She determined otherwise, however, and as their prayers were almost immediately concluded, she entered the house.
The appearance of a stranger in the dusky gloom carrying a burden, caused them to suppose that it was some poor person coming to ask charity, or permission to stop for the night.
"Who is this ?" asked Condy.

"Some poor person, I suppose, axin' charity," he added.

"But God's will be done, we haven't it to give this many a long day.

Glory be to his name!" "This is Condy Dalton's house ?" said the strange woman in a tone of inquiry.
"Sich as it is, it's his house, an' the best he has, my poor creature.

I wish it was betther both for his sake and yours," he replied, in a calm and resigned voice, for his heart had been touched and solemnized by the act of devotion which had just concluded.
Mrs.Dalton, in the meantime, had thrown a handful of straw on the fire to make a temporary light.
"Here," said the stranger, "is a present of meal that a' friend sent you." "Meal!" exclaimed Peggy Dalton, with a faint scream of joy; "did you say meal ?" she asked.
"I did," replied the other; "a friend that heard of your present distress, and thinks you don't desarve it, sent it to you." Mrs.Dalton raised the burning straw, and looked for about half a minute into her face, during which the woman carried the meal over and placed it on the hearth.
"I met you to-day, I think," said Mrs.Dalton, "along with Donnel Dhu's wife on your way to Darby Skinadre's ?" "You might," replied the woman; "for I went there part o' the road with her." "And who are we indebted to for the present ?" she asked again.
"I'm not at liberty to say," replied the other; "barrin' that it's from a friend and well-wisher." Mrs.Dalton clasped her hands, and looking with an appearance of abstraction, on the straw as it burned in the fire, said in a voice that became infirm by emotion-- "Oh! I know it; it can be no other.