50 THE 8TBIKE AT SHANE'S. 



*'Well, mamma, don't you thiDk he has brought a 

 great deal of this trouble on himself ? " 



"Perhaps so, Edie ; but your papa has ideas about 

 things that are different from ours. He looks at ever}^- 

 thing from a money point of view." 



' ' I don't think that people who look at things only 

 from a money point of view," said Edith, "get much 

 happiness." 



"Your papa is doing what he thinks is for the best, 

 and is looking ahead to save up something for you and 

 Tom." 



"Well, I don't want him to make himself miserable 

 all his life to save up money for me. I would rather 

 he poor and he hapx^y^ and have people and animals 

 and hirds to love me. If papa would read the books I 

 borrowed from Cora Tracy he would find out that birds 

 are useful, and instead of trying to kill them and drive 

 them away, he would be glad to have them come." 



' ' Your papa has so many cares that he don't have 

 time to read," said Mrs. Shane. 



Edith sat for some time in silence, gazing out over 

 the fields, and up in the blue sky. 



' ' It seems to me like something dreadful is going to 

 happen," she said. "Everything seems so gloomy 

 around here ; it doesn't seem like the same place." 



"The bad luck your papa has had this spring makes 

 us all feel down-hearted. Perhaps it is all for the best, 

 and we can only hope that it will come out all right." 



"I don't think it will come out all right," said Edith. 

 "I don't think papa is doing right to drive away the 



