PREPARING SEED-GRAIN 259 



itself just behind her own illusion. We had tea in 

 my pleasant sitting-room, and told each other the 

 heat of the stove was almost unendurable after the 

 unusual heat of the sun ; and we discussed our 

 seeding plans, and he told me of the wonderful 

 year in which seeding had been finished by the last 

 day of March, and I believed him. That night the 

 temperature eased off, there was a complete thaw, 

 the mirage cheered us for just three days, then back 

 we fell into the clutch of zero. But it did cheer 

 one, how completely none can quite explain. 



On February 9 I walked into the cow stable to 

 find a small heifer. My neighbour came over and 

 milked Molly for her first milking, but she wa 

 perfectly quiet, and although absolutely inconsolable 

 for a day or two after he took Julia into the horse 

 stable, she was able to take all the consolation I 

 could offer in the form of oats and salt and bran 

 mash, and before long she cheered up, resigned 

 herself .to the inevitable, and rejoined the bunch. 

 Julia was perfectly content in her warm nest in the 

 horse stable just behind Dick, who was immensely 

 interested in the frequent attention shown the new- 

 comer, with whom he always remained good friends. 



On February 14 I made my first butter of the 

 year, and that season I sold a considerable quantity 

 at the excellent price of thirty-five cents a pound, 

 which was maintained until July, and I think did 

 not fall below twenty-five cents through that year. 

 Milking and attention to Julia must have increased 

 my work, as just past the middle of the month I 

 find these notes in my diary : 



" February 1 7. — Up with the sun. Milked and 



