Then the girl wept on; and "the mother" sat silent, but with one hand caressing the bowed head, and with the other wiping away the tears that had gathered in her own eyes!

CHAPTER VIII.

BRAVE JANET.

"Let us be patient! These severe afflictions
Not from the ground arise;

But oftentimes celestial benedictions

Assume this dark disguise."

LONGFELLOW.

JANET, as we have said, had walked up from The Oaks with little Rob, and while she sat there in the porch, small Rob, with the twinkling, sugar-candy coloured eyes, was disporting himself in the poultry-yard amongst geese, ganders, turkey-cocks, and the like valiant birds possessing unlimited vindictive qualities, and capable, in case of need, of asserting the rights of poultry in general, and of their own goslings and "good ladies" in particular.

Janet was aware that Robbie would be not unlikely to arouse the pugilistic feelings of these

feathered heroes, so she glanced now and then towards his delightful resort.

For some time all went on smoothly; but presently, above the "click" of "the mother's" knitting pins, above the low-toned conversation about LIFE and duty, came a yell; a dreadful yell, such as no lungs but those of a sound, solid, country boy can possibly give; a yell that would wake a whole household of farmer's men and maidens, however fast a hold Morpheus had laid on them. Another and another; then from a second voice a guffaw, after that the sound of horse's hoofs kicking madly against wood.

In one moment Janet was on her feet; another, and she was nearly flying in the direction of the cries; across the farmyard like an arrow went she, and through the gate into the meadow beyond; while with all her speed Mrs. Moss followed to the scene of action.

Action enough was there; but not of the right sort. That, as she went along, Janet saw. There was little Rob in an empty cart, holding on for dear life to the dash-board, and shrieking as if a dozen lives depended upon his one pair of lungs. In the shafts, or nearly out of them, was Barney, the tall Irish horse; one moment kicking furiously, the next rising on his haunches and beating the air like a wild creature with his two fore-feet;

then suddenly dashing to right or left as the case might be; while the poor little man who had been so eager to drive was being shaken and bruised in no light manner, and if he had not clung to the cart, like a limpet to the rocks, would have been thrown out altogether.

By the side of the lumbering conveyance, much alarmed now, though at first he had roared with laughter at the fun, and continually dodging to escape a blow or kick from the terrified horse, was Tim, the slow-and-sure farm-boy.

"Jump you out!" bawled the bright Timothy; but Robbie had too much sense for that.

"Hold on, Robbie! Hold on!" was Janet's advice, as she came up out of breath, and with wide-open eyes and distended nostrils, but without the faintest token of fear or shrinking from the powerful horse in her lithe, well-knit figure. "Hold on fast, Robbie! Come, come, Barney! Steady, laddie! Come, come, Barney, boy!"

Janet spoke in her gentle, coaxing tones, drawing nearer and nearer by degrees. Barney had known her voice ever since his days of long legs and frisks, and she felt sure that even now he would respond to it.

"Come, my good laddie! Come!" she repeated, as she raised her hand to reach the bridle upon the first opportunity. "Or," thought she,

"if I could manage to get hold of the reins, they would be some little check."

This after a few attempts she did; for they had been hanging loosely down over the shafts; then with the other hand ready to pat and soothe the horse as soon as, with all his feet, he descended to earth; and with dilated, eager, but unflinching eyes she stood, still speaking in those gentle tones which the great creature knew and loved to hear. "Come, Barney! Steady, steady, boy!"

Large-limbed and gaunt as the horse was, he had beautiful eyes; great, beaming eyes, full of expression to his friends; and now, in the midst of his terror, for terror it was more than temper that set him kicking, he turned them full upon Janet. The sensitive ears twitched, the nostrils quivered, the whole powerful frame trembled with intense fear; but Barney came down to earth again. All a-quiver, it is true; but still with his four feet planted firmly on the turf beneath him.

With the gentlest touch possible, and still with soothing words, Janet laid her hand on the bridle. Then she drew a long breath, for she thought the worst was over.

By this time Mrs. Moss was on the spot; but Tim was the sole representative, within sight or hearing, of the masculine gender. Ben was out on his pretty, white Nancy, "the father" had