DAME GILFIN AND HER GOATS. 



A COMELY, hai'd-woi'king Scotch woman, well known to us at 

 the parsonage, having no little ones of her own,gathered about her 

 humble home an odd crowd of pets. The heroine of this wonderful 



family was an immense goat, of yellowish-drab color, bearing the 

 queenly name of Esther. The shaggy pet paid great attention to 

 the minister's wife when she called at the busy cabin-home. Her 

 ways were of a kind not always agreeable. She would put her 

 great paws upon the lady's shoulders and sniff and sniff, luitil finally 

 the mistress had to be called. Dame Gilfin knew full well what this 

 dumb language meant, and so she said to her guest: — 



" Dinna ye ken what's the matter wi' her? — Weel! weel! I'll just 

 tell ye. When ye've yer Astrachan cloak on, Esther sets to think- 

 ing. She kens just as well as ye do that it's made of young kids'' 



