in this, I wandered down to the brook and planned some abridgment of its meanderings.  It could be straightened and kept within bounds without great expense if the work were done in a dry season.  Polly had asked for a winding brook with a fringe of willows and dogwood, but I would not make this concession to her esthetic taste.  This farm land must be useful to the sacrifice of everything else.  A winding brook would be all right on the home lot, if it could be found, but not on the farm.  A straight ditch for drainage was all that I would permit, and I begrudged even that.  No waste land in the cultivated fields, was my motto.  I had threshed this out with Polly and she had yielded, after stipulating that I must keep my hands off the home forty.

Over in the woods I found two men at work splitting fence posts.  They seemed expert, and I asked them how many they could make in a day.

“From 90 to 125, according to the timber.  But we must work hard to make good wages.”

“That applies to other things besides post-splitting, doesn’t it?”

Closer inspection of the wood lot gratified me exceedingly.  Little had been done for it except by Nature, but she had worked with so prodigal a hand that it showed all kinds of possibilities, both for beauty and for utility.  Before leaving the place, I had a little talk with Nelson.

“Everything is going on nicely,” he said.  “I have ten carpenters, and they are a busy lot.  If I can only hold them on to the job, things will go well.”

“What’s the matter?  Can’t you hold them?”

“I hope so, but there is a hoisters’ strike on in the city, and the carpenters threaten to go out in sympathy.  I hope it won’t reach us, but I’m afraid it will.”

“What will you do if the men go out?”

“Do the best I can.  I can get two non-union men that I know of.  They would like to be on this job now, but these men won’t permit it.  My son is a full hand, so there will be four of us; but it will be slow work.”

“See here, Nelson, I can’t have this work slack up.  We haven’t time.  Cold weather will be on before we know it.  I’m going to take this bull by the horns.  I’ll advertise for carpenters in the Sunday papers.  Some of those who apply will be non-union men, and I’ll hold them over for a few days until we see how the cat jumps.  If it comes to the worst, we can get some men to take the place of Thompson and Sam, who are carpenters, and set them at the tools.  I will not let this work stop, strike or no strike.”

“If you put non-union men on you will have to feed and sleep them on the place.  The union will make it hot for them.”

“I will take all kinds of care of every man who gives me honest work, you may be sure.”