giving to the room that air of life which the habitation of a hunter and which so distinctly the dwellings of our frontier population amongst other articles of household use was a large that was placed near the door and beside it stood the dame who had first the visitors she was a woman who could scarcely be said to have reached the middle period of life although her wan and somewhat haggard features and a surly discontented expression of face might well induce an observer to attribute more years to her worldly account than she had actually seen the presence of a rough and cradle and some five or six children the majority of whom might be below three feet in stature served in some degree to explain the care worn and countenance of the hostess when butler and his companion were ushered by into her presence she gave them no other welcome than a slight nod of the head and continued to her task at the wheel with in another corner of the room sat a smart looking young girl who at this moment was employed in wool she was a horse shoe robinson just upon womanhood with a round active and graceful figure which was adorned with that zealous attention to neatness and becoming ornament which in every station of life to a certain extent those of the sex who are gifted with beauty her cheek had the rich bloom of high health a full round blue eye seemed habitually to laugh with pleasure and the same trick of a happy temperament had stamped its mark upon the lines of her mouth her was altogether different from that of the mistress of the house she from her work immediately upon the entrance of the strangers with a modest and silent reserve and then proceeded to gather up the rolls of wool at her feet and to dispose of them in a chest near at hand having done this she left the apartment not without casting sundry glances towards the guests another member of the family was an aged female she had perhaps seen her winter her frame seemed to be hovering on the verge of dissolution a hollow cheek a sunken moist eye and a tremulous motion of the head the melancholy period of and it was apparent at a glance that this unfortunate being had far both her capacity for enjoyment and the sympathy of her kindred she now sat in a low elbow chair with her head almost in contact with her knees upon the stone hearth bending over a small fire of which had been kindled as well for the purpose of preparing the evening meal as for the comfort of the ancient dame herself � the of nightfall rendering this additional warmth by no means unpleasant the silently smoked a short pipe unmoved by anything that occurred in the apartment and apparently engrossed with the trivial care of directing the smoke as she puffed it from her lips into a current that should take it up the chimney michael who acted as landlord in the casual absence of had no other with the family than that of being joint owner with the lord of this wild domain of a small saw mill in the vicinity the particular of which was his especial province he was therefore at particular seasons of the year an in at the and sufficiently in authority to assume a partial direction in the affairs of the house horse shoe robinson p this man now replaced his rifle upon the appropriate � u r receive it and then offered butler and robinson chairs as he saw to the mistress of the family � ft here s horse shoe robinson mrs and this other man � i think they call mr butler they ve come for a night s lodging i believe will be right glad to see them you are not often visited with travellers in this part of the country said butler addressing the matron as he drew his chair near to the fire to dry his clothes we have of them such as they are replied the woman and it s a dangerous thing when there s so many helpless women at home to be opening the door to all sorts of persons you at least run no risk in offering shelter to us this evening returned butler we are strangers to the quarrel that in your district people puts on so many said the woman that there s no knowing them you have a fine troop of boys and girls continued butler patting the head of one of the boys who had summoned courage to approach him after various shy of his person your settlement will require before long there is more children than is needful replied the hostess they are troublesome but poor people generally have the luck that way does your husband ever serve with the army madam asked butler the woman stopped spinning for a moment and turning her face towards butler with a muttered how does that matter concern you pardon me replied butler i was recommended to mr as a friend and supposed i might approach his house without suspicion is a fool said the wife who is never content but when he has other people thrusting their into his mess s a wiser man than his wife interrupted robinson and takes good care that no man his spoon into horse shoe his mess without paying for it you know and me knows each other of old mrs and devil a ha penny did ever lose by good manners yet and who are you to talk horse shoe robinson exclaimed the ill favored dame who are you to talk of if he knows you he knows no good of you i m sure i warrant you have come here on honest business now � you and your friend what do you do 