Gathered In by Catherine Helen Spence — Read

The liberality with which George Oswald had begun towards Kenneth and the old people never flagged; indeed it increased, for he said he had prospered more ever since he made up his mind to do the right thing by them all. Gradually the Oswalds got into a better home with better furniture, and secured more help and attendance. The greatest stroke of business for their comfort Kenneth thought he had executed just on the expiration of his first year at College, when he contrived that Nelly Lindores should leave the crowded, noisy, home where she was a slave to her stepmother and her half-brothers and sisters, and live altogether with his grandparents. This was effected by promising not only current wages for the girl's services, but also hiring a stranger to perform Nelly's multifarious duties at home. Nelly, however, did not take the position of a servant, for she had a girl under her. She was like a dutiful granddaughter or niece, to be cheerful company to the aged couple, to watch over their health and obey their pleasures. The little, deft, quick-eyed maiden waited on the folks cleverly, and brightened up the house. She wrote to Kenneth for them once a week to tell how all went on; she read out so loud and clear that John Oswald said she was nigh hand as good as Kenneth for that. She found now some leisure to make herself a little smart, and to read the books Kenneth loved, and to try and understand the things he and his College friends were interested in. John Lindores saw the improvement in his lassie's look after her change, and, but that Kenneth was bound for a life in Australia, he would not have known what to think might be the upshot.

When any of the neighbours ventured to hint to Mrs. Oswald that when Kenneth went to Melbourne, he would be for taking Nelly with him, her indignation knew no bounds. Nothing of the sort certainly! When Kenneth was in Australia at his uncle's grand place at Tingalpa, where there were horses and carriages out of number, it would be some great Australian lady, some sister or daughter of the Governor, or the Members of Parliament, or the Judges of the land, that he would be taking up with, and not a country wright's daughter, that was glad of an up-putting with such as her and the good man. The old lady's idea as to her son George's position rose with the receipt of every letter and every remittance. The family was a rising family everywhere, for the American son had taken to writing more regularly, and described a state of prosperity far beyond what he could have attained to in Scotland, but he had a very large family and needed all he had; in that different from George, who was as liberal as the day.