oyal subject, she wrote back, saying "Yes."

[Illustration: MA'S SILVER CROSS.

Now in the Museum of the United Free Church.]

Another letter arrived telling her that her election had been approved
by King George V., and then came the beautiful diploma. But she had to
go down to Duke Town to be given the Cross at a public meeting, and this
was a great trial. Everybody, however, was kind and treated her like a
princess. While they were praising her she sat with her face buried in
her hands, and when she spoke she made it seem as if the honour were
done to the Mission and not to herself. A bouquet of roses was handed to
her, and when she got home to Use she planted a stem beside the
rough-hewn steps, and to her delight it grew and flourished. When she
died a cutting from it was planted on her grave.

Of course she had to tell Ratcliffe all about the affair. "The Silver
Cross," she said, "is a nice thing called a decoration, which one wears
on special occasions, and is just like a prize given at school to a boy.
You wonder what I got a prize for? So do I! I can't make it out at all.
But you see our King is so good and kind, he is always doing nice
things, and this is one of them."

Ashamed of all that people were saying and writing about her, she
hastened up to Use, where she pinned the cross on her breast to show the
girls how it looked.

By this time Mary and Annie were married and had homes of their own, and
Alice and Maggie were at Duke Town learning to wash and iron and cut out
and make clothes, and Dan was also at school. Once Dan had a splendid
holiday, and Ma tells Ratcliffe about it:

Dan has gone up the Cross River with his master to a new country
where coal has been found and where tin has been found, and
where our wonderful fellow-countrymen are to build a railway
which will enter and open up new lands and peoples and
treasures, and add to the wealth and greatness of our Empire.
The coal will make the biggest changes you can think of. It is
like a fairy tale. Just think, if we have coal, we can start to
manufacture everything out here, for we have material for almost
everything, and all the timber in these endless forests can then
be sent over the world. And what crowds of people from Britain
and here will be getting employment at the railways and the
mines! It is a wonderful old world this, isn't it? We are always
hearing that it is played out.

Amo