THE FARM-HOUSE. 
15V 
return for the cost and labor required to plant and look after 
them. 
Passing the barn, we looked in there also ; a load of sweet hay 
had just been thrown into the loft, and another was coming up 
the road at the moment. Mr. B worked his farm with a pair 
of horses only, keeping no oxen. Half a dozen hens and some 
geese were the only poultry in the yard ; the eggs and feathers 
were carried, in the fall, to the store at B Green, or some- 
times as far as our own village. 
They kept four coavs ; formerly they had had a much larger 
dairy ; but our hostess had counted her threescore and ten, and 
being the only Avoman in the house, the dairy-Avoi’k of four cows, 
she said, Avas as much as she could Avell attend to. One AAmuld think 
so ; for she also did all the cooking, baking, Avashing, ironing, and 
cleaning for the family, consisting of three persons ; besides a 
share of the scAving, knitting, and spinning. We went into her 
little buttery ; here the bright tin pans were standing full of rich 
milk ; everything Avas thoroughly scoured, beautifully fresh, and 
neat. A stone jar of fine yelloAV butter, Avhose flavor Ave knew 
of old, stood on one side, and several cheeses Avere in press. The 
wood-work Avas all painted red. 
While our kind hostess, on hospitable thought intent, was pre- 
paring something nice for tea, Ave Avere invited to look about the 
little sitting-room, and see “ fann Avays” in that shape. It was 
both parlor and guest-chamber at the same time. In one corner 
stood a maple bedstead, Avith a large, plump feather bed on it, 
and tAvo tiny pillows in well-bleached cases at the head. The 
Avails of the room Avere Avhitewashed, the Avood-Avork Avas un- 
painted, but so thoroughly scoured, that it had acquired a sort of 
