82 DANVIS FARM LIFE 



which moves off with ponderous stateliness across 

 the meadow to the stack or barn. Seen from astern 

 as it sways and heaves along its way, one might 

 fancy it an enormous elephant with a Yankee 

 mahout on its back. 



In the middle of the long afternoon is luncheon- 

 time, when all hands gather in the shade of tree 

 or stack or barn and fortify themselves with 

 gingerbread and cheese. Showers interrupt, fore- 

 shadowed by pearly mountains of "thunder- 

 heads " that uplift themselves above the more ma- 

 terial mountains of earth which are soon veiled 

 with the blue-black film of the coming rain, when 

 there is bustle in the hay-field, rapid making of 

 cocks that are no sooner made than blown over by 

 the rain-gust, and drivers shouting to their teams 

 hurrying to shelter with their loads. And days 

 arrive when from morning till night the rain comes 

 steadily down, stopping all outdoor work. Then 

 some go a-fishing or to lounge in the village store, 

 or perhaps all gather in the barn to chat and joke 

 and doze away the dull hours on the fragrant 

 hay. Some harvesting intervenes and the cradles 

 swing in the fields of rye and wheat with graceful 

 sweep and musical ring. The binders follow and 

 soon the yellow shocks are ranked along the field 

 whence they go duly to the barn. 



When the night-hawk circles through the eve- 

 ning sky, now uttering his harsh note, anon plung- 



