228 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



grimly in spite of the unfriendliness of the weather 

 and severity of the wind. But he neither understood 

 the irnplement nor had he any practice in ploughing. 

 He took the greater part of two days to plough, 

 disc, and harrow three-quarters of an acre of garden, 

 and ten days to plough ten acres of land. But I 

 liked him. He was quiet and obliging and trust- 

 worthy, and I felt sure that beyond all, he was really 

 fond of beasts. He had walked the horses home 

 most carefully after disposing of his load, no matter 

 how forbidding the weather, and he always tucked 

 them up most snugly at night, sparing neither time 

 nor trouble over plenty of hay in the manger and 

 ample bedding. It seemed a real pleasure to him 

 to make them comfortable. He rebuilt the manger 

 and put in a window. It is true he won my assent 

 to pulling the heavy but expensive hayrack to pieces 

 to provide the lumber, but at the time we had 

 already entered into an arrangement by which he 

 undertook to remain for his board and the sum of 

 fifty dollars through the winter, and the seeding 

 time, and possibly through the next season up to 

 harvest, for twenty-five dollars a month ; so that 

 when he assured me that in the spring I could get 

 the lumber and he could then replace what he was 

 borrowing from the hayrack, I assented at once 

 and I thought I was particularly fortunate to have 

 come across him. I drew water and bucked wood 

 no more. I remember one day I was paying a 

 call in Springbrook and had most carelessly left 

 Nancy untied at the gate. When I came out to 

 get into the buggy I found that she had already 

 left, and, in consequence, I had to walk home four 

 miles. Half-way across the wheat-field I met 



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