Summary

The story reverts back to Black Swamp, in the months after the first section of this novel. This section picks up just after the events described about James and Sadie Goodenough and their constant bickering over the apple trees. The section opens with the family suffering their seasonal fight with swamp fever. This time, James and Sadie are both in bed, as are three of the other children, leaving Robert and Martha to take care of all the work on the farm. It is a serious time of the year with crops ready for harvest. Robert is only nine, but is doing the work of an adult. Hattie Day steps in to help Martha with the canning and John Day has been helping with the outside work. James feels they are accepting too much help from the Days, who have...