~5- matter of six years; consequently,those chores fell to my lot. They included carrying in stove wood; bringing water from the well -- a major assignment on wash-days; driving cattle to and from pasture; forking down hay from the lofts; carrying bedding for the cattle; helping pick garden vegetables; collecting eggs; running errands to the store, and any additional thing that might require doing. With increasing age and size, came newer and heavier duties; cleaning stables, cutting turnips and mangel: for the stock; loading and firing the big boiler to cook potatoes and t-:21 turnips for the always hungry hogs. We had twelve milking cows; when I had acquired a fair degree of proficiency in this department, three of them were allotted to my care. .

Later, greatly against my will I was assigned a fourth -- a temperament- al Holstein, a redoubtable kicker with either hind foot. My father had devised various phecas of harness which he hoped would restrain her, but these were only partially successful. It became apparent that there was no alternative to fattening her for slaughter, but, before the fatal decision had actually been made, someone suggested that I try to milk her. To our amazement, she stood placidly, without even a hint. of a threatening move ~ ment. Next milking, the harness was removed, but none of the customary fireworks materialized; she had suddenly become the gentlest animal in the herd. From that time forward, I had a twice-daily, seven-day-weekly task which I performed without encountering the slighest difficulty with the erstwhile outlaw. However, when several years later I went away to school, she promptly reverted to her old style and had to be disposed of.

In addition to the chores, there was always the duty of preparing schooi lessons, if unpleasant results were to be avoided. All in all, there were . few leisure moments, except on Saturdays when it was sometimes possible to slip away to the brook for an hour or so with a fishing pole. I don't

recall being more than momentarily resentful of the never-ending round of