OR, WITH BRAINS, SIR. 297 



that the soil would part with its moisture so quickly. 

 While thinking about this, a new idea came to me. Is there 

 not a better tool, and a quicker way of doing this work? 

 The hoe Robert is using is only six inches wide, and each 

 stroke tears up a strip of weeds the width of the blade. 

 Would not some other tool do the work as well, and in half 

 the time ? Without a word I went back to the barn, and 

 procured a light iron rake. Selecting a spot where the 

 weeds were pretty thick, though very small, I began to 

 draw the rake back and forth over the ground, as if for my 

 own amusement. After going a rod or so I threw it down, 

 and went over to where Robert was at work, near the fence. 

 As I approached I discovered that Robert and the boy were 

 not alone. There was a man, a farmer apparently, and a 

 stranger, leaning on the fence and talking with Robert. 



" It must have cost you a sight to have fixed things up 

 as slick as you have here ? " 



"Certainly it did," said Robert, still swinging his hoe 

 and talking at the same time. " It has cost several hundred 

 dollars already." 



" Several hundred dollars ! You must have plenty of 

 stamps to be throwing them away in that sort of way." 



" If I supposed I was throwing money away, I would stop 

 at once, and not spend another cent." 



"You'd better stop any way. Farinin' never did pay, 



