HAYING TIME 



I acknowledge that the vacuum of such a life 

 was something dreadful at first. It was like some 

 of those gifted convicts who are compelled to 

 come down from transcontinental railroad-wreck 

 ing or bank-looting to making shoes. But even 

 the convict, when his sentence is determined, 

 must adapt himself to his stripes. All the time 

 that I was growling and groaning a change was 

 taking place. One day, at the end of three weeks, 

 I suddenly discovered that I had forgotten to lie 

 awake at night. I had been sleeping for a fort 

 night like the rude forefathers of the hamlet and 

 hadn t noticed it. The next discovery was that 

 ham allays hunger as well as broiled sweetbreads, 

 and strawberries gain a relish by picking them 

 yourself. That discovery led me to assist Griselle 

 in shelling peas and peeling the potatoes. As a 

 volunteer I had to lie a little. I told her that I 

 had learned all about it when camping out as 

 if one ever had peas when camping out, or ever 

 peeled his potatoes. But what did she know 

 about it ? She only held up my parings after 

 ward, and remarked that potatoes must have been 

 plentiful when I camped out. 



The absolute unstrungness of shelling peas was 

 new to me. I should not hesitate now, as an 

 expert, to say to any master mind wearied with 

 the problem of existence try shelling peas. To 

 be relieved from the duty of circumventing Smith 

 and killing Brown, and saving your scalp from 

 Jones, and saying smart things to madame, and 

 being continually on the lookout that somebody 



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