82 MY NEW FRIEND'S HOUSE. 



was a little in her tongue that sounded like 

 coming from Scotland, and it was a pleasure 

 to see and hear her; for her simple kind 

 face told what a good and gentle heart was 

 shining in it. She was dressed, too, as 

 plain and neat as my own good wife, and 

 the last person she seemed to think of was 

 herself; all was about others, and wishing 

 to see that we did well at what was set be- 

 fore us. Said I to myself, "You've got the 

 right kind of partner here, my friend/' A 

 lad, too, came in out of the garden and sat 

 down with us. He had very little to say, 

 but I could see 'twasn't because he hadn't it 

 in him. After a hearty tea, for I was sharp 

 set, my friend went back to his little room, 

 and told his wife to show me their house 

 while he was busy for a few minutes. 



I thought mine was a nice ' cottage at 

 Birdwood, and so it was ; but this was most 

 capital : a living-room, a best room, his own 

 little room, a kitchen and scullery on the 

 ground-floor, three bed-rooms, and a kind 

 of cupboard -room above, and down below 

 a good large cellar. It was in the park, 

 at the gardens' entrance-gate, and had two 

 small greenhouses close to it. 



