"And you have seen Lebanon and Carmel since you were here last?" remarked Alick.
"Yes, and the mountains of Moab and Olympus and Ararat, and many a famous height besides."
"There is where I envy you," said Alick—"I mean your travels all over the world. I believe I want to see Lebanon as much as ever Moses did. If I had my wish, I would travel seven years."
"Why, Uncle Alick, I never supposed you cared for any such thing," said Marion, with not a very polite emphasis. "I never supposed you thought of anything but crops and cattle, you seem always so contented with our humdrum way of living."
"You don't quite know Uncle Alick all through, Marie, for as long as you have lived with him," answered Alick, good-humouredly.
"But if you like to travel so much, why don't you?"
"When you are as old as I am, you will know that the next best thing to having what you like is liking what you have. Pray, what do you suppose would have become of the farm and the stock if I should indulge my fancy for wandering all over the world? So I do my travelling with newspapers and books and stereoscopic views."
"Of which last I have brought you a bushel, more or less," said Duncan. "One thing I can tell you, Marie: if you don't like what you have, you will find you will never have what you like."
"I don't understand you, Uncle Duncan."
"Consider the saying as a wise oracle, to be worked out at your leisure," said Doctor Campbell. "How does your church missionary society prosper, Alick?"