or another; but what I wish to point out
to you now is, that being his wife, and sharing his danger and
privation, I have been often obliged to work hard and to obtain my
living as I could. In England, women do little except in the house, but
a Missionary's wife is obliged to work with the men, and as a man very
often, and therefore learns to do many things of which women in general
are ignorant. You understand now?"

"Oh yes. I have thought already that you appear to know more than
Jackson did."

"I should think not; but Jackson was not fond of work I expect, and I
am. And now, Frank, you little thought that when you so tardily went to
work the other day to plant potatoes for the benefit of any one that
might hereafter come to the island, that you were planting for yourself,
and would reap the benefit of your own kind act; for if you had not
assisted, of course I could not have done it by myself: so true it is,
that even in this world you are very often rewarded for a good action."

"But are not you always?"

"No, my child, you must not expect that; but if not rewarded in this
world, you will be rewarded in the next."

"I don't understand that."

"I suppose that you hardly can, but I will explain all that to you, if
God spare my life; but it must be at a more seasonable time."

We continued fishing till late in the afternoon, by which time had taken
twenty-eight large fish, about seven to nine pounds weight; Mrs
Reichardt then proposed that we should leave off, as we had already
provision for a fortnight.

I hauled out one more fish, which she took with her to cook for our
supper, and having coiled up my lines, I then commenced, as she had told
me to do, carrying up the articles left by the boat's crew at the
bathing-pool. The first thing I seized upon was the coveted iron
kettle; I was quite overjoyed at the possession of this article, and I
had good reason to be. In my other hand I carried the saw and the bag
of nails. As soon as I had deposited them at the cabin, I went down
again, and before supper was ready I had brought up everything except
the three breakers of water, which I left where they were, as we did not
want them for present use, whatever we might hereafter. We were both
rather tired, and were glad to go to bed after we had taken our supper.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

When we met the following morning, my mother, as I shall in future call
her, said to me, "This will be a busy day, Fra