and exposure to the climate.

Kitty was teaching her charges dainty ways, mentally as well as
physically. When she had washed them at night, she made them purge their
little souls of all the sins of the day in prayer, and in the morning
she taught them how to fortify themselves with good resolutions. Beth
took naturally to the Catholic training, and solemnly dedicated herself
to the Blessed Virgin; Mildred conformed, but without enthusiasm; the
four-year-old baby Bernadine lisped little _Aves_; but Jim, in the words
of Captain Keene, "the old buffalo," as their father called him, sneered
at that sort of thing "as only fit for women."

"Men drink whisky," said Jim, puffing out his chest.

"True for ye," said Kitty; "but I've been told that them as drinks
whisky here goes dry in the next world."

"Well, I shall drink whisky and kiss the girls all the same," said
Jim. "And I wouldn't be a Catholic now, not to save me sowl. I owe the
Catholics a grudge. They insulted me."

"How so?" asked Kitty.

"At the midnight Mass last Christmas. Father John got up, and ordered
all heretics out of the sacred house of God, and Pat Fagan ses to me,
'Are ye a heretic?' and I ses, 'I am, Pat Fagan.' 'Thin out ye go,'
ses he, and, but for that, I'd 'a' bin a Catholic; so see what you
lose by insulting a gentleman."

"What's insulting?" Beth asked.

Jim slapped her face. "That's insulting," he explained.

Beth struck him back promptly, and a scuffle ensued.

"Oh, but it's little divils yez are, the lot of ye!" cried Kitty as
she separated them.

During fits of nervous irritability Captain Caldwell had a habit of
pacing about the house for hours at a time. One evening he happened to
be walking up and down on the landing outside the nursery door, which
was a little way open, and his attention was attracted by Beth's
voice. She was reciting a Catholic hymn softly, but with great
feeling, as if every word of it were a pleasure to her.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, breaking in on her
devotions. "What papistical abominations have you been teaching the
child, Kitty?"

"Shure, sorr, it's jest a bit of a hymn," said Kitty bravely; but her
heart sank, and the colour left her lips.

Captain Caldwell was furious.

"Caroline!" he called peremptorily, going to the head of the stairs,
"Caroline, come up directly!"

Mrs. Caldwell fussed up in hot haste.

"Do you know," Captain Caldwell demanded, "that this woman is making