the earth; and presently woods and
fields were springing into new beauty under the gentle touch of April
shower and sunshine.

The school term ended in March. The same need which called Abner and
the larger boys to the fields, provided tasks in garden, poultry-yard,
loom-room and springhouse for the girls.

"Books is all very well fer wintah times," said Mrs. Rogers to Susan
one afternoon as she sat on the back door-step, marking a basket of
eggs to set. "But now thet warm weathah's tekin' holt in arnest, thar's
more important things ter think 'bout. Thar's all thet soap grease to
mek up soon's I kin git the leach bar'l sot up--'sides hens to set,
gairden to plant, the turkey hens to watch so's they don't steal ther
nests; an' Brindle an' Crooked Horn an' Spot all comin' in fresh nex'
week, an' ther new calves to look aftah, 'sides all thet buttah an'
milk an' cheese. The days hain't nigh long 'nough fer all the wuck
thet's to be did. Heah, these aiggs is marked. Put 'em undah them five
hens whut's been a-cluckin' an' takin' on fer a week or more. Eph made
the nests fer you this mawnin'--a whole row o' 'em back o' the
loom-room in a fresh place, so's the chiggers won't pester the hens.
Hev you boys picked thet basket o' chips?" Mrs. Rogers then asked of
Tommy and Buddy, who at this moment came around the corner of the
house, prancing and dancing, each astride a stick horse. "Whut! You
hain't? Drap them sticks this minit, or I'll w'ar 'em out on yer backs!
Cl'ar out to thet woodpile, fast ez yer laigs'll carry you. Ef you
don't look sharp, nary a step do you go to the sugah-camp ter-morrow,
an' nary a mouthful o' thet maple sugah shell you hev."

It was an unwritten law of the community that whenever a farm was
opened up, a house should be immediately built upon it. In fact, a man
was not considered to have positive possession of his land until a
house of some description was erected thereon. So, although Dudley was
to continue to live with the Rogerses at least for the spring and
summer, as soon as the first plowing was done and the corn planted, he
proceeded to build his house, the logs for which had already been cut;
for Mason Rogers, in common with the other old settlers, held to the
superstition that if the timber for a house was cut in the full moon of
February, the future inmates of the house would never be molested by
bedbugs--"An'," Mrs. Rogers had added when her husband was recommending
this course to Dudley