Mother.—"Then there is the more necessity for our exerting ourselves. Tell me, Schillie, what do you think?"
Schillie.—"I think nothing. If we are to be drowned, it's the same to me whether it is by rain or sea."
Mother.—"Nay, you are unkind. It is at moments like these when clear heads and quick wits are most invaluable. You surely don't intend to burden me with the sole arrangement of this painful and arduous undertaking."
Schillie.—"I don't see what you have got to bother yourself about. You would build a hut spite of all I could say, and the first shower drove it down on your ears."
Several voices exclaimed, "Oh, cousin Schillie, a shower! did you call that dreadful storm a shower!" while Madame lifted up her hands and eyes, and said, "it was a fearful deluge."
Schillie.—"Yes, yes, I dare say it was rather heavy; but it is nothing to what we shall have."
"Heaven forbid," again exclaimed Madame, while the little ones seemed equally aghast at the idea.
Mother.—"I grant that building more huts is out of the question, and, besides, we have not time, I suppose, but we must do something to save what we have left of our property. Come, girls, what can you suggest?"
Sybil.—"I can only think of covering everything with those great big plantain leaves."
Serena.—"And we can put stones on them to keep them down; and by putting a great many layers, I don't think it is possible the rain can get through."