On Saturday Charlie Green came in to say that he and his mother wish to go back to their house. It is the one in which we hold church and school. After hearing what he had to say we told him to ask his mother to come and see us to-day, which she has done. She feels she must go back to her house and would like to move into it this week, and we feel we cannot say anything against it, for this is the fourth time she has given it up for the same purpose.
Wednesday, February 26.—A meeting took place this morning at 7.30 to consider where church and school are now to be held. Lavarello first offered for his mother-in-law, Mary Glass, her room for school. Then followed a discussion as to where service should be held. Finally Repetto said they would be willing to give up their house entirely for church and school, they themselves living in the adjoining cottage, if they could put two of the girls out to sleep. It was agreed that if this could be arranged the school should be there.
We offered to Mrs. Repetto to take her two elder girls, but she had arranged for them to go to her mother. It is a sacrifice to the Repettos to give up their house, for they take real pride in it and they go out at great personal inconvenience, for they will have to live in two small rooms, one of which is his workshop. She spoke very nicely about it, saying they were doing it for God. She also spoke warmly of the Sunday services and said she could not think how any one could sit in church and not be touched by them. Nothing but illness keeps her away.
At the meeting the men agreed to build a church, and spoke of beginning it when the potato digging is over. They will put up the stonework and leave the roof till the next clergyman comes, and say they will put no fire-place in it and then no one can use it as a house. As there is no house for school we are having a holiday. We went yesterday to pack up the school things and found the men already at work putting up the partitions. Mrs. Green will benefit by the new window-panes and we are glad she should. We have enough left for the rooms into which the Repettos are going.
[Illustration: THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE]
Friday, February 28.—Men are working at Repetto's house to turn it into the school-chapel. This house is really the church of the island, as its history shows. It was built by a man named William Daley for himself. When Mr. Taylor the clergyman came it was bought for his church. It was valued at twenty-seven pounds, and nine men each gave three pounds. The nine were Corporal Glass, Alexander Cotton, Thomas Hill Swain, Peter Green, Richard Riley, Andrew Hagan, Charles Taylor, Peter Mellor(?), and William Daley, the owner. When Mr. Taylor left he told the people who remained they could do what they liked with the church. Thereupon the nine buyers or their representatives each claimed a three-pound share in it. The claim to these shares has been handed down. Miss Cotton claims one from her father, Martha Green one from her husband, the mother of Sam Swain, senior, one. But Matilda Hagan, the daughter of Peter Green, is said to claim the most.
Repetto's workshop has been cleaned out, floored, and whitewashed, and looks quite nice. The ceiling is very low, so I have exhorted them to have their bedroom window open at night as she feels the need of air since her heart-attacks. He has just brought in a large bureau made by himself and which he has asked us to house. Our room is already packed, but we have been able to find a place for it by turning out a table which will be useful at school.
Saturday, February 29.—To-day all the men, with the exception of three, went off to Inaccessible for sealing. We are now having beautiful weather.
Tuesday, March 3.—To-day a ship was in sight and we were regretting there was no boat to go out to her, all four having been taken to Inaccessible. But presently we heard that two boats from Inaccessible were to be seen in the distance. These got alongside the ship, which was an Italian one, but the captain would not stop. All the men have now returned. They secured eleven seals and think they could have got more, but were afraid to stay longer for fear of missing ships. They brought some plants back.
Ash-Wednesday, March 4.—All the men and a good many women went off to-day in three boats to Sandy Point to gather apples and are spending the night there.