ody. In the evening, Madame played, and
everybody danced for an hour by the light of one candle; when breathless
and tired, stories were told, each taking it in turn. A quick and
pleasant three weeks passed, for which we daily thanked the Giver of all
good.

When the sun shone once more our occupations were innumerable, leaving
us no leisure from early morn, until the darkness came. What with
gardening, lessons, manufacturing food and clothes, we had our hands
full. It was astonishing to see how active the young ones were in
turning everything to use; how quick and clever they became in all sorts
of ways that belonged more to older heads. It is true there were some
symptoms of fine ladyism that grumbled at washing clothes, grinding
sand, and cleaning up dirty dishes; the latter was carried to so great a
height that Zoe and Lilly came to me with a flat refusal to wash the
breakfast plates. "Why?" said I. "Because they are so dirty," said they.
"Very well," said I, "you need not do it." But they never objected again
to any work, for their dirty plates were put before them, without any
remark, each day, until they washed them of their own accord; and the
elder girls let slip no opportunity of commenting upon fine ladies, who
expressed great anxiety to help others, but must have the plates cleaned
before they could wash or wipe them, and supposed they must have people
to sweep the way before them, others to hand their food to their mouths.
In fact, the irony ran so high, and was felt so sorely, that a private
petition was sent in to have it stopped. This I was most glad to do, for
our meals had been rendered a little unpleasant by mortified tears
bedewing the face of the gentle Zoe, while indignant sobs and haughty
looks betokened the harassed feelings of the high-spirited Lilly.

As may be supposed, we had many conversations regarding our future fate,
and the probability of passing our days in this island.

_Mother._--"It is the idea which always makes me so anxious, Schillie,
to retain every possible memorial of our civilized life. Should our
children and their descendants remain on this island, they will live to
thank the Mother who worries you so with all the spinning, weaving, and
other inventions that tease you."

_Schillie._--"So you expect the children to marry, do you? Well, there
will be plenty of old maids left to keep up the civilized art of
scandal, seeing there are but two husbands for these six girls."