ot return till the
following Monday. Wealthy went with them; but the rest of us young folks
were left, with many instructions, to keep house and look after things
at the farm.

Haying was now over; and the wheat and barley were in; but an acre more
of late-sown oats still remained to be harvested, also an acre of
buckwheat. There was not a little solicitude felt for this acre of
buckwheat. With it were connected visions of future buckwheat cakes and
maple sirup. I was assured by Ellen and the others who had come to the
farm in advance of me, that the maple molasses and candy "flapjacks,"
made on pans of hard snow, during the previous spring, had been
something to smack one's mouth for.

The Old Squire had bidden Addison, who was practically in charge, to mow
the oats on Tuesday, and the buckwheat on Thursday, if the weather
continued good. Asa Doane was coming to assist us. The oats were to be
turned on Wednesday and drawn in on Friday. The buckwheat would need to
lie in the swath till the next week and be turned once or twice, in
order to cure properly.

We had also a half acre of weeds to pull, in a part of the potato field
which had thus far been hoed but once; and an acre of stubble to clear
of stones, preparatory to ploughing. The Old Squire did not believe that
abundant leisure is good for boys, left alone under such circumstances.

"If you get the loose stones all off the stubble and have time, you can
begin to draw off the stone heaps from the piece which we are going to
break up in the south field," he said finally, as he got into the wagon
and took the reins to drive away. But he laughed when he said it; and
Addison laughed, too; for we thought that he had already laid out a long
stint for us. Halstead was grumbling about it to himself. "Wonder if he
thinks we can do a whole season's work in a week," he exclaimed,
spitefully. "Never saw such a man to lay off work! Wants a week to play
in, himself, but expects us to stay at home and dig like slaves!"

"Oh, he doesn't want us to hurt ourselves," said Addison. "He will be
satisfied if we manage the grain, the weeds and the stones on the
stubble. It really isn't so very much for four of us. We could do it in
one half the time, by working smart, and have the rest of the time to
play in."

Gram had left corresponding work for the girls, indoors, besides
cooking, getting the three daily meals and caring for the dairy.

We set to work that afternoon and pulled