THE GRAND-GIRLS 309 



equally dexterous at either ; and Sir Tom watched 

 her, too, with an admiring eye. I once heard 

 him say : 



" Milady Laura, it is the regret of me life that 

 I came into the world a generation too soon." 



Laura sometimes went away she called it 

 " going home," but we scoffed the term and 

 the doldrums blew until she returned. Sir Tom 

 dined with us nearly every evening through the 

 fall and early winter ; and when he, and Kate 

 and Tom and the grand-girls, and the Kyrles, 

 and Laura were at Four Oaks, there was little 

 to be desired. The grand-girls were nearly five 

 and seven now, and they were a great help to 

 the Headman. My terrier was no closer to my 

 heels from morning to night than were these 

 youngsters. They took to country life like the 

 young animals they were, and made friends with 

 all, from Thompson down. They must needs 

 watch the sheep as they walked their endless 

 way on the treadmill night and morning; they 

 thrust their hands into hundreds of nests and 

 placed the spoils in Sam's big baskets ; they 

 watched the calves at their patent feeders, which 

 deceived the calves, but not the girls ; they 

 climbed into the grain bins and tobogganed on 

 the corn ; they haunted the cow-barn at milking 

 time and wondered much ; but the chiefest of 

 their delights was the beautiful white pig which 

 Anderson gave them. A little movable pen was 

 provided for this favorite, and the youngsters fed 



