hen there was a big box of goodies. There were such candies as they
had never dreamed of--oranges and big red-cheeked apples. Even Thomas
had never before in his life tasted an orange or an apple, and they
all declared that they had never imagined that anything could be so
good. It was quite astonishing to learn that in the great world from
which Doctor Joe had come there were people who ate oranges and apples
every day of their lives if they wished them.

"'Tis strange the way the Lord fixes things," observed Thomas. "Here
now we never saw the like of oranges and apples before in all our
lives, but we has plenty of trout, and there are folks out there that
has no trout but they all has oranges and apples. We has so many trout
we forgets how fine they is, and what a blessin' 'tis we has un. And
I'm thinkin' 'tis the same with them folks about the oranges and
apples."

"Yes," agreed Doctor Joe, "it's only when things are taken away from
us that we really appreciate them. Jamie, no doubt, appreciates his
eyes much more than he would have done had the mist never clouded
them."

"Aye, 'tis so," said Thomas.

"I dare say," Doctor Joe suggested, "that you've never eaten potatoes
or onions?"

"No," said Thomas, "I've heard of un, but I never eats un. I never had
any to eat."

"Well," announced Doctor Joe, "I've had several sacks of potatoes and
a sack of onions and two barrels of apples shipped to Fort Pelican
with a quantity of other goods. We'll have to go with the big boat for
them."

The boys and Margaret were quite beside themselves with the wonder of
it all, and Thomas was little less excited.

"We'll go for un to-morrow or the next day whatever," said Thomas.

There was one box still unopened, and the three boys were eyeing it
expectantly, when Doctor Joe exclaimed:

"Here we've left till the last the most important thing of all. Get an
axe, David, and we'll knock the cover off this box."

David had the axe in a jiffy, and when Doctor Joe removed the cover
the box was found to be filled with books.

"O-h-h!" breathed the boys in unison.

"'Tis fine! Oh, I've been wishin' and wishin' for books t' look at and
read!" exclaimed Margaret.

Doctor Joe had taught them all to read and write in the years he had
been with them, an accomplishment that not every boy and girl on The
Labrador possessed, for there were no schools there.

"There are some books to study and some to read. There are story books
and bo