conducive to happiness. What
appeared luxury to us now was still simplicity compared with the luxury
of towns, or even villages, among civilized nations. My wife declared
she had everything she wished for, and should not know what more to ask
for, as we now had only to rest and enjoy our happiness.

I declared against spending our time in rest and indolence, as the sure
means of ending our pleasure; and I well knew my dear wife was, like
myself, an enemy to idleness; but she dreaded any more laborious
undertakings.

"But, mamma," said Fritz, "you must let me make a mill under the
cascade; it will be so useful when our corn grows, and even now for the
maize. I also think of making an oven in the kitchen, which will be
very useful for you to bake your bread in."

"These would indeed be useful labours," said the good mother, smiling;
"but can you accomplish them?"

"I hope so," said Fritz, "with the help of God and that of my dear
brothers."

Ernest promised his best aid, in return for his brother's kind services
in forming his grotto, only requesting occasional leisure for his
natural history collections. His mother did not see the utility of these
collections, but, willing to indulge her kind and attentive Ernest, she
offered, till she could walk well, to assist him in arranging and
labelling his plants, which were yet in disorder, and he gratefully
consented. In procuring her some paper for the purpose, of which I had
brought a large quantity from the vessel, I brought out an unopened
packet, amongst which was a piece of some fabric, neither paper nor
stuff apparently. We examined it together, and at length remembered it
was a piece of stuff made at Otaheite, which our captain had bought of a
native at an island where we had touched on our voyage. Fritz appearing
much interested in examining this cloth, Ernest said gravely, "I can
teach you how to make it;" and immediately bringing _Cook's Voyages_,
where a detailed description is given, he proceeded to read it. Fritz
was disappointed to find it could only be made of the bark of three
trees--of these our island produced only one. These trees were the
mulberry-tree, the bread fruit, and the wild fig. We had the last in
abundance, but of the two former we had not yet discovered a single
plant. Fritz was not, however, discouraged. "They ought to be here,"
said he, "since they are found in all the South-Sea Islands. Perhaps we
may find them on the other side of the r