Ernest assisted him by
his advice, and promised his labour when it should be needed. Jack and
Francis were helping their mother to card cotton, of which she had made
a large collection, intending to spin it for our clothing; and I
exercised my mechanical talents in turning a large wheel for her, which
it was necessary should revolve very easily, her leg being still stiff;
and a reel, by which four bobbins were filled at once by turning
a handle.
These different occupations aided us to pass the rainy season, which
visited us earlier this year, and did not remain so long. My wife knew
something of dyeing cloth; and, some of the plants she had helped Ernest
to dry having left their colour on the papers, she made some
experiments, and succeeded in obtaining a very pretty blue to dye our
clothes with; and, with the cochineal from our fig-tree, a beautiful red
brown, with which she had dyed for herself a complete dress.
Thus passed several weeks. Ernest read to us from some amusing or
instructive work every evening; and, when his collections were all put
in order, he worked at his lathe, or at the business of weaving. At last
the sun appeared; we spent some days enjoying it in our delightful
colonnade. We went to visit the grotto and the garden, where all was
going on well--the embankment had prevented the inundation.
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