ashes.
There is real satisfaction in seeing them grow."

"If you can peddle as well as you can garden it, you will make a real
good hand at it; and such handsome squashes as those ought to go off
like hot cakes."

Saturday afternoon came, and Nat started with his little cart full of
squashes. He was obliged to be his own horse, driver, and salesman, in
which threefold capacity he served with considerable ability.

"Can I sell you some squashes to-day?" said Nat to the first neighbor on
whom he called.

"Squashes! where did you find such fine squashes as those?" asked the
neighbor, coming up to the cart, and viewing the contents.

"I raised them," said Nat; "and I have a good many more at home."

"What! did you plant and hoe them, and take the whole care of them?"

"Yes, sir; no one else struck a hoe into them, and I am to have all the
money they bring."

"You deserve it, Nat, every cent of it. I declare, you beat me
completely; for the bugs eat mine all up, so that I did not raise a
decent squash. How did you keep the bugs off?"

"I killed thousands of them," said Nat. "In the morning before I went to
school I looked over the vines; when I came home at noon I spent a few
moments in killing them, and again at night I did the same. They
troubled me only about two weeks."

"Well, they troubled _me_ only two weeks," replied the neighbor, "and by
that time there was nothing left for them to trouble. But very few boys
like to work well enough to do what you have done, and very few have the
patience to do it either. With most of the boys it is all play and no
work. But what do you ask for your squashes?"

Nat proceeded to answer: "That one is worth six cents; such a one as
that eight; that is ten; and a big one like that (holding up the
largest) is fifteen."

The neighbor expressed his approval of the prices, and bought a number
of them, for which he paid him the money. Nat went on with his peddling
tour, calling at every house in his way; and he met with very good
success. Just as he turned the corner of a street on the north side of
the common, Ben Drake discovered him, and shouted, "Hurrah for the
squash-peddler! That is tall business, Nat; don't you feel grand? What
will you take for your horse?"

[Illustration]

Nat made no reply, but hastened on to the next house where he disposed
of all the squashes that he carried but two. He soon sold them, and
returned home to tell the story of his first peddling tr