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!"
* * * * *
CHAPTER XLIII.
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