he had thought first of her boy, and now,
even in the midst of her own great sorrow, she thought mostly of him
and his grief.

"Let me stay here, mother," whispered Shock. And so in each other's
arms they lay, and from sheer exhaustion both soon fell asleep.

The morning's sun was shining through the chink by the curtain when
Mrs. Macgregor awoke. Gently she slipped out of the bed and before
dressing lighted the kitchen fire, put on the kettle for the tea and
the pot for the porridge. Then she dressed herself and stepping about
on tiptoe prepared breakfast, peering in now and then at her sleeping
son.

It was with a face calm and strong, and even bright, that she went in
at last to waken him.

"Now, mother," exclaimed Shock, springing off the bed, "this is really
too bad, and I meant to give you your breakfast in bed to-day."

"Ay, it's myself knew that much," she cried with a little laugh of
delight.

"Oh, but you're hard to manage," said Shock severely, "but wait until I
get you out yonder in my own house."

"Ay, lad," answered his mother brightly, "it will be your turn then."

They were determined, these two, to look only at the bright side
to-day. No sun should shine upon their tears. The parting would be sore
enough with all the help that hope could bring. And so the morning
passed in last preparations for Shock's going, and the last counsels
and promises, and in planning for the new home that was to be made in
the shadow of the Rockies in the far West.

"And the time will soon pass, mother," said Shock cheerfully, "and it
will be good for you to have Brown with you. He will need your care,
you know," he hastened to add, knowing well that not for her own sake
could she have been persuaded to receive even Brown into her little
home.

"Ay, I will do for him what I can," she replied, "and indeed," she
added warmly, "he's a kind lad, poor fellow."

"And the young ladies will be looking in on you now and then, so they
said," and Shock bent low over his trunk working with the roping of it.

"Yes, indeed," replied his mother heartily, "never you fear."

And so with united and determined purpose they kept at arm's length the
heart's sorrow they knew would fall upon each when alone.

To go to the ends of the earth in these globe-trotting days is attended
with little anxiety, much less heart-break, but in those days when
Canada was cut off at the Lakes, the land beyond was a wilderness,
untravelled for the