the celebration of the marriage. "One could hardly
credit that in a few months all this animated landscape will be nothing
but one dreary white mass of snow and ice, and no sounds meeting the ear
but the howling of the storm and the howling of the wolves."

"Two very agreeable conditions, certainly," replied Mary; "but what you
observe was actually occurring to my own mind at the very moment."

The scene was indeed cheerful and lively. The prairie on one side of
the stream waved its high grass to the summer breeze; on the other the
cows, horses, and sheep were grazing in every direction. The lake in
the distance was calm and unruffled; the birds were singing and chirping
merrily in the woods; near the house the bright green of the herbage was
studded with the soldiers, dressed in white, employed in various ways;
the corn waved its yellow ears between the dark stumps of the trees in
the cleared land; and the smoke from the chimney of the house mounted
straight up in a column to the sky; the grunting of the pigs, and the
cackling of the fowls, and the occasional bleating of the calves,
responded to by the lowing of the cows, gave life and animation to the
picture. At a short distance from the shore the punt was floating on
the still waters. John and Malachi were very busy fishing; the dogs
were lying down by the palisades, all except Oscar, who, as usual,
attended upon his young mistresses; and, under the shade of a large
tree, at a little distance from the house, were Mr Campbell and
Percival, the former reading while the other was conning over his
lesson.

"This looks but little like a wilderness now, Mary, does it?" said Emma.

"No, my dear sister. It is very different from what it was when we
first came; but still I should like to have some neighbours."

"So should I; any society is better than none at all."

"There I do not agree with you; at the