Sufferings from Drought 



burn up, and the Pines wilt distressingly, 

 but they are so numerous that there is 

 nothing to be done for them but to await 

 the survival of the fittest. An Oak once 

 rooted is rooted forever, but it is a ques- 

 tion of time as to when it can maintain 

 its top, and ours have burned off year 

 after year, until now they seem to have 

 gained vigor enough to hang on in spite 

 of fate. 



Among the searching questions that are 

 put to the members of the Society of 

 Friends, in their meetings for the investi- 

 gation of personal character, one of the 

 queries is, " Has any Friend entered into 

 business beyond his ability to manage ? " 



This question we are obliged to answer A meian- 



, n-. . , , choly confes- 



m the affirmative when we take time to sionofun- 

 ask it of ourselves, for, having outlined ' 

 work enough for a dozen men, it becomes 

 a puzzle how to carry it on with only the 

 aid of one factotum ; extra hands being 

 very hard to obtain in this village during 

 the summer months. Much that we do 

 is accordingly a makeshift. I am sadly 

 obliged to confess to the existence of 

 weeds where no weeds should be, of neg- 

 199 



