It was a great trial to her at first, for her home was a happy one, her mother being very unlike her grandmother; and, besides, she greatly preferred the open fields to the streets of the village.

She did not grumble, however, for where is the good of grumbling where duty is plain, or even when a thing cannot be helped?
She found it very lonely though, especially when her grannie was in one of her gloomy moods.

Then she would not answer a question, but leave the poor girl to do what she thought best, and complain of it afterwards.

This was partly the reason why her parents, towards the close of the spring, sent a little brother, who was too delicate to be of much use at home, to spend some months with his grannie, and go to school.

The intention had been that Elsie herself should go to school, but what with the cow and her grandmother together she had not been able to begin.