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his bible, as long as the light would serve him, while
Becky was busied mending old clothes--and when the flames
died away, and they could no longer see, they
sat over the glowing embers; pouring out their hearts,
in grateful and not unharmonious hymns.
CHAP 8--The next morning when the good couple arose, they found poor
Lucy, shaking with a violent ague, which lasted several
hours, and was succeeded by a burning fever, which did not
leave her until sun-down. When she again was easy and free
from pain and took the offer'd nourishment.
According to promise, Richard came home early, to
contrive himself a bed. He took the children with him, to go
gather broom-sedge and old-fieldgrass. The first, is a high, strong
grass, as thick as straw, with which, the negroes make
brooms, baskets, and matting, which last, will answer
for a covering of for a floor or bed; the old-fieldgrass, is of a fine-soft tex-
ture, very agreeable for beds. While the children were busied
in the old-fields, he took his axe and went into the
woods, to cut some saplings and stakes.--
It was dark when they return'd, and the good natured Uncle
George, seeing some piece of work was going on, join'd company,
in order to lend a helping hand.
When they enter'd the cabin, Lucy, was propped up in bed, and tho'
very pale and feeble, assured her kind friends, she felt much
better. [All hands now fell to work. Richard had several
of the most common carpenter's tools and where they were wanting
his own ingenuity supply'd the deficiency. Lucy, watch'd with
a lively interest the group before her; Uncle George and Becky
were tying together the broom-sedge, to form a kind of matting
for a covering. While the children gay and merry, laid it strait and hand-
ed the little bundles to them. Richard proceeded to make the bed-stead--
The cabin was too small to admit of another on the floor, so
he said, he would hang it from the ceiling, like sailors do their
hammocks, having no ropes, he took hickory saplings
and nailing them to the rafters, he burnt holes for he had no auguir
to bore them, through which he put end
pieces.--When he found these to hang firmly and evenly, he