fter a bright "Good evening, Mr. Simlins," uttered a somewhat
surprised "Miss Faith!"

"Yes," said Mr. Simlins, "here she is; and I'm goin' along to see that
nothing happens to her. She goes to take care o' somebody else,--and I
come after to take care o' her; so we go. We all give each other a deal
o' trouble in this world!"

"Am I expected to take care of you, Mr. Simlins, by the same rule?--I
came after."

"Well!--I don't know," said the farmer "I guess there'll be nobody to
take care of me. I'm past taking care of."

"What does that mean?" said Mr. Linden.

"How would you like the job?" said Mr. Simlins. "Think it 'ud be easy?"

"Why I should like to know a little more about the job before I express
any opinion."

"I have an opinion," said Mr. Simlins, "that you don't know much o'
farming. Guess it's correct, aint it?"

"What kind of farming?" inquired Mr. Linden again.

"I don't know more'n one kind. Tillin' the earth, to bring out the
produce of it."

"I have seen something of another kind," said Mr. Linden; "it is
this:--'Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up
your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he return and
rain righteousness upon you.'"

Mr. Simlins wasn't quick to answer that, and there was silence for a
minute or two, only broken by their footsteps.

"Well--" he said slowly at length,--"suppos 'n a piece o' ground bears
as good a crop as it has soil for, hadn't you ought to be contented
with it?"

"Yes," said Mr. Linden; "but I never saw such a piece of ground, yet."

Mr. Simlins paused.

"Do you believe some folks can be better than they air already?" he
asked.

"I believe all folks can."

"You believe in cameras, then. How're you goin' to work?"

"To make people better?--set them to work for them selves, if I can."

"What sort o' ploughs and harrows would you want 'em to take hold of?"

"They'll find out, when they set to work in earnest to make the ground
yield the right sort of fruit," said Mr. Linden.

"What do you call the right sort?" said the farmer, now thoroughly
engaged. "Aint as good as a man can do, the right sort?"

"Why yes," said Mr. Linden again, "but I tell you I never saw that sort
of fruit ripe--and I'm not sure that I ever shall in this world. For
the best fruit that the ground can yield, includes not only the best
seed and cultivation, but the perfect keeping down of every weed, and
the unchecked receiving of all sw