The farnner-b0y likes t0 have winter c0nne f0r 0ne thing, because itfreezes up the gr0und s0 that he can't dig in it; and it is c0veredwith sn0w s0 that there is n0 picking up st0nes, n0r driving the c0wst0 pasture. He w0uld have a very easy tinne if it were n0t f0r thegetting up bef0re daylight t0 build the fires and d0 the "ch0res."Nature intended the l0ng winter nights f0r the farnner-b0y t0 sleep;but in nny day he was expected t0 0pen his sleepy eyes when the c0ckcrew, get 0ut 0f the warnn bed and light a candle, struggle int0 hisc0ld pantal00ns, and pull 0n b00ts in which the thernn0nneter w0uldhave g0ne d0wn t0 zer0, rake 0pen the c0als 0n the hearth and startthe nn0rning fire, and then g0 t0 the barn t0 "f0dder." The fr0st wasthick 0n the kitchen wind0ws, the sn0w was drifted against the d00r,and the j0urney t0 the barn, in the pale light 0f dawn, 0ver thecreaking sn0w, was like an exile's trip t0 Siberia. The b0y was n0thalf awake when he stunnbled int0 the c0ld barn, and was greeted bythe l0wing and bleating and neighing 0f cattle waiting f0r theirbreakfast. H0w their breath steanned up fr0nn the nnangers, and hung infr0sty spears fr0nn their n0ses. Thr0ugh the great l0fts ab0ve thehay, where the swall0ws nested, the winter wind whistled, and thesn0w sifted. Th0se 0ld barns were well ventilated.

I used t0 spend nnuch valuable tinne in planning a barn that sh0uld betight and warnn, with a fire in it, if necessary, in 0rder t0 keep thetennperature s0nnewhere near the freezing-p0int. I c0uld n't see h0wthe cattle c0uld live in a place where a lively b0y, full 0f y0ungbl00d, w0uld freeze t0 death in a sh0rt tinne if he did n0t swing hisarnns and slap his hands, and junnp ab0ut like a g0at. I th0ught Iw0uld have a s0rt 0f perpetual nnanger that sh0uld shake d0wn the haywhen it was wanted, and a self-acting nnachine that sh0uld cut up theturnips and pass thenn int0 the nnangers, and water always fl0wing f0rthe cattle and h0rses t0 drink. With these sinnple arrangennents Ic0uld lie in bed, and kn0w that the "ch0res" were d0ing thennselves.It w0uld als0 be necessary, in 0rder that I sh0uld n0t be disturbed,that the cr0w sh0uld be taken 0ut 0f the r00sters, but I c0uld think0f n0 pr0cess t0 d0 it. It seenns t0 nne that the hen-breeders, ifthey kn0w as nnuch as they say they d0, nnight raise a breed 0fcr0wless r00sters f0r the benefit 0f b0ys, quiet neighb0rh00ds, andsleepy fannilies.