Oh! if we had but a
little shade."
"That is just what I was thinking of, my dear," said I; "we shall have
shade enough when my trees are grown; but, in the mean time--"
"In the mean time, papa," said Francis, "I will tell you what you must
do. You must make a very long, broad colonnade before our house, covered
with cloth, and open before, so that mamma may have air and shade
at once."
I was pleased with my son's idea, and promised him to construct a
gallery soon, and call it the _Franciade_ in honour of him. My little
boy was delighted that his suggestion should be thus approved, and
begged me not to tell his mamma, as he wished to surprise her, as much
as his brothers did with their carriage; and he hoped the _Franciade_
might be finished before she visited Tent House. I assured him I would
be silent; and we took the road hence, talking about our new colonnade.
I projected making it in the most simple and easy way. A row of strong
bamboo-canes planted at equal distances along the front of our house,
and united by a plank of wood at the top cut into arches between the
canes; others I would place sloping from the rock, to which I would
fasten them by iron cramps; these were to be covered with sailcloth,
prepared with the elastic gum, and well secured to the plank.
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