be thankful,
while the two men went away, Brown observing, "One can scarce turn 'em
out, poor things, but such a mere lubber as that boy is can do no good!
If the elder one had thought fit to stay and mind his own business now!"

"A good riddance, I say," returned Blane. "Stead's a good-hearted lad,
though clownish, and I'll do what I can for him."

CHAPTER IX. WINTRY TIMES.

"Thrice welcome may such seasons be,
But welcome too the common way,
The lowly duties of the day."

There was of course much to do. Steadfast visited his hoard and took
from thence enough to purchase churn, spinning wheel, and the few tools
that he most needed; but it was not soon that Patience could sit down to
spin. That must be for the winter, and their only chance of light was in
making candles.

Rusha could gather the green rushes, though she could not peel them
without breaking them; and Patience had to take them out of her hands
and herself strip the white pith so that only one ribbon of green was
left to support it.

The sheep, excepting a few old ewes, were always sold or killed before
the winter, and by Blane's advice, Stead kept only three. The butcher
Oates took some of the others, and helped Stead to dispose of four more
in the market. Two were killed at different intervals for home use, but
only a very small part was eaten fresh, as a wonderful Sunday treat,
the rest was either disposed of among the neighbours, who took it in
exchange for food of other kinds; or else was salted and dried for the
winter's fare, laid up in bran in two great crocks which Stead had been
forced to purchase, and which with planks from the half-burnt house laid
over them served by turns as tables or seats. The fat was melted up in
Patience's great kettle, and the rushes dipped in it over and over again
till they had such a coating of grease as would enable them to be burnt
in the old horn lantern which had fortunately been in the stable and
escaped the fire.

Kind neighbours helped Stead to cut and stack his hay, and his little
field of barley. All the grass he could cut on the banks he also saved
for the animals' winter food, and a few turnips, but these were rare and
uncommon articles only used by the most advanced farmers, and his father
had only lately begun to grow them, nor had potatoes become known except
in the gardens of the curious.

The vexation was that all the manor was called to give their three days'
labou