256 



WHEAT AND WOMAN 



especially Jim, at the well. Cannot get in to the 

 Fort to collect my mail, but post it through Tommy- 

 Johnson. 



^^ January 21. — Glorious day. Many shades 

 warmer. Cleaned stables. Baked. Worked at the 

 wood pile. Attacked a short story. I haven't 

 dared to start writing before, the fire goes out in 

 two minutes, and the ink is usually frozen solid. 

 The Vicar called, and we had tea in the most untidy 

 kitchen. He seemed frightfully perturbed because 

 I bucked wood. If that were all ! Reading 

 Plutarch's ' Lives ' again. Excellent company in 

 these days. 



*' January 22. — Wild night and morning, but 

 temperature decidedly easier in spite of bitter wind. 

 Cleaned pots and pans and sawed one of the big 

 logs. Unfortunately they don't seem to throw out 

 as much warmth as one might think. Still, any- 

 thing to get back to my own room and the inkpot 

 again. The kitchen is dreary and depressing with 

 frost-bound windows and everything packed on the 

 stove to thaw out. Pax much better. 



" January 26. — The very loveliest day in spite 

 of piercing wind. Felt well and worked well and 

 wrote well. Mr. Green came over under the 

 impression that it was Sunday. But it must be 

 to-morrow ; I can't have lost the schooldays' 

 instinct for the extra hour of the day of rest. 



" January 27. — Sunday." 



On Monday I was walking across the wheat-field 

 en route for the stage-coach to post my mail. Tommy 

 Johnson was not always in command through that 

 winter, but each Jehu in turn was friendly and 



