The Rescue of an Old Place 



ever distracted by the various calls upon 

 his time and attention. 



I used to wonder why fanners were 

 always behindhand with their work, and, 

 while apparently idle part of their time, 

 were driven to death for about two thirds 

 of the year; but I have discovered that 

 the weather is responsible for a good deal, 

 first by being cold and perhaps wet in 

 the spring, so that the ground cannot be 

 tilled until late, and then suddenly sending 

 everything ahead by a few unseasonable 

 days of heat and sunshine. Then there 

 is a scurry for the hitherto impracticable 

 digging of the vegetable-garden, a head- 

 long rush to get the seeds in ; the grass, 

 which always interferes at unseasonable 

 moments, demands the lawn-mower, and 

 will not wait a minute. The shrubs that 

 you have been waiting to move until the 

 weather should be mild enough to permit 

 your superintending the operation (one 

 can cope with a piercing east wind for 

 this purpose, but not with a northwest 

 snowstorm) shake off their icicles, and 

 all at once begin to leave out ; in a day 

 or two it will be too late. If there is 

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