tion was concluded, and Mr. Langford came to his
granddaughters, leaving his two sons to finish their last words with
Martin.

"Well, young ladies," said he, "this is fine drilling, in patience at
least. I only wish my wheat may be as well drilled with Uncle Roger's
new-fangled machines."

"That is right, grandpapa," said Queen Bee; "you hate them as much as I
do, don't you now?"

"She is afraid they will make honey by steam," said grandpapa, "and
render bees a work of supererogation."

"They are doing what they can towards it," said Beatrice. "Why, when Mr.
Carey took us to see his hives, I declare I had quite a fellow-feeling
for my poor subjects, boxed up in glass, with all their privacy
destroyed. And they won't even let them swarm their own way--a most
unwarrantable interference with the liberty of the subject."

"Well done, Queenie," said Mr. Langford, laughing; "a capital champion.
And so you don't look forward to the time when we are to have our hay
made by one machine, our sheep washed by another, our turkeys crammed by
a third--ay, and even the trouble of bird-starving saved us?"

"Bird-starving!" repeated Henrietta.

"Yes; or keeping a few birds, according to the mother's elegant
diminutive," said Beatrice, "serving as live scarecrows."

"I should have thought a scarecrow would have answered the purpose,"
said Henrietta.

"This is one that is full of gunpowder, and fires off every ten
minutes," said grandpapa; "but I told Uncle Roger we would have none
of them here unless he was prepared to see one of his boys blown up at
every third explosion."

"Is Uncle Roger so very fond of machines?" said Henrietta.

"He goes about to cattle shows and agricultural meetings, and comes home
with his pockets crammed with papers of new inventions, which I leave
him to try as long as he does not empty my pockets too fast."

"Don't they succeed, then?" said Henrietta.

"Why--ay--I must confess we get decent crops enough. And once we
achieved a prize ox,--such a disgusting overgrown beast, that I could
not bear the sight of it; and told Uncle Roger I would have no more such
waste of good victuals, puffing up the ox instead of the frog."

Henrietta was not quite certain whether all this was meant in jest or
earnest; and perhaps the truth was, that though grandpapa had little
liking for new plans, he was too wise not to adopt those which possessed
manifest advantage, and only indulged himself in a good deal of pl