ite," said Mrs. Hopkins, as Sam took the
seventh slice of bread.

"I most generally have," said Sam, with his mouth full.

"That's encouraging, I'm sure," said Mrs. Hopkins, drily.

There was no pie on the table, as Sam noticed, to his regret. However,
he was pretty full when he rose from the table.

"Now, Samuel, you may come along with me," said the deacon, putting on
his hat.

Sam followed him out to the barn, where, in one corner, were kept the
hoes, rakes, and other farming implements in use.

"Here's a hoe for you," said the deacon.

"What are we going to do?" asked Sam.

"The potatoes need hoeing. Did you ever hoe potatoes?"

"No."

"You'll l'arn. It aint hard."

The field was some, little distance from the house,--a two-acre lot
wholly devoted to potatoes.

"I guess we'll begin at the further corner," said the deacon. "Come
along."

When they had reached the part of the field specified, the deacon
stopped.

"Now," said he, "just see how I do it;" and he carefully hoed around
one of the hills.

"There, you see it's easy."

"I guess I can do it. Are you goin to stay here?"

"No, I've got to go to the village, to the blacksmith's. I'll be back
in about two hours. Jest hoe right along that row, and then come back
again on the next. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Sam.

"I want you to work as spry as you can, so's to make up for lost
time."

"What time do you have dinner?" asked our hero.

"You aint hungry so quick, be you?"

"No, but I shall be bimeby. I thought I'd like to know when to quit
work, and go to dinner."

"I'll be back before that. You needn't worry about that."

The deacon turned, and directed his steps homeward.

As long as he was in sight Sam worked with tolerable speed. But when
the tall and stooping figure had disappeared from view he rested, and
looked around him.

"It'll be a sight of work to hoe all them potatoes," he said to
himself. "I wonder if the old man expects me to do the whole. It'll be
a tough job."

Sam leisurely hoed another hill.

"It's gettin' hot," he said. "Why don't they have trees to give shade?
Then it would be more comfortable."

He hoed another hill, taking a little longer time.

"I guess there must be a million hills," he reflected, looking around
him thoughtfully. "It'll take me from now till next winter to hoe 'em
all."

At the rate Sam was working, his calculation of the time it would take
him was not far out probably.

He f