n various ways;
the corn waved its yellow ears between the dark stumps of the trees in
the cleared land, and the smoke from the chimney of the house mounted
straight up in a column to the sky; the grunting of the pigs and the
cackling of the fowls, and the occasional bleating of the calves,
responded to by the lowing of the cows, gave life and animation to the
picture. At a short distance from the shore the punt was floating on the
still waters. John and Malachi were very busy fishing; the dogs were
lying down by the palisades, all except Oscar, who, as usual, attended
upon his young mistresses; and under the shade of a large tree, at a
little distance from the house, were Mr. Campbell and Percival, the
former reading while the other was conning over his lesson.

"This looks but little like a wilderness now, Mary, does it?" said Emma.

"No, my dear sister. It is very different from what it was when we first
came; but still I should like to have some neighbors."

"So should I; any society is better than none at all."

"There I do not agree with you; at the same time, I think we could find
pleasure in having about us even those who are not cultivated, provided
they were respectable and good."

"That's what I would have said, Mary; but we must go in, and practice
the new air for the guitar which Henry brought us from Montreal. We
promised him that we would. Here comes Alfred to spend his idleness upon
us."

"His idleness, Emma; surely, you don't mean that; he's seldom if ever
unemployed."

"Some people are very busy about nothing," replied Emma.

"Yes; and some people say what they do not mean, sister," replied Mary.

"Well, Alfred, here is Emma pronouncing you to be an idle body."

"I am not likely to be that, at all events," replied Alfred, taking off
his hat and fanning himself. "My father proposes to give me enough to
do. What do you think he said to me this morning before breakfast?"

"I suppose he said that you might as well go to sea again as remain
here," replied Emma, laughing.

"No, indeed; I wish he had; but he has proposed that your prophecy
should be fulfilled, my malicious little cousin. He has proposed my
turning miller."

Emma clapped her hands and laughed.

"How do you mean?" said Mary.

"Why, he pointed out to me that the mill would cost about two hundred
and fifty pounds, and that he thought as my half-pay was unemployed,
that it would be advisable that I should expend it in erecting th