OLD HOMESTEAD 



heel of the next man's scythe with the point of his. If any 

 mower showed a disposition to crowd up and throw the cut grass 

 from his scythe onto the heel of the scythe of the man next in 

 front, it was at once taken as a challenge or an insult, and un- 

 less he was an extra good workman he was sure to get the worst 

 of it before night, for everybody laid for him all the rest of the 

 day, whenever they could get him at a disadvantage, and he 

 soon found that he was being driven or left whenever he got 

 into a heavy, hard spot, or, if pitching in the afternoon, he was 

 quite likely to find himself buried in the hot mow by the man 

 pitching off. 



Knowing how to keep the scythe good and sharp was the 

 first qualification of a good mower. No one, however strong, 

 could do good work with a dull scythe. They were ground from 

 time to time upon the grindstone in the old sawmill, which ran 

 by water, but the edge could not be long carried unless one was 

 skillful in the use of the whetstone. The music of the whet- 

 stone on a long, high-tempered scythe is the sweetest in the 

 world, and the cling-clang, cling-clang, cling-clang, cling, as the 

 mowers rapidly drew the stone over the edge of the scythe, first 

 on one side and then on the other, from heel to point, as it came 

 from the clear air of the meadow before breakfast or after sup- 

 per, was a sound to rejoice the heart of a thrifty farmer. 



As the grass was mowed down by the men, at least as soon 

 as the dew was off, we boys had to spread it or shake it out over 

 the ground to dry. If very heavy, after drying awhile it had to 

 be turned. This was considered light work, specially adapted 

 to boys. Indeed, the girls sometimes helped, when men were 

 scarce or could not be spared from the mowing or pitching. 



The ambition of every boy was to get beyond being good 

 only for a spreader and be allowed to take his place with the 



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