d 'e ring." To which my father returned such a
thundering "No!" that the domestic fled precipitately, followed by the
cat--rampant.

"_Your_ `Eve!' indeed," said my father, resuming the sarcastic vein.
"`Mother an Indian'--a Hottentot, I suppose, or something of that sort--
short skirt of peacock feathers; no upper part worth mentioning, flat
nose and lips, and smeared all over with fat, I dare say. Charming
mother-in-law. Calculated to create some impression on English society.
No wonder you've chosen the _wilds_ of Colorado! Ah, now, as to `my
Eve herself'--just let us have it strong, my boy--h'm, `sweet'--yes,
yes--`amiable,' exactly, `fair hair and blue eyes'--ha, you expect me to
swallow _that_! oh, `graceful,' ha! `perfection,' undoubtedly.
`Forgive' you! No--boy, I'll _never_ forgive you. You're the most
arrant ass--idiot--but this caps all--`come out here and live with us!'
They'll give me one quarter of the wigwam, I suppose--curtained off with
birch-bark, _perhaps_, or deerskin. `Your affectionate'--dolt! wh-why--
what do you glare like _that_ for?"

This last question was put to my small cousin, who, in the horror of her
belief that my father had gone mad, had agitated the window-curtain and
revealed herself!

My poor dear father! I can imagine the scene well, and would not have
detailed it so minutely here if--but enough. I must not forecast.

The afternoon on which this letter was despatched Big Otter returned to
Sunny Creek cottage with a haunch of fat venison on his lusty shoulders.

He found us all grouped round the rustic table in front of the door,
enjoying a cup of fragrant tea, and admiring the view. Eve was sitting
on a low stool at the feet of Mrs Liston, engaged in ornamenting a
bright blue fire-bag with bead and quill work of the most gorgeous
colouring and elegant design. The design, of course, was her own. Mrs
Liston was knitting small squares of open cotton-work, of a stitch so
large that wooden needles about the size of a goose-quill were
necessary. It was the only work that the poor old lady's weak eyesight
and trembling hands could accomplish, and the simple stitch required
little exercise of mind or muscle. When Mrs Liston completed a square
she rolled it away. When sixteen squares were finished, she sewed them
together and formed a strip about eight feet long and six inches broad.
When sixteen such strips were completed, she sewed them all together and
thus produced a