The blade of the hoe was long, and it seemed very heavy. The girl was digging up the ground by standing upon the part which she had already dug and striking the hoe down into the hard ground a few inches back from where she had struck before.
"Do the women work in the fields every where in Switzerland, Henry?" said Mr. George.
The guide's name was Henry. He could not speak English, but he spoke French and German. Mr. George addressed him in French.
"Yes, sir," said Henry; "in every part of Switzerland where I have been."
"In America the women never work in the fields," said Mr. George.
"Never?" asked Henry, surprised.
"No," said Mr. George; "at least, I never saw any."
"What do they do, then," asked Henry, "to spend their time?"
Mr. George laughed. He told Rollo, in English, that he did not think he had any satisfactory answer at hand in respect to the manner in which the American ladies spent their time.
"I pity that poor girl," said Rollo, "hoeing all day on such hard ground. I think the men ought to do such work as that."