CHARLESTON 43 
How I wish you could look in upon us this first 
evening that we pass here, and see how auspiciously 
our honeymoon begins. You must imagine a small 
parlor, with a large fireplace, in which the cheeriest 
wood fire dances and sparkles. I have been out on the 
beach, gathering drift-wood this afternoon and when- 
ever we throw on a bit, it is so dry that it breaks into 
the brightest flame, and lights up our little room 
most brilliantly. 
For furniture we have a sofa, rocking chair, dining 
table, writing table, a number of common chairs, and 
what I value most, a little oval, three-legged ma- 
hogany stand exactly like one that Grandma used 
to use, on which she almost always had her work- 
basket, and the last new novel. On this stand tonight, 
there is a dish of flowers, that I brought from town. 
We have just done tea, I have cleared away the tea- 
things, drawn the table near the fire and sit down to 
write to you, while Agassiz writes at the other side, 
beginning his winter work, and Burkhardt is con- 
tentedly smoking his pipe in the chimney corner. The 
wind moans mournfully outside and threatens a storm 
tomorrow, which will disappoint me in having my 
piano which I have ordered from town. When that 
comes, I shall feel fully established. 
We have given up the idea of trusting to luck or 
Providence for our meals, and have breakfast, dinner 
and tea in the most orderly manner, though our 
table service is not the most magnificent. No one 
leaves on the Island anything but the most common 
crockery. 
