For several years did this great, poor woman keep the wolf from the door of her beloved mistress, toiling for her with the strength and energy of a man.  When was man ever so devoted, so devoid of all selfishness, so attached to employers, yet poorer than herself, as this uneducated Irishwoman?

A period was at length put to her unrequited services.  In a fit of intoxication her master beat her severely with the iron ramrod of his gun, and turned her, with abusive language, from his doors.  Oh, hard return for all her unpaid labours of love!  She forgave this outrage for the sake of the helpless beings who depended upon her care.  He repeated the injury, and the poor creature returned almost heart-broken to her former home.

Thinking that his spite would subside in a few days, Jenny made a third effort to enter his house in her usual capacity; but Mrs. N—–­ told her, with many tears, that her presence would only enrage her husband, who had threatened herself with the most cruel treatment if she allowed the faithful servant again to enter the house.  Thus ended her five years’ service to this ungrateful master.  Such was her reward!

I heard of Jenny’s worth and kindness from the Englishman who had been so grievously affronted by Captain N—–­, and sent for her to come to me.  She instantly accepted my offer, and returned with my messenger.  She had scarcely a garment to cover her.  I was obliged to find her a suit of clothes before I could set her to work.  The smiles and dimples of my curly-headed, rosy little Donald, then a baby-boy of fifteen months, consoled the old woman for her separation from Ellie N—–­; and the good-will with which all the children (now four in number) regarded the kind old body, soon endeared to her the new home which Providence had assigned to her.

Her accounts of Mrs. N—–­, and her family, soon deeply interested me in her fate; and Jenny never went to visit her friends in Dummer without an interchange of good wishes passing between us.

The year of the Canadian rebellion came, and brought with it sorrow into many a bush dwelling.  Old Jenny and I were left alone with the little children, in the depths of the dark forest, to help ourselves in the best way we could.  Men could not be procured in that thinly-settled spot for love nor money, and I now fully realised the extent of Jenny’s usefulness.  Daily she yoked the oxen, and brought down from the bush fuel to maintain our fires, which she felled and chopped up with her own hands.  She fed the cattle, and kept all things snug about the doors; not forgetting to load her master’s two guns, “in case,” as she said, “the ribels should attack us in our retrate.”

The months of November and December of 1838 had been unnaturally mild for this iron climate; but the opening of the ensuing January brought a short but severe spell of frost and snow.  We felt very lonely in our solitary dwelling, crouching round the blazing fire, that scarcely chased the cold from our miserable log-tenement, until this dreary period was suddenly cheered by the unexpected presence of my beloved friend, Emilia, who came to spend a week with me in my forest home.