"I like housekeeping. You just go from one thing to another. I'll have some one to cook and peel potatoes and all that. And we'll keep a horse and waggon, and I shall go to ride every day." Janey laughed. "Just now, you had better sew carpet-rags." "And I'll never have any rag carpets. I will give away all the old clothes." "I'm afraid you'll never have much of anything, nor a husband either, Polly Odell," said her mother. "You talk, and leave the rags for Hanny to sew." Polly turned scarlet, and sewed very industriously. "I'd like to see a sewing-machine," began Janey, presently. "How does it go?" "There is a strap around a wheel that is fast to a frame. You put your feet on, so, and just make them go up and down after you have started the wheel with your hand. The needle goes through, and something catches the thread, then it goes through again, and that makes the stitch. It is very curious." "You know a good many things, don't you, Hanny?" said Janey, admiringly. Hanny coloured. "I can beat her all out running, I know; and I'll bet a penny she can't jump over the creek." "And don't you dare her to, Polly. Remember how you fell in. Oh, Hanny, she was a sight to behold!" "Well--it had been raining, and the ground was soft, so I slipped a little on the start. But I've done it time and again." "And you're a regular tomboy. Girls don't train around that way in the city." Janey had begun to rip out the old seam. She sighed a little, and wished she was sewing carpet-rags. That was such easy work. "Hanny sews a great deal faster than you," she said to Polly. "See what a pile she has. I will wind them up." It made quite a ball, and was a little rest from the ripping, that sounded so easy and yet was tedious. But Janey persevered, and finally, after turning about a time or two, came to the middle with a sigh of relief. Polly had been working like a steam-engine for ten minutes, and picked out a good many long pieces, so she had a ball as large as Hanny's. Then they put on their sun-bonnets, and ran down to the Bristows', which was in the turn of the road. There were three girls,--one of nine who was almost as big as Hanny, and the one of eleven, much taller. They all had a good drink of buttermilk: Mrs. Bristow had just been churning. Then they went out to the barn and played "hide-and-seek," and had a noisy, jolly time. They sat down and fanned themselves with their aprons, and presently started out for some blackberries. "There's a German settlement down below, and the children are up here every day picking berries. You can't have anything now, unless it is planted in your own garden. We have some lovely big blackberries, when they get ripe." Then the girls ran a race. Hanny was out of breath presently, and stopped, so did little Kitty Bristow. But Julie Bristow beat in the race. Polly wanted to run again; but the others were tired. Mrs. Bristow gave Janey a beautiful, big pot-cheese to take home; and it was just delicious.