336 TWENTY-FOURTH EVENING,

the sooner I got it the better; so I thankfully ac-
cepted his offer. He took us to the nobleman’s
steward, and made known our case. The steward
wrote to my old master for a character ; and receiving
_ a favourable one, he hired me as a principal manager
of a new plantation, and settled me and my family in
a snug cottage near it. He advanced us somewhat
for a little furniture and present subsistence ; and we
had once more a home. O sir! how many blessings
are contained in that word to those who have known
the want of it!

“T entered upon my new employment with as much
satisfaction as though I had been taking possession of
an estate. My wife had enough to do in taking care
of the house and children; so it lay with me to pro-
vide for all, and I may say 1 was not idle. Besides
my weekly pay from the steward, I contrived to make
a little money at leisure times by pruning and dress-
ing gentlemen’s fruit-trees. I was allowed a piece of
waste ground behind the house for a garden, and I
spent a good deal of labour in bringing it into order.
My old master sent me down, for a present, some
choice young trees and flower roots, which I planted,
and they throve wonderfully. Things went on almost
as well as I could desire. ‘The situation being dry and
healthy, my wife recovered her lost bloom, and the
children sprang up like my plants. I began to hope that
I was almost out of the reach of farther misfortune ;
but 16 was not so ordered.

“J had been three years in this situation, and in-
creased my family with another child, when my lord
died. He was succeeded by a very dissipated young
man, deep in debt, who presently put a stop to the
planting and improving of the estate, and sent orders
to turn off all the workmen. This was a great blow
+9 me; however, I still hoped to be allowed to keep
my little house and garden, and I thought I could
then maintain myself as a nurseryman and gardener.
But a new steward was sent down, with directions