king their flageolets, accompanied their brothers, who
sung the following verse, which Ernest had added to his former attempt.

Dear mother, let this gift be mine,
Accept the Grotto Ernestine.
May all your hours be doubly blest
Within this tranquil place of rest.
Then from this quiet, lovely home
Never, never may we roam;
All we love around us smile.
Joyful is our desert isle!

What cause had we to rejoice in our children! we could not but shed
tears to witness their affection and perfect happiness.

Below the vase of flowers, on the block of salt, Ernest had written:--

Ernest, assisted by his brother Fritz,
Has prepared this grotto,
As a retreat for his beloved mother,
When she visits her garden.

Ernest then conducted his mother to one of the benches, which he had
covered with soft moss, as a seat for her, and there she rested at her
ease to hear the history of the discovery of the grotto. It was now my
turn to offer my present; the garden, the embankment, the pond, and the
arbour. She walked, supported by my arm, to view her little empire, and
her delight was extreme; the pond, which enabled her to water her
vegetables, particularly pleased her, as well as her shady arbour, under
which she found all her gardening tools, ornamented with flowers, and
augmented by two light _watering-pans,_ constructed by Jack and Francis,
from two gourds. They had canes for spouts, with the gourd bottles at
the end, pierced with holes, through which the water came in the manner
of a watering-pan. The embankment was also a great surprise; she
proposed to place plants of pines and melon on it, and I agreed to it.
Truly did she rejoice at the appearance of the vegetables, which
promised us some excellent European provision, a great comfort to her.
After expressing her grateful feelings, she returned to the grotto, and
seating herself in her sedan-chair, returned to Tent House, to enjoy the
repose she needed, after such a day of excitement. We did not, however,
lie down before we had together thanked God for the manifold blessings
he had given us, and for the pleasure of that day.

"If I had been in Europe," said my dear wife, "on the festival of my
recovery, I should have received a nosegay, a ribbon, or some trinket;
here I have had presented a carriage, a colonnade, pavilions, ornamental
fountains, a large grotto, a garden, a pond, an arbour, and a
straw bonnet!"