OLD HOMESTEAD 



We generally began immediately after the Fourth of July. 

 If the grass was late we began moderately — that is, with little 

 or no help except the regular hired man, if we had one. We 

 always mowed the lower orchard and lodged grass back of the 

 barn first. The orchard was a good place to begin, on account 

 of the shade, and the heavy grass back of the barn must be cut 

 early to be of any value. 



Very many eggs were found in this heavy, lodged grass, where 

 hens had stolen their nests. The old hens got tired of' laying 

 eggs all the winter and spring to have them stolen out of their 

 nests day after day, and so the cute old birds left the barn and 

 made their nests in the deep, tangled grass, in the strong hope 

 of posterity, braving all dangers of skunks, weasels, minks and 

 other vermin, hoping to bring off a brood of chicks before dis- 

 covery; but their hopes were dashed by the swish, swish, swish 

 of the long, sharp scythe, which meant decapitation or imme- 

 diate flight, and after having kept still as death for two or three 

 weeks, they ran away, screaming and cackling, leaving their 

 embryo families, who had already begun to hammer their white 

 prison walls, to perish without ever seeing the light. 



The first days were apt to be the hardest. Mowing and 

 pitching hay brought into use and made sore and lame a new 

 and different set of muscles, which it took several days to harden 

 to the work. The hands were blistered where the nibs of the 

 scythe-snath or handle of the pitchfork found spots not already 

 hardened or calloused by other work. 



Haying required extra help, and from two to four men were 

 hired by day's work, at one dollar per day and board. They 

 were tough, strong men, able to mow and pitch all day without 

 weakening, and it was hard luck for any weak or lazy man who 

 got into the gang. Father used to hire some Frenchmen from 



73 



