"What family has she left?" asked Mrs. Meridith; "she was always a very civil woman, and seemed industrious."
"She was," replied Mrs. Campbell, "which will make her loss more severely felt; she has left six children, and most of them too young to do any thing."
Mrs. Meridith entered the cottage, where the poor man sat surrounded by his children, with looks of the deepest sorrow. "Here is a case worse than mine," thought Mrs. Meridith: "poverty and ill health I never knew." She did not attempt to offer any comfort to the man at that time, but putting some money into his hand, she promised to call again.
He would have thanked her, but his countenance seemed to say, "this will not restore my wife to me;" and then looking at his children, he repeated with tears, "if it had been me, instead of her, she could have done something,—I shall never get over this stroke."
"The Almighty is able to support both you and them," returned Mrs. Meridith; "do not despair," and her eyes expressed the feeling of her heart.
On their return to the farm, Mrs. Campbell, ever ready to assist the distressed, said she intended taking the eldest girl, then about ten years old, into her family; and lest her father should feel the want of her at home (she being the only one who could be of any use in the house), Anna proposed their sending an old woman in the village, whose home was not very comfortable at her son's-in-law, with whom she then lived, to take care of Lewry's family. This arrangement was not put in execution till after the funeral, and they had consulted the poor man upon it; who readily acceded to any thing they mentioned, and was very thankful that his girl should get into so good a place as farmer Campbell's.
The old woman, to whom Mrs. Meridith allowed a weekly stipend, readily undertook the care of the younger children, who were chiefly girls, saying, "I knew their poor mother well, and a kind neighbour she always was to me; and he too, I shall be happy to do him some good, and I'll take as much care of his children as if they were my own."
Mrs. Meridith and Anna frequently called at the cottage, and the smiling face of one of the little girls, then about six years old, always attracted their attention; and Mrs. Meridith asked her daughter if she would like to have her to Rosewood, and instruct her in what was necessary to make her a servant to herself.
"Nothing would please me more, mamma," returned Anna, "and, under your guidance, and with Bella to teach her what I do not know, I hope I should not spoil her; and Bella will be quite delighted, for she is already very fond of her."