PENIKESE ISLAND 167 



having come by some mistake three days in advance. 

 She lived at a distance and had not received the last 

 circular. We told her she might not have where to 

 lay her head, but should share what we had. The 

 two hours' voyage was rough and rainy, and we were 

 glad to land at the little wharf. Con [Felton] and 

 Mr. Tilden were there to meet us. They looked like 

 shipwrecked mariners and I rather think no two 

 mortals were ever more glad to see their rescuers 

 than they were to see the "Helen Augusta," which 

 was to restore them to the bosom of society. They 

 had worked like beavers the evening before and had 

 got all the furniture under cover and well sheltered, 

 which was a great matter. 



They had done all they could, but for want of 

 boats and money had not had much means at their 

 disposal; then the Fourth of July intervened, and 

 the men could not be kept by any seductions what- 

 ever. They left by the boat which brought us, and 

 I suppose have returned to Nahant by this. As 

 soon as they had gone and we had had some ham and 

 fried eggs, I went to work with Flanders (the man 

 in charge here a capital man as Con will tell you, 

 intelligent, active, hopeful, he's a great help). To- 

 gether we got the greater part of the 'old Anderson 

 house, in which the carpenters had been living, 

 cleaned and arranged for our habitation and were 

 really, all of us, very comfortably settled for the night 

 with a bed or two for a friend. This house in which we 

 are, is, you know, the old farmhouse occupied by 

 Mr. Anderson. 





