n's ideas of necessaries within bounds. Poor little woman! She
could not, try how her son and I would to make her, understand what was
the meaning of simple necessaries.

"Now it's of no use for you to fly in a passion with your poor mother,
Esau," she used to say. "I've consented to go with you to this wild
savage land, but I must have a few things to make the house comfortable
when we get there."

"But don't I tell you you can't take 'em, because they won't have 'em
aboard ship; and you can't stuff 'em in a waggon and carry 'em millions
of miles when you get across."

"If you wouldn't be so unreasonable, Esau. There, I appeal to Mr
Gordon."

"So do I," roared Esau. "Does mother want a great ironing-board?"

"No," I said; "we can make you hundreds out there."

"Oh dear me. You'll say next I mustn't take my blankets and sheets."

"You must only take what you can pack in one big chest," I said.

"But no chest would hold what I want to take," whimpered the poor little
woman. "I declare if I'd known that I was to give up everything I have
scraped together all these years I wouldn't have consented to go. Here,
Esau, what are you going to do with those ornaments?"

"Set 'em aside for the broker."

"Esau, I must take them."

"All right, mother. We'll have a ship on purpose for you, and you shall
take the kitchen fender, the coal-scuttle, the big door-mat, and the old
four-post bedstead."

"Oh, thank you, my dear; that is good of--Esau! you're laughing at me,
and you too, Mr Gordon. I declare it's too bad."

"So it is, mother--of you. Once for all, I tell you that you must pack
things that will be useful in one big chest, and you can take a few
things that you'll want on the voyage and in the waggon in a carpet
bag."

"But it's ruinous, my dear--all my beautiful things I've taken such
pride in to be sacrificed."

"Oh, do hark at her!" cried Esau, sticking two fingers in his ears, and
stamping about. "I wish to goodness I'd never had no mother."

"Then you're a cruel, ungrateful boy, and you'll break my heart before
you've done. Mr Gordon, what am I to do?"

"To try and think that we are going to start a new life, and that when
Esau makes a new home for you, all these household things can be got
together by degrees."

"But it's ruin, my dear. All these things will go for nothing."

"They won't, I tell you," roared Esau. "How many more times am I to
tell you that Dingle will give us fifty p