woman's will. 
7 1 
“Oh, 
“ ‘Where a woman wills, she will, 
You may depend on’t — 
Where she won’t, she won’t, 
And there’s the end on’t’” 
He quoted, with a laugh. “ Come on ! but first 
tell me where to look for a stepmother for your 
family of beasts, birds and creeping things ? 
There are few who would accept even me with 
such encumbrances.” 
“ Nonsense ! In place of that, I’ll take off my 
shoes,” she said, unfastening them, in high spirits. 
“ There, now; I’m ready.” 
Mr. Maxwell, by the way, is six feet high and 
well-proportioned; so, it was no difficult feat for 
him, while standing by the tree, to put such a 
little thing as his wife upon his shoulders. 
“ There, how is that ? ” he asked, picking her up. 
“All right, thanks ; only I wish you were a 
little taller,” she replied, “I can only just touch 
the limb. Could you possibly stand on tip-toe ? 
That’s it! Hold your neck stiff, now!’ and 
putting one foot on his head, she braced the other 
against the inequalities of the bark and drew 
herself up among the branches. 
“ Oh ! this is splendid ! ” she called down from 
among the leaves. “ Now, you’ll be sure to take 
care of the old bird ! I want her, you know.” 
“ Don’t you worry about her,” he replied, ad- 
vancing to the wagon and taking up the gun. 
