an landscape. The same woes?--the same
weaknesses?--the same problems of an unsound urban life?

Her heart sank for a moment--only to provoke an instant reaction of
cheerfulness. No!--in Canada the human will has still room to work, and
is not yet choked by a jungle growth of interests.

She waited for Anderson to come in, and meanwhile she warmed and
comforted the mother. The poor girl looked round her in amazement at the
pretty spacious room, as she spread her hands, knotted and coarsened by
work, to the blaze. Elizabeth held her sickly babe, rocking it and
crooning to it, while upstairs one of kind-eyed Cumberland women was
getting a warm bath ready, and lighting a fire in the guest-room.

"How old is it?" she asked.

"Thirteen months."

"You ought to give up nursing it. It would be better for you both."

"I tried giving it a bit o' what we had ourselves," said the mother,
dully--"But I nearly lost her."

"I should think so!" laughed Elizabeth indignantly; and she began to
preach rational ways of feeding and caring for the child, while the
mother sat by, despondent, and too crushed and hopeless to take much
notice. Presently Elizabeth gave her back the babe, and went to fetch
hot tea and bread and butter.

"Shall I come and get it in the kitchen?" said the woman, rising.

"No, no--stay where you are!" cried Elizabeth. And she was just carrying
back a laden tray from the dining-room when Anderson caught her.

"Darling!--that's too heavy for you!--what are you about?"

"There's a woman in there who's got to be fed--and there's a man in
there"--she pointed to the kitchen--"who's got to be talked to. Hopeless
case!--so you'd better go and see about it!"

She laughed happily in his face, and he snatched a kiss from her as he
carried off the tray.

The woman by the fire rose again in amazement as she saw the
broad-shouldered handsome man who was bringing in the tea. Anderson had
been tramping through the thin-lying snow all day, inquiring into the
water-supply of a distant portion of the farm. He was ruddy with
exercise, and the physical strength that seemed to radiate from him
intimidated the wanderer.

"Where are you bound to?" he said kindly, as he put down the tea beside
her.

The woman, falteringly, told her story. Anderson frowned a little.

"Well, I'd better go and talk to your husband. Mrs. Anderson will look
after you."

And Elizabeth held the baby, while the woman fed languidly--too tired
an