“ HALCYON BAYS:’ 
143 
afternoon tea or early breakfast. One morning to¬ 
wards tlie close of this most tranquil period my heart 
really swelled with proprietary pride, when I saw 
on my neatly-laid breakfast-table the first new-laid 
eggs of my poultry-yard, the first radishes from my 
garden, the first loaf from our home-made oven, to¬ 
gether with the adjuncts of our dairy, a pat of butter 
and a jug of cream. With opulence came refinement 
and the renaissance of art. I was now no longer content 
to lodge in a hut, however dry and snug. I wanted 
a spacious house. The ground being cleared and 
levelled, I planned out with pegs and twine a residence 
of ample size and regular proportions—26 feet long 
and 18 feet wide, with two “wings’ 5 of 9 feet square 
at the sides. The roof was to rise to a height of 
12 feet at the apex, in the centre, and slope down to 
7 feet at the sides. The interior of the main building 
was to be again divided lengthways by inside parti¬ 
tions into two equal portions, one-half to furnish a 
long salon and reception-room, and the other to be 
subdivided again into three compartments, which would 
be respectively used as bed-room, bath-room, and 
store-room. Of the two wings, one would become my 
servant’s room, and the other a pantry where the 
crockery and table-gear should be kept. It was alto¬ 
gether a grand scheme, a majestic design, and when 
my six or seven builders were initiated into the plans 
they tapped their open mouths with their hands to 
express their admiration for such a bold flight in 
architecture. But the fact was that, like many am¬ 
bitious projectors, my plans were too vast for the 
means at hand for carrying them into operation. 
During three months this great edifice was construct¬ 
ing, and a few days after the last touches were put 
