A TRUE HELPMEET. 87 



Two of the evenings we had some music 

 and singing pretty much Scotch, and here 

 I was at home ; and how the time did fly, 

 to be sure ! The last evening before I came 

 away, a friend of theirs came in, and we 

 finished off with " Auld Lang Syne ;" and 

 happy enough we were, tho' our " cup o* 

 kindness" was but a cup of tea; but then 

 'twas sweetened with the heartiest kindness, 

 as we took each other's hands all round, and 

 finished off for a farewell. We wanted no 

 stronger drink, and wished poor Burns had 

 loved no other. I know something of the 

 mischief drinking-songs do young people ; 

 it 's just dressing up a skeleton. Part of the 

 time I was with them, I wasn't very well, 

 and then I stopped indoors, and so had time 

 to see more of my friend's wife. They'd 

 been married four or five years, and had 

 no family ; and as she was very clever in 

 many ways, she was every thing to him. 

 She helped him in his writing and drawing 

 and making his models, and seemed quite 

 to live for him, and in him ; and shared all 

 his love of gardening, which was wonderful, 

 and made him a deal sought after by people 

 that wanted help in such matters. He'd 



