252 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HKR 



fortune. She turned her whole thoughts to the 

 comforts of her father and the means of pro- 

 curing them ; and she earnestly prayed for the 

 blessing of Heaven on her exertions. 



As soon as they were settled in a very small 

 cottage in the neighbourhood, she determined 



again to trv the cultivation of the vine but con- 







siderably higher on the side of the hill so as to 

 be secure from a second inundation. She in- 

 tended to have laboured at this new plantation 

 herself, with the assistance of one old and attached 

 servant, but numbers of people from the neigh- 

 bouring villages, who loved her and were grateful 

 to her, insisted on being allowed to help. It is a 

 common custom in Switzerland to plant vines on 

 very steep hills, with alternate rows of dry stone 

 walls, to preserve the soil about the plants ; and 

 Madeleine resolved to accomplish such a vine- 

 yard. By the assistance of these good-natured 

 people, a small plantation was made : while some 

 were digging, others built the little walls ; and 

 Madeleine herself guided the donkies which were 

 laden with earth to make a sufficient soil, or with 

 her own hands disposed it round each vine plant, 

 and dressed the whole. 



Though the vineyard was small, she hoped to 

 derive an additional benefit from it for her 

 father, by planting a few useful vegetables, 

 which might perhaps interest him in his favourite 

 occupation of gardening. But when she tried to 



