The clergyman found it hard to explain. "It seems that this boy is not
quite like the other members of the family--not so bright, I take
it," he said; "and the father particularly is a bit disappointed in
him!"

"Do you mean," said Mrs. Corbett, "that they are ashamed of the poor
little fellow, and are sending him out here to get rid of him? Faith,
if that's the kind of heathen there is in England I don't know why
they send missionaries out here to preach to us. Bad and all as we
are, there is none of us that would do the like of that!"

"They will provide handsomely for him in every way, Mrs. Corbett, and
leave no wish ungratified," the minister said uneasily.

Mrs. Corbett was a difficult person in some ways.

"Oh, sure, they will give him everything but love and home, and
that'll be what the poor wee lad will hunger for! Money is a queer
thing for sure, when it will make a mother forget the child that she
brought into the world!"

"I think the mother--from what I can gather--wanted to keep the boy,
but the father is a very proud man, and this lad aggravated him some
way just to see him, and the mother yielded to his wishes, as a true
wife should, and for the sake of peace has withdrawn her objections."

"A poor soft fool, that's all she is, to let a domineering old
reprobate send her poor lad away, just because he did not like to see
him around, and him his own child! And even you, Mr. Tilton, who have
been out here living with civilized people for three years, have