



Produced by Larry Harrison, Cindy Beyer and the Distributed
Proofreaders Canada team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net with
images provided by CANADIANA.





                       Daughters of the Dominion




[Illustration: NELL NURSES THE STRANGER]




                   =D a u g h t e r s   o f   t h e=
                           =D o m i n i o n=

                    A Story of the Canadian Frontier

                                   BY
                           =BESSIE MARCHANT=

      AUTHOR OF “SISTERS OF SILVER CREEK,” “A HEROINE OF THE SEA,”
                          “HOPE’S TRYST” ETC.

                  ILLUSTRATED BY WILLIAM RAINEY, R.I.

                                TORONTO
             T H E   M U S S O N   B O O K   C O M P A N Y
                             L I M I T E D




        CANADA is a great mother; there is room in her heart
        not merely for her own children, but for the needy of
        every nation. They may all come to her and find a home,
        if only they will work to earn it.




                                CONTENTS

                  I. THE LONE HOUSE AT BLUE BIRD RIDGE
                  II. NELL’S DILEMMA
                  III. THE OLD COAT
                  IV. WHAT THE NEW DAY BROUGHT
                  V. SUMMONED HOME
                  VI. A STRANGE WELCOME
                  VII. A NEW VOCATION
                  VIII. MOVED ON
                  IX. A FRIEND IN NEED
                  X. TO FILL THE BREACH
                  XI. THE RECOGNITION OF MRS. NICHOLS
                  XII. NELL LEARNS HER FAMILY HISTORY
                  XIII. ON THE LIST
                  XIV. PROMOTED
                  XV. THE NEW RESIDENT
                  XVI. CAMP’S GULCH
                  XVII. ONE-SIDED CONFIDENCES
                  XVIII. THE DEAD CHINAMAN
                  XIX. TO THE RESCUE
                  XX. FAIRLY CAUGHT
                  XXI. A PATIENT FOR MRS. NICHOLS
                  XXII. THE FATE OF THE PRISONER
                  XXIII. HONOURING THE HEROINE
                  XXIV. A SISTER BY ADOPTION
                  XXV. THE HUMOURS OF TRADING
                  XXVI. A WOMAN OF BUSINESS
                  XXVII. AN EARLY CUSTOMER
                  XXVIII. DOSS UMPEY’S EXCUSES
                  XXIX. THE ARRIVAL
                  XXX. AN ADVENTURE
                  XXXI. DIVIDING THE FAMILY




                             ILLUSTRATIONS

NELL NURSES THE STRANGER

“COME RIGHT IN, WILL YOU, PLEASE, MISS?”

“NELL FOUND THAT SHE WAS BY FAR THE MORE EXPERT ON SNOW-SHOES”

“FOR ME? BUT I DON’T EXPECT ANY PARCEL!”

THE RESCUE-PARTY DISCOVER NELL ON THE RAILWAY TRACK

“I HEARD A LITTLE ABOUT A FRIEND OF YOURS AWAY DOWN IN THE CITY,” HE SAID.




                               CHAPTER I
                    The Lone House at Blue Bird Ridge


“NELL, Nell, where are you? I want you to give an eye to the dog; the
creature has had a dreadful mauling,” shouted Doss Umpey, in petulant
tones. He had thrust his head in at the open door, and seemed quite
angry to find that there was no one moving about in the houseplace.

“I’m coming, granfer,” cried a voice, somewhere out of sight. Then there
was a shaking of the rickety ladder which stood in the far corner of the
dark little room, and a thin girl in very shabby clothes came slowly
into view.

No one would have called Nell, otherwise Eleanor Hamblyn, at this period
of her life, a pretty girl. Two good points, however, she possessed: one
a sweet, low voice, that excellent thing in woman; the other a pair of
beautiful luminous eyes, which made those who saw them forget the
defects of her face and figure.

“You never are on hand when you are wanted. What you find to do in that
old loft all the time just about passes my comprehension,” growled the
old man, whose temper was none of the sweetest.

“Well, I ain’t far off when I’m wanted, anyhow,” replied Nell,
good-humouredly. Then she asked in an anxious tone, “What’s the matter
with Pip?”

“Got mauled pretty badly; must have been having a turn with a wolf, I
should say, only it’s early for wolves to be getting troublesome. So
p’r’aps he’s been fighting a wild dog.”

“There ain’t no wild dogs round here,” objected Nell, with a shake of
her head.

“I’m not so sure of that. Last time I was over to Button