CAKPENTEKS QUIT WORK 71 



Friday evening, September 6, I returned from 

 the west. My first greeting was, 



How's the farm, Polly ? " 



" It's there, or was yesterday ; I think you'll 

 find things running smoothly." 



Have they sowed the alfalfa and cut the 

 oats ? " 



Yes." 



" Finished the farm-house ? " 



"No, not quite, but the painters are there, and 

 Nelson has commenced work on two other 

 buildings." 



What time can I breakfast ? I must catch 

 the 8.10 train, and spend a long day where things 

 are doing." 



Things were humming at Four Oaks when I 

 arrived. Ten carpenters besides Nelson and his 

 son were pounding, sawing, and making confu- 

 sion in ail sorts of ways peculiar to their kind. 

 The ploughmen were busy. Thompson and the 

 other two men were shocking oats. I spent 

 the day roaming around the place, watching 

 the w^ork and building castles. I went to the 

 alfalfa field to see if the seed had sprouted. 

 Disappointed in this, I wandered down to the 

 brook and planned some abridgment of its 

 meanderings. It could be straightened and kept 

 within bounds without great expense if the work 

 were done in a dry season. Polly had asked for 

 a winding brook with a fringe of willows and 

 dogwood, but I would not make this concession 



