THE SECOND YEAR. 173 



Daniel O Rourkes, of course. They rather went to 

 stalk, being some seven feet high about twice their 

 proper height, as laid down in agricultural works, 

 and almost out of reach. There were not many pods, 

 and Patrick said &quot; he most broke his back laining up 

 to reach em ;&quot; but the flavor fully justified Weeville s 

 enthusiasm. Unfortunately, only two rows had been 

 planted, and they furnished but a few meals we 

 had moved out of town early to enjoy the full ben 

 efit of our fresh vegetables and our next planting 

 consisted of a quantity of dwarf marrowfats. Now 

 dwarf peas have some advantages ; they are easy to 

 plant and easier to take care of ; they grow luxuriant 

 ly and bear abundantly ; they are what farmers call 

 a &quot; sure crop,&quot; but as for eating them, that is anoth 

 er question. In a religious and penitential point of 

 view they would be invaluable, as no amount of boil 

 ing would ever soften them. It is said they are a 

 profitable crop, and good, when plowed under, to en 

 rich the land. It would seem as though they were 

 excellent in every way but on the table, and it so hap 

 pened that it was just for this especial purpose that I 

 wanted them. My land needed no farther enriching 

 Patrick s compost had done that effectually. Piety, 

 of course, is desirable in its way, and penitence is nec 

 essary, but mine never ran in the pea line ; and pil- 



