OR, WITH BRAINS, SIB. 319 



are companions no one would despise, sensible, well 

 educated, and altogether charming. 



And now we must leave them all, and many others 

 equally pleasant. How I wish we need not ! I wonder if 

 it is not possible to spend the winter here? 'If it were only 

 summer always we could support ourselves with ease, and 

 could stay as long as we desired. I wonder if Eobert 

 could not find employment of some kind in the village for 

 a few months, and so bridge over the winter. There he is, 

 standing by the gate, talking with Mr. Kempenfielder. I'll 

 go and ask him. As I came up I found they were com- 

 paring notes on our crops. 



"So your sass farm paid its way, did it?" 



"Yes, it did more than that. It paid for the care of the 

 place, our support, and a little more." 



"Well, well, it's mor'n I'd thought. Did you sell all 

 your stuff? You had a mighty pile of it any way. I never 

 seen such crops raked off any land before. Specks it was 

 the manure that did it. Did you sell . everything you 

 growed?" 



" Everything." 



"What! them cabbages standing there? Are they 

 sold?" 



" Yes, I sold them to the Railroad this morning. I sup- 

 pose they use them among their laborers on the new branch. 



