BRAMPTON-AMONG-THE- ROSES.
returned in the cold days of February without carrying
one back in her arms, for she didn't mind the cold, and
by exposing herself so much to the weather, she almost
became as hardy as the shepherds. Many visitors were
brought by the curate to see her little flock of lambs,
and in the season the ewes would come bleating about
the door, and sometimes enter the great warm kitchen,
which her father permitted her to use as a fold, and let
the servants occupy other apartments; for there was
vast space everywhere, and a variety of places which
had been built up from time to time, as store-rooms
and out-houses, out of the ancient ruins which were
scattered around. Then she would talk to the lambs
in her pretty childish way, as she sat on the carpet
spread for her before the fire, where she first nursed
one and then another in her arms, and they would
look at her so strangely out of their innocent eyes, and
often go to sleep in her lap while she sang to them, for
she had a sweet soothing voice, and I thought it was
more natural to extend her affection to a pretty white
innocent lamb than to an inanimate doll as so many do;
for the lambs could lick her dear hand when they were
caressed, to show that they returned her love.
 The shepherds, both men and boys, all felt a plea-
sure in obeying their little mistress, or little lady, as
they called her, because she was so kind to all dumb
animals, and took so much delight in tending the
sheep and lambs, and she was known all about the
neighbourhood when but a little girl as the Gentle
Shepherdess, though she would sometimes scold the
sheep when they got into the garden and browsed
among the roses.
 The curate said he had often taken her by the
 hand and gone round with her to visit the folds in
 the lambing season, and that it afforded him great