284 AUDUBON 



The black boy was engaged in grinding some coffee. 

 Bread was prepared by the fair hands of the bride, and 

 placed on a flat board in front of the fire. The bacon 

 and eggs already murmured and spluttered in the frying- 

 pan, and a pair of chickens puffed and swelled on a grid- 

 iron over the embers, in front of the hearth. The cloth 

 was laid, and everything arranged, when the clattering 

 of hoofs announced the return of the husband. In he 

 came, bearing a two-gallon keg of cider. His eyes 

 sparkled with pleasure as he said, " Only think, Eliza ; 

 ■father wanted to rob us of the strangers, and was for 

 coming here to ask them to his own house, just as if we 

 could not give them enough ourselves; but here's the 

 drink. Come, gentlemen, sit down and help yourselves." 

 We did so, and 1, to enjoy the repast, took a chair of the 

 husband's making, in preference to one of those called 

 Windsor, of which there were six in the cabin. This 

 chair was bottomed with a piece of Deer's skin tightly 

 stretched, and afforded a very comfortable seat. 



The wife now resumed her spinning, and the husband 

 filled a jug with the sparkling cider, and, seated by the 

 blazing fire, was drying his clothes. The happiness he 

 enjoyed beamed from his eye, as at my request he 

 proceeded to give us an account of his affairs and 

 prospects, which he did in the following words : " I shall 

 be twenty-two next Christmas-day," said our host. " My 

 father came from Virginia when young, and settled on the 

 large tract of land where he yet lives, and where with 

 hard working he has done well. There were nine chil- 

 dren of us. Most of them are married and settled in the 

 neighborhood. The old man has divided his lands among 

 some of us, and bought others for the rest. The land 

 where I am he gave me two years ago, and a finer piece 

 is not easily to be found. I have cleared a couple of 

 fields, and planted an orchard. Father gave me a stock 

 of cattle, some hogs, and four horses, with two negro 



