50 | JANET.
managed pretty well, and. by the time her father came in from
the barn everything was ready.

“Why, little girl!” said he, as he stamped the snow from
his boots. “How is this? Where is mother?” Pe

“T am mother” said Janet, as she put the coffee-pot on
the table.

“Well, you’ve changed mightily overnight,” responded
her father. “Cold weather has made you shrink, hey ?”

Janet laughed, and then said, “No, but poor little mother
has such a headache, and vo know I must learn some time.
So I began this morning.” .

“ First-rate,” said her father. “Halloo! You here, Robin?”
he said, addressing the baby. who was busy trying to get the
eat, who sniffed around the table. “I'll not disturb mother
till after breakfast, and then I will take her a cup of coffee,”
he went on. “T’ll feed the chickens for you this morning,
daughter, and see to the fires, and I don’t doubt but what we
can let mother have a good rest to-day.” |

After breakfast was over Janet went to work with. a will;

- she washed dishes, swept and dusted, and cleaned up generally,

and finally decided to give the baby his bath. He was a
sturdy little fellow, and it was not easy to hold him, as he
‘splashed, and crowed, and jumped; but Janet’s was a loving
little heart, and they made a frolic of it all, so that baby never
eried once, but settled down into a long nap in the most good-
natured way.