et us pour our grateful lay;
Since Heaven has hush'd our mother's pain,
And given her to her sons again.
Then from this quiet, lovely home
Never, never, may we roam.
All we love around us smile:
Joyful is our desert isle.

When o'er our mother's couch we bent,
Fervent prayers to Heaven we sent,
And God has spared that mother dear,
To bless her happy children here.
Then from this quiet, lovely home,
Never, never, may we roam;
All we love around us smile,
Joyful is our desert isle.

We all joined in the chorus, and none of us thought of the ship, of
Europe, or of anything that was passing in the world. The island was our
universe, and Tent House was a palace we would not have exchanged for
any the world contained. This was one of those happy days that God
grants us sometimes on earth, to give us an idea of the bliss of Heaven;
and most fervently did we thank Him, at the end of our repast, for all
his mercies and blessings to us.

After dinner, I told my wife she must not think of returning to Falcon's
Nest, with all its risks of storms and the winding staircase, and she
could not better recompense her sons for their labours than by living
among them. She was of the same opinion, and was very glad to be so near
her kitchen and her stores, and to be able to walk alone with the
assistance of a stick in the colonnade, which she could do already; but
she made me promise to leave Falcon's Nest as it was. It would be a
pretty place to walk to, and besides, this castle in the air was her own
invention. We agreed that this very evening she should take possession
of her own pretty room, with the good felt carpet, on which she could
walk without fear; and that the next day, I should go with my elder sons
and the animals to bring the cart, such utensils as we needed, and above
all, the poultry. Our dogs always followed their masters, as well as
the monkey and jackal, and they were so domesticated, we had no trouble
with them.

I then prevailed on my wife to go into her room and rest for an hour,
after which we were to visit the garden. She complied, and after her
repose found her four sons ready to carry her in her litter as in a
sedan-chair. They took care to bring her straight to the grotto, where I
was waiting for her. This was a new surprise for the good mother. She
could not sufficiently express her astonishment and delight, when Jack
and Francis, ta