ll of life and spirits;
while the boy, Carlos, takes after his mother, being a dark-eyed,
handsome little chap, but restive as an unbroken colt, and passionate in
the extreme when roused,--for his mother has humoured and spoiled him
until she has lost all control over the young rascal, so that he fancies
he can rule the roost better than his parents. Your uncle describes the
country as being in a somewhat disturbed condition. The Indians are
greatly irritated, and even threaten the destruction of the whites, in
consequence of the intention of the United States Government to drive
them out of the country across the Mississippi. His own health has
lately been giving way, and he is very anxious as to what would become
of his wife and daughters in the event of his death. His wife, Donna
Maria, he says, though a charming woman, has very little notion how to
manage the estate, and his son is too young to help her, or to take care
of himself; while his daughters, delightful young creatures as they are,
do not appear to possess the requisite qualifications. Having lately
seen my name in an Irish newspaper, and knowing from this that I had
come back to the old place, he determined to write to me, to implore me,
by the brotherly affection which always existed between us when we were
together, to come out and take charge of his daughters, whom he proposes
to leave to my care in his will. Carlos will, on the death of his
mother, inherit the Florida estate, unless in the meantime the boy
succumbs, which my brother fears is not improbable. In that case his
daughters would come into possession of the property; but as it is not
in a part of the country in which it is desirable that they should live,
he has arranged for the sale of the estate on the death of their mother.
The girls have had three or four years' schooling in Philadelphia, and
have only lately returned to the south. Although they appear at present
to enjoy the untrammelled life they lead, he thinks they will soon grow
tired of it, and wish for a more civilised state of existence. He
appeals to me so earnestly that I am unwilling to refuse his request;
and he urges me to cross the Atlantic immediately, if I desire to be of
service to him before he dies."

"Sure then, father, what could be easier than to take me with you!" I
exclaimed. "I would help you, and look after my cousins; and I daresay
Carlos and I would get on together very well. Besides, I should like