with prickles. In warm climates, this plant grows wild, and may be trained
to form an almost impenetrable fence. It bears a sort of fruit somewhat
resembling a pear, to which the natives are partial, but strangers
generally consider it insipid, and not worth the trouble of getting at it.

On quitting the greenhouse, they began to wonder at John's not returning.
Mr. Scott advised them, after their fatigue, to enter the house and seat
themselves with his wife, while he would walk towards the _Shaw rigg_ in
search of John. On their entrance they found with Mrs. Scott a little
girl, about seven years old, whom she introduced to them as her daughter
Marion. Helen begged she would go on with her work, she having timidly
risen to quit the room; and as a little encouragement to her, Helen asked
what she was doing; Marion immediately came to her, and showed her part of
a shirt she was making for her father. Helen was surprised to see it so
neatly done, as needlework is very little practised by the peasants in
that country; the children, both girls and boys, being employed till the
age of sixteen or eighteen in tending their father's or their master's
sheep. Mrs. Scott, observing Helen's surprise, said, "Marion is a good
needle-woman, Miss; she has to thank the housekeeper at the hall for
teaching her that and many other useful things. Mrs. Smith is an
Englishwoman, and has taken a great fancy to Marion. She has persuaded her
father and me not to send her to the hills, like the other children
around; assuring us, that if Marion does not forget in the winter what she
has learnt in the summer from her, she has no doubt, when she is old
enough, to be able to get my lady to take her to wait on one of her
daughters; and indeed, Miss, I shall like this much better, if we can make
it out, for Marion is not strong; she is our only child, and it would
break both her father's heart and mine should any evil happen to her; such
as falling down the rocks, being frost-bitten, or lost in the snow, which
happens sometimes to our neighbour's children, who are sent out herding in