252 



" When we arrived at the banks of the river, 

 near the mills, we found that the ice had given 

 way, so that the sleighs could not cross ; and 

 the miller's boat could not ply, because there 

 was still a broad border of ice on each side of 

 the river. We sent a man across to beg of our 



friend Mr. , who was settled there, to send 



his oxen and sleigh to a part of the river called 

 the Little Lake, two miles lower down ; and we 

 determined to walk across. This delay was very 

 embarrassing, but our travels were nearly at an 

 end, and that gave us spirits to proceed with 

 vigour through the snow, which came far above 

 our ancles. The friends who came from the 

 opposite side to meet us, carried the two 

 youngest children; the workmen carried our 

 bedding, and every thing else was left at the 

 mills. With this assistance we contrived to 

 cross, and being soon packed into the sleigh, we 

 proceeded in the shades of evening to our home, 

 through nearly five miles of wood. Our loghouse 

 was quite illuminated by the glare of the fires 

 which had been prepared for us, and even if 

 there had been no fire, we must have been 

 warmed by the joy our friend shewed at seeing 

 us here. 



" The house was not quite finished, and we 

 found it rather cold at night ; but every day since 

 we have made it more and more comfortable. Our 

 books fill up one side of the parlour, and give it a 



