holes big enough to break any decent woman's heart, and to Master
George's head--"

"I can wash my own head well enough now, Sarah," I said.

"Yes, my dear; but I don't believe you'd do it as well as I could, and
you know I never let the soap get in your eyes. And when, sir, Morgan
comes to me, and he asks me if I'd got the heart to let you both go out
into the wilderness like that without a soul to look after you, and
tells me as it was my dooty to marry him, and go out and look after the
housekeeping for you both, while he did the garden, what could I say?"

Poor Sarah paused quite out of breath.

"Say?" said my father, smiling, but looking very much moved. "You could
only say _yes_, like the good, true-hearted woman you are."

"Oh, sir!" exclaimed Sarah.

"You have both relieved me of a great deal of care and anxiety by your
faithful, friendly conduct," continued my father, "for it will make what
I am going to seek in the wilderness quite a home at once. It is not
the wilderness you think, for I know on very good authority that the
place where we are going is a very beautiful and fertile country."

"Can't come up to Wales," said Morgan, shaking his head.

"Perhaps not," said my father, smiling; "but very beautiful all the
same. I ought to warn you both, though, while there is time to draw
back, that the land is entirely new."

"What, wasn't it made with the rest of the world, sir?" said Morgan,
staring.

"Yes, of course," said my father; "but I mean it has never been
inhabited more than by a few Indians, who passed through it when
hunting. No houses; not so much as a road."

"Then there won't be no taverns, Sarah," said Morgan, giving her a
nudge.

"And a very good thing too," she replied.

"So that," continued my father, "I shall have to help cut down the trees
to build my own house, make my own furniture, and fence in the estate--
in short, do everything."

"Well, I don't see nothing to grumble at in that, sir, so long as
there's plenty of wood," said Morgan.

"There'll be too much wood, my man," said my father, smiling, "and we
shall have to ply the axe hard to clear our way."

"Any stone or slate, sir?"

"Plenty of stone, but no slate that I am aware of."

"No," cried Morgan, triumphantly. "I knew there'd be no slate. That
proves as it won't come up to Wales. There isn't such a country for
slate anywhere as Wales. Well, sir, but even if there's no slate, we
can make shift. First t