But Her Husband Was A High-Spirited Man And
Determined To Stick To His Rights, So He Informed The Agent
That He Refused To Move Until He Received Compensation For His
Improvements.
Questioned about these improvements, she led us through to the
back to show us the ground, about half an acre in extent, part
of which was used as a paddock for the donkey, and on the
other part there were about a dozen rather sickly-looking
young fruit trees.
Her husband, she said, had planted the
orchard and kept the fence of the paddock in order, and they
refused to compensate him! Then she took us up to the spare
room, empty of furniture, the floor thick with dust. The bed,
table, chairs, washhandstand, toilet service - the things she
had been so long struggling to get together, saving her money
for months and months, and making so many journeys to the town
to buy - all, all he had taken away and sold for almost
nothing!
Then, actually with tears in her eyes, she said that now we
knew why she couldn't take us in - why she had to seem so
unkind.
But we are going to stay, we told her. It was a very good
room; she could surely get a few things to put in it, and in
the meantime we would go and forage for provisions to last us
till Monday.
It is odd to find how easy it is to get what one wants by
simply taking it!
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