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256 brothers and sisters, and friendly uncles and aunt;and cousins."

"And yet all seems nothing to me in comparison with George," said Jessie; "that is to say, if he thinks it right to take me away from them I will not say a word against it, though for my own part I know I'll think long for a sight of Branxholm and of the faces there. I might never see my father or mother more in this world. I'll trust to your letters about them, Amy, to let me know how they keep in health, and how they get on without us; that is to say, if we do go, for you think it no trouble to go into particulars. I am sure George and me laughed as if we'd never stop at your account of Phemie's first baking, and the way she said if the pastry was not light it was well-tasted, and my mother's saying that with the best of ﬂour and the best of butter she would be clever if she made it ill-tasted. And all that about Hughie's shooting, too; none of the others would think it worth While to write these things, but they carry me back to Branxholm, and I'll need them all the more if I leave the colony altogether."

Amy promised to be very minute in her epistles in such a case; and though her mind was strangely preoccupied with the idea that Jessie might soon actually see her brother and sister