“The cottage was an after-thought,” said Philip, showing the plan of the log house. “I knew that we could not get this fitted up in time, and planking being abundant and cheap, I bethought me of running up a plank cottage which will serve you till you can get into the more substantial mansion. With a stove and additional banking up outside it may be made warm enough even for winter.” Never was a family more busy, or one more contented and happy.
“Our present abode will make a magnificent dairy when we get into the big mansion,” cried Agnes, as she saw the walls of the log house quickly rising. “How clean and nice the pans will look arranged round the walls and the churn in the middle.”
“Your notions are rather too grand, I fear, dear,” said her mother. “We have only got one cow, and there will be room here for the milk of fifty.”
“Ah! but the day will come when we may have fifty. That beautiful meadow by the side of the stream to the right will feed almost that number,” said Agnes.
“I should be content with four or five, so that we may make our own butter and cheese, and have cream and milk in abundance,” observed Fanny. “I should like to have time to attend to our garden, and poultry, and pigs; and then, remember, we are not to grow into savages, so we must have reading, and keep up our music and drawing, and then there will be all sorts of household work to attend to.”
Sophy sided with Fanny, and Philip put an end to the discussion about the dairy, by telling them that he had calculated on using up the planks of the cottage for the flooring of part of the new house.
That building got on with wonderful rapidity. Day after day Mr Lawrence D’Arcy came over with his man Terry, a faithful fellow, born on his father’s estate in Ireland, who had been his servant in the army for several years. Philip had, for the purpose of economising heat and saving roofing, resolved to make the house of two stories. The walls were formed of horizontal logs; the upper part of each log was scooped out so as to admit the round of the one above it to fit in, and the ends were deeply notched for the logs forming the walls at a right angle to it. A height sufficient for the ground floor chambers having been gained, notches were cut and the rafters placed across. Shears were erected to raise the higher logs, and shingles, which are thin split planks of fir, formed the roof. The house stood on a platform to raise it above the snow; the floor being thus some way from the ground. A verandah ran round the whole building, affording a sheltered walk when the inmates might not otherwise be able to get fresh air.
Had not the settlers been so strong handed, the work now accomplished could not have been performed before the winter; but it was the fable of the bundle of sticks exemplified. Such a building would not have been attempted except for the sake of the ladies, as the settlers would have employed all their strength in preparing the ground for cultivation. That necessary proceeding was not however neglected, and six acres were chopped and burnt off before the snow covered up the brushwood.
“Here we are, fairly settled in our log house,” said Mr Ashton, as he surveyed the result of his son’s architectural skill. “Let us with grateful hearts thank our Heavenly Father who has led us thus far in safety.”