k in the drawer, brought the cloth to
wash Tom's hands and began to pile up the dishes, her heart in a tumult
of desire.

"Jason, what time you going?"

"'Bout two. I've got to see Warren at three. And isn't there butter to
take over?"

"Yes, to Mrs. Dayton. Well--I think it is best to send Helen. Now,
Helen, you wash up the dishes quick and do it well, too. Then wash
yourself and dress. You know it puts Uncle Jason out to wait, he hasn't
the longest temper in the world."

Helen was both quick and deft. Aunt Jane took the credit of this to her
own training, but there was an instinctive delicacy in the girl that
made her wish she had finer and prettier dishes to wash. She did not
truly despise the work so much. She really loved to read advertisements
of fine china and glass, Berlin and Copenhagen wares, Wedgewood and
Limoges, and hunted them up in the big school dictionary.

She was standing on the porch five minutes before two, a wholesome,
happy-looking girl with two braids of light brown hair, tied together
half-way down with a brown ribbon, and some wavy little ends about her
forehead that would curl when they were wet. Her straw hat had a wreath
of rather soiled daisies that sun and showers had not refreshed, but her
blue cambric with white bands looked fresh and nice, though it had been
made from Jenny's skirt, turned the other side out. Aunt Jane had made
her add her wants to the list, so she wouldn't forget a single thing.
The butter was a nice roll wrapped in a cloth and shut tight in an
immaculate tin pail.

With many charges they started off.

"I wish mother'd learn there wan't any sense in fussin so much, but
land! I suppose people are as they grow. Mebbe they can't help it."

"But if one tried? Isn't it like learning other things, or unlearning
them?"

"Well--no, I guess not. You see all these habits and things are inside
of one, born with him or her as you might say, while the book learning
is just--well determination I s'pose. And so's farming."

That wasn't very lucid.

"But if you found some better way of farming."

"There aint many better ways. Keep your ground light and free from weeds
and fertilize and get the best seed and then keep at it."

"And if you do a wrong or foolish thing, try not to repeat it."

"That's about it. But folks are mighty sot in their opinions, and hate
to change. If I find a better way I take it up. Land! We couldn't farm
in some things as people did a hundred