Produced by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Julia Neufeld and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. Punctuation has been normalized and obvious printer errors have been corrected. PINE NEEDLES. Warne's Star Series. PINE NEEDLES. BY THE AUTHOR OF "_THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD_." "They that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country."--_Heb._ xi. 14. [Illustration: Publisher's Mark] New Edition. LONDON: FREDERICK WARNE AND CO. BEDFORD STREET, STRAND. _NOTICE TO THE READER OF "PINE NEEDLES."_ This little book might have been entitled "Christian Heroes," for its contents would have justified the name. The stories reported in the "Missionsblatt" of the late Pastor Louis Harms of Hermannsburg, of lovely memory, will surely delight all who love either heroism or Christianity, and are not able to enjoy the narrations in their original German dress. The author has framed them in a light frame of her own, but the stories are left in their integrity and simplicity, with omission of scarcely a dozen words. _February 1, 1877._ PINE NEEDLES AND OLD YARNS. CHAPTER I. The Franklins were coming to Mosswood. This might have happened, Maggie thought, a good while ago; but, however, the view had not been shared by Mrs. Candlish; and a whole year had passed away since the joyful coming home of the family to their old possessions. The winter was spent at Mosswood in quiet gladness and gradual strength-gaining; the spring brought a return to all the favourite out-door amusements and occupations of the family. Summer was the proper time for company, and the house had been filled till the end of September. Then Mrs. Candlish declared she was tired and must run away, or she would be obliged to entertain people till November; and she joined her husband in a trip to California, which, half for business and half for pleasure, Mr. Candlish had resolved upon taking. At that juncture the children begged for the Franklins; and their mother was willing. "As I cannot be here," she said, "it will not be necessary to extend the invitation to Mrs. Franklin. You may have the others, and do what you will with them." "I should think," remarked Maggie, "if Meredith and Flora heard what mamma said, they wouldn't like it much." However, they did not hear it, and if they guessed at the substance of it I don't know; but Flora had too much curiosity, and Meredith too much affection engaged, to be over scrupulous. So they came, and were welcomed, I was going to say, uproariously. It just fell short of that. For even Esther privately declared to her sister that "nobody was so nice as Meredith Franklin."