Janet McLaren by William Henry Giles Kingston

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Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Janet McLaren, The Faithful Nurse, by W.H.G. Kingston.

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The Morrison family lose both parents in an epidemic. One little girl, Margaret, and two little boys, David and Donald are left. There is an old woman who has been a nurse in the family. There appear to be no resources, and after selling up what there is, all rather too well-used to fetch much money, old Janet takes the children to a big town on the East coast of Scotland, where she rents a single garret room, and settles in. She can send the boys to school, where they do well, but she wishes to do what she can, despite her own limited ability, for Margaret, at home.

The boys do extremely well in their classes, winning books as prizes. A boy called Alec Galbraith beats Donald to first place, but David comes top in his class. Margaret has an illness, and is recommended sea bathing to help her recovery. She almost drowns, and is saved by a boy whom few recognise, but who turns out to be Alec.

Poor old Janet labours away to bring up these children. Alec, now grown up, goes to Canada, and in due course the boys follow him. The rest of the book deals with what happens there, and how they lose touch with one another for a while, and then regain it under strange circumstances.

All comes out more or less well in the end. A short book, but an easy one to read or listen to.

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JANET MCLAREN, THE FAITHFUL NURSE, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.

CHAPTER ONE.

DONALD MORRISON, WHOSE WIFE HAS LATELY BEEN CALLED AWAY, DYING IN HIS HIGHLAND MANSE, HIS CHILDREN LEFT DESTITUTE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEIR OLD NURSE.--SHE CONVEYS THEM TO A SEA-SIDE TOWN, WHERE SHE TAKES UP HER ABODE WITH THEM IN A SMALL ATTIC, AND LABOURS FOR THEIR MAINTENANCE, WHILE SHE PLACES THE TWO BOYS, DONALD AND DAVID, AT SCHOOL.--HER ANXIETY ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF MARGARET.

In his Highland manse, far away among the hills, where he had dwelt as pastor for many years over a wayward flock, Donald Morrison lay on a sick-bed. The same fever which had carried off his dear wife a few weeks before, had now stricken him down. He knew that he was dying. As far as he himself was concerned he was willing to yield up his spirit to his Maker; but what would become of his motherless children, his sweet young Margaret, and his two boys, Donald and David, their principles unformed, and ignorant of the evils of the world?

"Father in heaven protect them," he ejaculated. "Give me faith to know that Thou wilt take care of them, teach them and guide them in their course through life." But he felt that his mind was clouded, his spirit was cast down, the disease was making rapid progress. It was hard to think, hard even to pray, gloomy ideas, and doubts, and fears, such as assail even true Christians, crowded on his mind. He forgot--it was but for a time--the sincere faith which had animated him through life. The victory was not to be with the Evil One.

Soon there came hope, and joy, and confidence. "All will be well with the righteous, those who put on Christ's righteousness," he mentally exclaimed, and peace came back to his soul.

As he gazed out through the window he could see, down away on the wild hill side, his children at play, their young spirits too buoyant to be long suppressed by the recollection of their late bereavement, and unconscious that they were soon to be deprived of their remaining parent. His eye for a moment rested on the familiar landscape, the blue waters of the loch glittering in the sunshine, a bleak moorland sprinkled here and there with white-fleeced sheep stretching away on one side, and on the other a valley, down which flowed, with ceaseless murmurings, a rapid stream, a steep hill covered with gorse and heather, the summit crowned with a wood of dark pines rising beyond it. Just above the manse could be seen the kirk, which, with a few cottages, composed the village; while scattered far around were the huts in which the larger part of the pastor's flock abode. As he gazed forth on the scene he prayed--he knew it might be for the last time--that his successor might be more honoured than he feared he had been in bringing home those wandering sheep to the true fold.

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