OR, WITH BRAIN&, SIR. 295 



CHAPTER VI. 



OUR FIRST HARVEST. 



WITH the advent of June came the first real, downright, 

 hard work, weeding. It was a novel experience with us 

 city people, to discover the charmingly independent way the 

 weeds had of coming up at all times and in all places. Lit- 

 tle did they care for our pet lettuce, or beloved radishes. 

 They (the weeds) came up seemingly in a night, and in the 

 very place they were least welcome. In fact, they were not 

 welcome at all. As soon as they made their appearance we 

 went forth to receive them with all honors. Getting our 

 tools, we started out "like an army with banners" (hoes), 

 and made a vigorous attack on the first we met. They were 

 among the young cabbage-plants in the seed-bed. We very 

 quickly found our hoes were quite useless here. The only 

 thing to be done was to carefully pull them out from between 

 the plants. After a while I was obliged to give it up and 

 beat a retreat to the house, leaving Robert and the boy to 

 finish the undertaking. The labor was quite beyond me, re- 

 quiring more endurance than I could command. Just be- 

 fore noon the seed-bed was finished. At dinner-time Eobert 

 came in, looking tired, flushed, and hot. In a few moments 



