"I hope you won't be too disappointed, Mary Ann"

 "But I have to tell you what your father and I decided after talking over how to build the cabin."

"I see from your face this is serious, James. I promise not to make a fuss." "Well, it's like this, Mary Ann. I planned to build you a log mansion, something 18 feet by 20 feet, but your dad says that isn't practical." "If my father says that, then it must be true." "Yes, you see Mary Ann, it's only two feet longer for all the logs, all the way around - but the extra weight of each log, to put it up after it's cut, is a lot more effort. What Richard suggests, and I agreed, is that we live with the smaller cabin this first year, and then next year we'll put another one the same size about five feet away from it. Then we cover the five foot passage - it will have a puncheon floor, of course, and we'll have what is called a dog-trot cabin.

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In the summer, the passage has a cool breeze, and we'll put doors on each end so it is cozy in the winter. With a covered porch across the front of the cabins, it will look elegant and be all that we will need during the time we have to build the barn, and fencing, and break in the sod." "Let's do it, James. It is just what I always wanted - a dog-trot cabin!" "You didn't even know what that was until now, did you." Well, I didn't know what to call them, but I've liked them when I've seen them."