The Consequence Was That In A Very Few Weeks - He Could Almost Say Days - The Fruit Was All Gone, And They Had To Say, "No More Peaches For Another Twelve Months!" All That Would Now Be Changed.

He would command his wife and daughters to pickle peaches - a cask-full, or two or three if one would not be enough.

He would provide vinegar - many gallons of it, and cloves by the handful. And when they had got their pickled peaches he would have cold mutton for supper every day all the year round, and enjoy his life as he had never done before!

This amused us very much, as we knew that poor Don Ventura, notwithstanding his loud commanding voice, had little or no authority in his house; that it was ruled by his wife, assisted by a council of four marriageable daughters, whose present objects in life were little dances and other amusements, and lovers with courage enough to marry them or carry them off.

CHAPTER XV

SERPENT AND CHILD

My pleasure in bird life - Mammals at our new home - Snakes and how children are taught to regard them - A colony of snakes in the house - Their hissing confabulations - Finding serpent sloughs - A serpent's saviour - A brief history of our English neighbours, the Blakes.

It is not an uncommon thing, I fancy, for a child or boy to be more deeply impressed and stirred at the sight of a snake than of any other creature. This at all events is my experience.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 219 of 355
Words from 60799 to 61052 of 98444