band by ten years, I cannot picture myself finding
strength to live without him, nor would a poor old woman like me be much
good to the young creatures if I did! But one must not lose courage, nor
grieve about troubles before they come. For, after all, who would ever
have believed these two poor fledglings would grow up to be two bonnie
bairnies like Marmaduke and Pamela now!"

And for the last time that evening Grandmamma again wiped her
eyes--though these tears were of thankfulness and motherly pride in the
thought of the sweet and pretty children upstairs, who at that moment
were kneeling in their little white nightgowns, one on each side of old
Nurse, as they solemnly repeated after her the Lord's Prayer, and after
that their own evening petitions that "God would bless dear Grandpapa
and Grandmamma, and make 'us' very good children, and a comfort to them
in their old age."

CHAPTER II.

BREAD AND MILK.

"Words which tenderness can speak
From the truths of homely reason."
WORDSWORTH.

Grandmamma would probably have spoken to Nurse the next day about being
careful as to what she said before the children, had not the next day
brought rather a commotion. Nurse was ill, which, old as she, too, was,
rarely happened. It was a bad attack of rheumatism, and very likely its
coming on had made her less patient than usual the day before. However
that may have been, Grandmamma was far too sorry to see her suffering to
say anything which might have troubled her, for she was already
distressed enough at not being able to get up and go about as usual.

"Never mind, Nurse," said the children to console her, when a message
had been brought from Grandmamma in the morning to say that Nurse was on
no account to try to get up till the doctor had seen her, "us is going
to be very good. Us can do all your work, and you can stay in bed till
your legs is not cracked any more," for they had heard her complaining
of her knees and ankles being "wracked" with pain.

On the whole I am afraid Duke and Pamela did not think Nurse's
rheumatism altogether an "ill-wind," as they sat on their high chairs at
breakfast at the nursery table.

"Shall you eat all yours up, bruvver?" asked Pamela, pointing to the
bowl of bread and milk which Duke was discussing.

"Shall you?" asked Duke warily, before committing himself.

Pamela looked contemplatively at her bowl.

"I think I'll leave just a very litt