Gathered In by Catherine Helen Spence — Read

More than a year had elapsed since the death of Isabel Oswald, and Kenneth kept growing fast, and making good progress at school. His master took a pride in him, he himself was eager to please Mr. McDiarmid, to whom he was allowed to write twice a year and who answered his letters very kindly, and on two occasions Kenneth had the great treat of going up to Edinburgh to meet this generous friend, who took him to a fine hotel, and had him dine with his own self, and made him order what he liked best. More than this, he was asked to choose which of the sights of Edinburgh he would prefer to see, and height of bliss, Mr. McDiarmid accompanied him to the theatre, and the circus, and once took him for a walk round Arthur's Seat. He encouraged the boy to talk, and tell him all the thoughts, serious or idle, that were in his heart, and sent him home full of pleasant memories and pleasanter anticipations of a repetition of the delights.

But when Kenneth attained his twelfth year a great change came over the family arrangements. The uncle in Australia, George Oswald, who had written to his parents but seldom and irregularly, though always kindly, astonished them and all the village in which he and they had lived by announcing that he had had such strokes of good luck lately that he meant to keep his father and mother in comfort for the rest of their lives, and that as he had heard they had a fine nephew of his own at home, he wished that he should be educated as a gentleman, in first class style, and sent out to him when his education was finished. He, George Oswald, had never taken a right grip of the world till he had sworn off drink, so he would like his nephew to begin on the square, and drink nothing stronger than tea. He was married and had one son two or three years younger than Kenneth as he thought; the mother spoiled him a bit, but the little chap was as like his father as two peas. But there was only the one, and he thought Jim would be the better for a companion by-and-by. There was plenty for them both at Tingalpa, which was the name of his head station, and as for the old folks, they were never to need to work another stroke.