Page:The Children of the New Forest - 1847 - Marryat.djvu/40

 hold, he made a large package, which he put upon the pony, and taking the bridle, set off home, and arrived in time to superintend the cooking of the dinner, which was this day venison-steaks fried in a pan, and boiled potatoes.

When dinner was over, he opened his bundle, and told the little ones that now they were to live in a cottage, they ought to wear cottage clothes, and that he had bought them some to put on, which they might rove about the woods in, and not mind tearing them. Alice and Edith went into the bed-room, and Alice dressed Edith and herself, and came out quite pleased with their change of dress. Humphrey and Edward put theirs on in the sitting-room, and they all fitted pretty well, and certainly were very becoming to the children.

"Now, recollect, you are all my grandchildren," said Jacob; "for I shall no longer call you Miss and Master—that we never do in a cottage. You understand me, Edward, of course?" added Jacob.

Edward nodded his head, and Jacob telling the children that they might now go out of the cottage and play, they all set off, quite delighted with clothes which procured them their liberty.

We must now describe the cottage of Jacob Armitage, in which the children have in future to dwell. As we said before, it contained a large sitting-room, or kitchen, in which was a spacious hearth and chimney, table, stools, cupboards, and dressers; the two bed-rooms which adjoined it were now appropriated, one for Jacob, and the other for the two boys; the third, or inner bedroom, was arranged for the two girls, as being more retired and secure, But there were out-houses belonging to it; a stall, in which White Billy, the pony, lived during the winter; a shed and pigstye rudely constructed, with an enclosed yard attached to them; and it had, moreover, a piece of ground of more than a acre, well fenced in to keep out the deer and game, the largest portion of which was cultivated as a garden and potato ground, and the other, which remained in grass, contained some fine