“Now you see what I meant when I told you there were plenty of good friends for you not far from here!” she cried. “As soon as I told Jud what trouble you were in he thought of this, and in half an hour he’d got promises from all the men to put in a day’s work fixing up a new house for you.”
Mrs. Pratt seemed too dazed to speak.
“But they can’t finish a whole house in one day!” declared Margery.
“They can’t paint it, and put up wall paper and do everything, Margery,” said Eleanor. “That’s true enough. But they can do a whole lot. You’re used to thinking of city buildings, and that’s different. In the country one or two men usually build a house, and build it well, and when there are twenty or thirty, why, the work just flies, especially when they’re doing the work for friendship, instead of because they’re hired to do it. Oh, just you wait!”
“Have you ever seen this before?”
“I certainly have! And you’re going to see sights to-morrow that will open your eyes, I can promise you. You know what it’s like, Bessie, don’t you? You’ve seen house raisings before?”
“I certainly have,” said Bessie. “And it’s fine. Everyone helps and does the best he can, and it seems no time at all before it’s all done.”
“Well, we’ll do our share,” said Eleanor. “The men will be hungry, and I’ve promised that we’ll feed them.”