152 HELPING WEED THE PASTURE 



ing up weeds than picking Daisies, although when 

 the weeds are Daisies it isn't easy to explain the 

 reason. 



We walked by the road to Uncle Hiram's, for 

 that is the nearest way. We met Philip and he 

 turned back and went with us. Philip is the only 

 boy we know who really likes Uncle Hiram, and 

 isn't one bit afraid of him. That's because Uncle 

 Hiram has been his friend since the day he made 

 him promise never to cut Dogwood again. 



Tommy said we would go and pull his bell and 

 ask if he wanted helpers; but Philip thought we 

 wouldn't have to do this, because he knew Uncle 

 Hiram was always in front of the house looking 

 out to see if any one was near his Cherry-trees. 

 We found him standing by the gate-post, and the 

 first words he said were : 



" Didn't expect to see me here, heyl " 



Tommy said if he hadn't been there we should 

 have pulled the bell, because we had something to 

 ask him. 



Uncle Hiram made a queer sort of noise and 

 said: "Well, what is it?" 



" We should like to pull up the Daisies in your 

 meadow, because they make the land poor," 

 Tommy answered. 



" Real neighbor-like," Uncle Hiram said, and 

 pulled one of my curls. " Used to know your 

 Grandmother when she was a girl." 



He looked at me in the funniest way, and then 



