A moment or so after Nellie withdrew, the servant came in, bringing a fresh supply of hot rolls. Then Uncle Hiram had a chance of seeing the help Nellie had with her many duties—a half-grown girl.
"Inexperienced, truly, inefficient and insufficient," said the kind old man to himself; and he made a note of that on the tablets of his heart.
Soon Nellie came back, looking much relieved, and said, smiling:
"She seems much better this morning. How these little ones fill our heart with anxiety! I was up with her all night!"
Down went another note on Uncle Hiram's tablets. Awake all night with a sick baby, and up cooking breakfast in the morning! No wonder her youth and beauty have been chased away, poor, weary, over-worked mother!
"Who lives next door, Charley?" asked his uncle, after they had withdrawn from the breakfast-room.
"Why, I have a surprise for you—Henry lives there."
"Henry! Henry who?"
"Why, Henry Mayfield, my brother."
"No! Why, the last time I heard from him he was in St. Louis."