Francis had nearly betrayed our secret once, by asking his mamma to make
him a mason's apron. "A mason's apron!" said she; "are you going to
build a house, child?"
"I meant to say a gardener's apron," said he.
His mamma was satisfied, and promised to comply with his request.
In the mean time, my three sons and I laboured assiduously to get the
garden into order again, and to raise the terraces, which we hoped might
be a defence against future storms. Fritz had also proposed to me to
construct a stone conduit, to bring the water to our kitchen-garden from
the river, to which we might carry it back, after it had passed round
our vegetable-beds. This was a formidable task, but too useful an affair
to be neglected; and, aided by the geometrical skill of Fritz, and the
ready hands of my two younger boys, the conduit was completed. I took an
opportunity, at the same time, to dig a pond above the garden, into
which the conduit poured the water; this was always warm with the sun,
and, by means of a sluice, we were able to disperse it in little
channels to water the garden. The pond would also be useful to preserve
small fish and crabs for use. We next proceeded to our embankment. This
was intended to protect the garden from any extraordinary overflow of
the river, and from the water running from the rocks after heavy rains.
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