you with my crying; but I canna help it. There is nothing the matter
with me more than usual. Never mind me, Effie."

"Well, sit still a little," said Effie, soothingly. "You are tired, I
do believe."

"Yes," said Christie, recovering herself with a great effort. "It's
partly that, I dare say; and--" She stopped, not being further sure of
her voice.

Effie said nothing, but gently stroked her hair with her hand. The
gentle touch was more than Christie could bear, at the moment.

"Effie, don't!" she cried, vainly struggling to repress another gush of
tears. In a little while she grew quiet, and said, "I know I'm very
foolish, Effie; but I canna help it."

"Never mind," said Effie, cheerfully; for she knew by the sound of her
voice that her tears were over for this time. "A little shower
sometimes clears the sky; and now the sun will shine again."

She stooped down, and dipping her own handkerchief in the brook, gave it
to her sister to bathe her hot cheeks; and soon she asked, gravely:

"What is it, Christie?"

"It's nothing," said Christie, eagerly. "Nothing more than usual. I'm
tired, that's all,--and you are going away,--and it will be just the
same thing every day till you come back,--going to bed tired, and
getting up tired, and doing the same thing over and over again to very
little purpose. I'm sure I canna see the good of it all."

Effie could not but smile at her words and manner.

"Well, I suppose that will be the way with every one, mostly. I'm sure
it will be the way with me. Except the getting up tired," she added,
laughing. "I'm glad to say I don't very often do that. I'm afraid my
life is not to much purpose either, though I do wish it to be useful,"
she continued, more gravely.

"Oh, well, it's very different with you!" said Christie, in a tone that
her sister never liked to hear.

She did not reply for a moment. Then she said:

"It will be easier for you now that the harvest is over. Annie and
Sarah will be in the house, and you will have less to do. And, besides,
they will make it more cheerful."

Christie made a movement of impatience.

"You are like Aunt Elsie. You think that I like to be idle and don't
wish to do my share. At any rate, the girls being in the house will
make little difference to me. I shall have to be doing something all
the time--little things that don't come to anything. Well, I suppose
there is no help for it. It will be all the same in the