rong and hearty, not to be with you to
help you in all your troubles," she said, with tears in her eyes, to
Mrs Ashton. "Though you take them like an angel, marm, they are
troubles."

The other, Peter Puckle by name, had been first stable-boy, then page,
and lately footman. He engaged Harry to plead his cause. "The wages
and the passage-money shan't stand in the way, Master Harry," he urged.
"I have not been in the family all these years without laying by
something, and it's the honour of serving your good father still is all
I want."

The surface of the broad Atlantic was scarcely ruffled by a breeze as
the steamer with the Ashton family on board rushed across it. "Well,
Sophy, I declare it is worth being ruined for the sake of the fun we
have on board," exclaimed Charley, to his eldest sister, who was sitting
reading on deck, at a short distance from the rest of the party.

A gentleman standing by heard the remark, and finding Charley by himself
directly afterwards, he observed, smiling, "Why, my young friend, you do
not look as if you were ruined. I have never met a happier family than
yours appears to be. What did you mean by saying that?"

"Well, I do not think that we are ruined really, sir," said Charley,
artlessly; "still, my papa had many thousand pounds a-year till lately,
and we lived in a large house in London, and had another in the country,
and Philip was at Oxford and Harry at Eton, and I was going there; and
now we are to live in a log-hut in the back woods in Canada, and that
makes us all so jolly, because it will be such capital fun. Don't you
think so?"

"I have had some experience of life in the back woods," answered the
gentleman. "It has its advantages and its disadvantages, though I have
little doubt but that you will find it pleasant."

"What, do you live in Canada, sir?" asked Charley.

"Yes; I have lived there all my life," said the stranger. "But, my
young friend, you say that you are ruined, and yet I see that you have
servants attending on you: how is that?"

"Why, they insisted on coming, and would not leave us," answered
Charley.

"Would more have accompanied you?" enquired the stranger. "I am afraid,
though, that my questions may appear impertinent,"

"If papa would have let them," said Charley.

"That fact speaks volumes in favour both of masters and servants," said
the stranger to himself.

From that day Charley looked upon the stranger as an especial friend,
t