Year: 1869

OAANs 4CS IL
coarse but it seemed to him as If he had
never tasted anything SO delicious as this
meal which the old lady offered with such
simple good natare. When he had eaten
and drank, he slept quietly upon couch
of soft moss till daylight came and in
the moruing his friendly hostess produced
baked fish for his breakfast.


"'May Heaven reward you for your
kindness' said the traveller. You are a
liberal woman, and deserve to be reward
ed lie gave her his hand at parting and
added in solem voice, "A blessing on the
first business you undertake !! And he
walked out of the hut.


"The good woman wished him pros
porous journey, and went back into her
smoky room. The next minute she was
busily employed at her knitting; for, you
see, she was poor woman, and had to
work hard for her plain food and coarse
raiment. After a while she laid aside her
work, and went to box in the corner,
whence she took a small roll of linen that
she had spun and woven for herself She
took up this roll and carried it out of the
cottage, to lay it to bleach in the meadow
byet the sea shore.


There's very little of it this year,
she said. Scarcely enough to make me a
few clothes to last till next season. Ill
Just see how much / have.


$50 she went and brought out her yard
measure, and began to measure the linen
'One, two, three she counted and she
went measuring and measuring, on and
on, and could not come to the end of the
roll. She moved the yard faster and fast
er, but it was of no use the faster she
uncoiled the roll of linen, the longer did
it seem to become until at last quite
heap Of it lay spread out before her, and
still she seemed no nearer the end of her
task.


"Then at length she thought of the
traveller, and Of the blessing he had in
voked on the first business she should un-
dertake; and she understood whence this
good gift had come, and was thankful for
it in her honest heart.


"She was still actively employed in
measuring the inexhaustible linen, when
croaking laugh made her pause and look
up. Dame Hidda stood before her, staring
in astonishment at the linen-heap.


"'Why, what in the world is the mean>
ing of this, my good neighbor p she ex-
claimed. where did you get that lovely
linen from? never saw anything so fine
in all my life.'


"'Guess if you can,' replied Dame
Elspeth. But you'll never guess and
you'll be vexed when tell you that you
might have had it as well as l; for the
stranger whom you turned away yester-
day from your door, was the man who
gave it me-


"Now, when Hidda heard this, she
turned as red as fire in the face, for spite,
and her pinched blue nose grew quite
white at the end. She answered not a
word, Tut skunk away with an evil leer
on her face.


"'Stop q little she muttered to her
self. 'I'll manage that? The man can't
be far away yet, for just now saw him 90
into the little wood yonder. I'll follow
him up, will


"And cd Hidda gathered her skirts
about her, and hobblcd off as fast as ever
she could 90, to overtake the traveller who
had gone into the wood.


as she caught sight of him in the distance.
pray stop minute, good man-stop a
minute ! I've something to say to YOU


"The stranger paused, and waited to
let her overtake him.


"'Well, Dame Hidda,' he said, when
she came up, painting and groaning, and
wagging her wicked old head, 'and what
may you have to say to me?'


"'Lack day! cried the old woman,
with hypocritical whine, 'I've been in
such state i'm such state! I've not
been able to close an eye all last night for
thinking how l had been obliged to send
you from my door. But I've caught an
amazing quantity of fish this morning,
and want to make up for being forced to
send you away. Come back with me
oh ! pray come back with me-and you
shall have as much to cat as ever you
like


"The man smiled quietly, and turned
back with her without saying u word
Dame Hidda hustled about; and this
woman who had pleaded poverty the night
before, brought out from her hidden stores
such breakfast that the table groaped
beneath its weight For she thought, If
he gave all that linen to Elspeth for her
shappy old soup, what will he bestow on
me for the splendid feast l have placed
before him?'


"The traveller sat down and made
very hearty meal and when he had salts
fed his hunger, he rose and turned to go
but before he quilted the cottage, he gave
his hand to his hostess, and said


ga blessing on the first business you
undertake. Farewell!'


"Now, this was exactly what the greedy
woman had been waiting to hear; and she
now sat down to consider what business
she should first undertake.


"'I have itr she cried out at last.
THAT will be the best' And she jumped
up so high for Joy, that she almost over
turned pail of water that stood in the
corner by the door, ready to be poured
into the trough for the pigs. Il have it!
I have it = she repeated. Il won't be such
a ninny as that foolish Elspeth, who went
counting her yard of linen. I'll go into
my room and count money. Only fancy,
if there should be no end to that, and
could 60 on counting, counting, counting
all day long!'


$50 she turned to 20 back into the
house; but the pigs, WHO had been watch
ing her from their sty, and who were very
sharp set, raised loud ard unanimous
squeak as hint to their mistress that she
was keeping them waiting.


"'Ah, I'd better give those creatures
some water to drink first, she muttered.
or they'll be disturbing me all the time
I'm counting


$50 she seized the water pail, ran to the
pigsty, and poured tae water into the
trough.


"But, ye powers what o wonder did
she then behold! The water poured and
poured out of the pail, and would not
cease running. She tried to pull away the
pail, but could not stir it; and the water