CARPENTERS QUIT WORK 71 
Friday evening, September 6, I returned from 
the west. My first greeting was, — . 
«“ How’s the. farm, Polly?” 
“It’s there, or was yesterday; I think you'll 
find things running smoothly.” 
«Have they sowed the alfalfa and cut the 
oats?” 
“Yes.” 
«“ Finished the farm-house ?” 
«No, not quite, but the painters are there, and 
Nelson has commenced work on two other 
buildings.” 
« What time can I breakfast? I must catch 
the 8.10 train, and spend a long day where things 
are doing.” 
Things were humming at Four Oaks when I 
arrived. ‘Ten carpenters besides Nelson and his 
son were pounding, sawing, and making confu- 
sion in all sorts of ways peculiar to their kind. 
The ploughmen were busy. Thompson and the 
other two men were shocking oats. I spent 
4 the day roaming around the place, watching 
the work and building castles. I went to the 
alfalfa field to see if the seed had sprouted. 
Disappointed in this, I wandered down to the 
brook and planned some abridgment of its 
: _meanderings. It could be straightened and kept 
- within bounds without great expense if the work 
were done in a dry season. Polly had asked for 
a winding brook with a fringe of willows and 
dogwood, but I would not make this concession 
Qe 
