fair proportion of good soil, and any amount of
water-power. Then for inhabitants, you've got the Scotchman, cautious
and far-seeing; the Irishman, a little hot and heady, perhaps, but
earnest; you've got the Englishman, who'll never fail of his aim for
want of self-confidence, anyhow; you've got Frenchmen, Germans, and a
sprinkling of the dark element out west; and you've got what we didn't
have to begin with, you've got the Yankee element, and that is
considerable more than you seem to think it is, Rosie."

Rose laughed and shook her head. She was not going to allow herself to
be drawn into a discussion of nationalities that night.

"Yes," continued he, "the real live Yankee is about as complete a man as
you'll generally meet anywhere. He has the caution of the Scot, to
temper the fire of the Irishman, and he has about as good an opinion of
himself as the Englishman has. He'll keep things going among you.
He'll bring you up to the times, and then he won't be likely to let you
fall back again. Yes; if ever Canada is heard from, the Yankee will
have something to do with it, and no mistake."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

In the mean time very quiet and pleasant days were passing over those
who were at home. Fanny jingled her keys, and triumphed a little at the
continued success of affairs in Mrs Tilman's department. Graeme took
no notice of her triumph, but worked away at odds and ends, remembering
things forgotten, smoothing difficulties, removing obstacles, and
making, more than she or any one knew, the happiness of them all. Rose
sung and danced about the house as usual, and devoted some of her
superfluous energy to the embellishment of a cobweb fabric, which was,
under her skillful fingers, destined to assume, by and by, the form of a
wedding pocket handkerchief for Emily. And through all, Mrs Snow was
calmly and silently pursuing the object of her visit to Canada. Through
the pleasant hours of work and leisure, in all their talk of old times,
and of the present time, in all moods, grave and gay, she had but one
thought, one desire, to assure herself by some unfailing token that her
bairns were as good and happy as they ought to be.

The years that had passed since the bairns had been parted from her had
made Janet older than they ought to have done, Graeme thought. It was
because she was not so strong as she used to be, she said herself; but
it was more than sickness, and more than the passing years that