AHUNTER'SLIFB. 83 



for a small squatter's farm, with fifteen or twenty acres of 

 cleared land, three acres of wheat standing in the ground, and 

 a good little cabin ; but not a cow had I, to give us any 

 milk, nor a bushel of grain, nor a pound of meat of any 

 kind ; it being very scarce, and not to be obtained without 

 money ; but I had not a dollar. 



Seeing that something must be done, I had determined 

 to leave Mary, and set to work to earn sufficient to buy 

 bread and meat to start upon, and manage some way or 

 other to get along. This was the conclusion we came to 

 on Sunday evening, after she and I had gone to our room. 



In the morning, at peep of day, in came her father, say- 

 ing, as he opened the door, " Rise up, sir, and go to work 

 at something to maintain your wife, whom you would have, 

 at the risk of your life. And you, too, madam, get up and 

 go to your own home ; for you shan't roost here any 

 longer." 



Indignant at the insult, I attempted to jump out of bed ; 

 but Mary caught me by the arm, saying, " Bear it a mo- 

 ment or two, Meshach, for my sake. He will be oflF di- 

 rectly." And so he was, in a very short time. 



I turned out of bed, and dressed as fast as I could ; but 

 Mary, only half dressed, came to me, and threw her beau- 

 tiful white arms round my neck, saying, "For God's sake, 

 and for my sake, don't quarrel with him. Will you pro- 

 mise me you won't quarrel with him, Meshach ? Only 

 promise me. Remember, it is your Mary asks yon for 

 that promise." 



"Yes, Mary," said I; "I will not speak to him this 

 day, on your account. But this very morning I intend to 

 leave this place. Now, Mary, I shall go to mother's for 

 my breakfast, and do you get yourself ready to follow me, 

 I will come and wait at the fence for you, and we will stay 

 at mother's till I can make some other arrangement." 



I left her in tears, and went home, got my breakfast, 



