the snow-white napkin in which her present was wrapped, the little heads
gradually approached nearer and nearer to the basket; and when Helen took
out a few cakes of _parliament_(a kind of gingerbread very common in
Scotland), and gave each of them one, the little creatures began jumping,
shouting, and clapping their hands with delight. She then presented to
their mother a loaf of bread and a bottle of currant wine, which last, she
said, she was desired to tell her was for herself, as wine was not good
for David. "No, no, Miss Helen," said Mrs. Little, "that will never do. I
cannot think of drinking our good madam's wine myself, I assure you; I
will just put it by the spence, (_spence_ means _cupboard_) till David
is beginning to get about again, and then I think it will help to
strengthen him." "Do what will give you most pleasure, Mrs. Little," said
Helen; "I dare say my mother will be satisfied."

She had scarcely finished speaking, when she felt a little hand take hold
of hers. It was the eldest of the shepherd's children, a boy about seven
years old. When he found that she observed him, he pulled her gently down,
to whisper to her, that if she would like to see his hen and chickens, he
would show them to her. "The chickens," he said, "were only two days old,
and were very pretty creatures." Helen replied, that she should like to
see them much. Away skipped Tom, as fast as he could run, to the end of
the cottage, and lifting up an old rug, that lay over a coop, displayed
the young brood and their mother to the admiring eyes of the visitors. Tom
was quite delighted to find the lady amused with any thing he had to
exhibit, and told her, that if he succeeded in rearing them, he would ask
his mammy's leave to come down himself to the _Manse_ (the name always
given to the parsonage house in Scotland), and bring her a chicken as a
present; for they were all his own; his daddy had given him the hen long
ago, and he had watched and fed her, all the time she was sitting, with
part of the porridge which he got for his own breakfast. Helen asked him