t much at home. Once or twice he came into the
nursery. He seemed fond of his children in a careless, indifferent way;
but the children were shy and not very happy in his presence. If Mrs
Lee was not happier when he was at home, she was certainly more sad and
silent for a few days after he went away, and sighed often when she
looked at her children, as though she were burdened with many cares.

About Christmas-time a great change took place in the household. In the
course of one of his many journeys Mr Lee met with a serious accident.
It was not pronounced serious at the time of its occurrence, but it
became so through neglect. It was painful as well as dangerous, and
confined him to the house during the greater part of the winter. From
this time Christie's duties became more arduous. Mrs Lee's time and
attention were frequently required by her husband, and the fragile
little Ellinor then became the special care of Christie. The nursery,
too, was removed to a room in the attic; for Mr Lee at first could not,
and at last would not, bear the noise of the children; and Christie's
glimpse of the outer world extended only to roofs and chimneys now. The
brief daily airings of the children were taken in a sleigh; and the
doctor insisted that their mother should always share them. She was
very delicate; and her husband, thoughtless and exacting, failed to
perceive that her strength was too much tried. Mrs Greenly was engaged
as his sick-nurse; but she could not be on the alert both night and day,
and when she failed her place must be supplied by his uncomplaining
wife. Night or day it was all the same. She was never sure of an
hour's respite.

So Christie reigned alone in the attic-nursery, and controlled and
amused the children, and mended, and managed, and looked cheerful
through it all, in a way that excited the admiration and astonishment of
Mrs Greenly, and the thankful gratitude of Mrs Lee. How she got
through it all she hardly knew. On the days when the baby was her
exclusive care, it was bad enough. But by teaching the children to hail
the coming of the little one as a mark of their mamma's great confidence
in them, she succeeded in making them share the responsibility with her.
The boys would amuse themselves quietly for hours rather than disturb
little Ellinor; and Letty (usually the most restless and wayward of them
all) never grew weary of humming little songs, and otherwise amusing the
baby, as she