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den of life. Of course the children
were delighted with the novelty of
new surroundings. To the anxious
husband and wife, however, there
was a difficult practical situation to
face and work out.
"I hardly know where to begin,"
observed Mr. Bliss, as he and his
wife, after walking about the barren
stretch, rested on a slanting fence
rail under a shady tree. "You see, I
know so little about fanning."
"Suppose you let a willing neigh
bor help you?" suggested an unex
pected, voice and a bright-eyed,
clever-looking young fellow of about
25 leaped the fence and stood be
fore them, hat in hand and smiling
in a friendly way that mitigated the
solitude about them. "I'm from a
mile up the road," he explained. "It
seems so good to hear voices around
the old place here that I found myself
an" eavesdropper before I realized it"
Bluff, hearty, honest Ned Dover!
What an angel of helpfulness and en
couragement he proved to the lonely
exiles. He took the new neighbors to
view his own farm, to show them
what industry, patience and persever
ance had wrested from the wilder
ness. Left an orphan at sixteen, he
had helped his aged grandfather get
out of the land all it would produce.
Now he had a model farm and a com
petency. Dover helped them buy a horse
and wagon, a cow and a litter of pigs.
He showed them how to lay out a
vegetable garden and a. field of oats
and corn. The boys were delighted
to take horse -and wagon and go into
the timber and cart the whole win
ter's fuel to the woodshed. When
harvest came Mr. Bliss was bronzed,
rough-handed, but was full of new
vigor and hope.
There was genuine comfort in
knowing that the cellar was stocked
with fruits, vegetables and home
raised bacon, that they need not
spare feeding the broad, old-fashioned
fireplace all the winter through,
that there was ample fodder for the 1
cattle, and comfort and contentment
in that thrift promises a happy fu
ture where at least peace and plenty
would abound.
Young Dover was a constant visi
tor. The Bliss people almost wel
comed him as a member of the fam
ily. Never was there such a loyal!
helpful friend. The children loved
him, the parents day by day increased
their esteem of his hopeful, sterling
character, and then one cold evening,
unexpectedly, . without a word ofc
warning, Winnie came home. 1
Amid the fond welcome of loving,
hearts Winnie broke down in tearsl
Then, alone with her mother, she
narrated a pitiful story of disap
pointment and suffering. She had
found her supposed friends capri-
cious and treacherous. Her high am
bition had been daunted by the hol
lowness and superficiality of those"
who should have set a higher exam
ple. ErneEt Vaile, to whom she had
been engaged, had forfeited his al
legiance to her by attentions to the'
daughter of a millionaire.
" "No," she answered almost 'smil-
ingly to the questioning look in her
mother's eyes, "my heart is not brok-
en! I fancied I loved him, but hl
despicable act has changed all that
to contempt," but there was a latent:
bitterness and resentment in her
mind. "Oh, mother," she continued
fervently, "it is so good to be at
home with true loving hearts. And
you are all looking so strong and well
and happy." ' I
The next day Winnie met ed
Dover, and the next, and innumerable
days after that It might- have be" en
the pure fresh air, or home comfort,
but the bloom came back to her
cheeks, and the dear delightful even
ings which the young farmer pass
ed with the Bliss family began to be
looked forward to with genuine ap
preciation by Winnie.
One day who should drive to the
farm from the village but .Ernest
Vaile. In the meantime Winnie had
learned by letter of his dismissal by
yjitiiil.
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