As breakfast was over at such an early hour, Rachel felt justified in taking the spare time to visit the scene of work, and give her opinion on the water garden which was to be. She stood with her hands on her large hips and surveyed the wide depression for a while, then spoke to Mrs. James and any one who was concerned.
“’Pears to me you-all is goin’ to a hull lot of trouble jus’ to fill dis holler wid water. Diden you-all know dat you cud stop up the crick down by the barn and back all the water you want into this place?”
“But the reeds and briars had to be removed, Rachel,” said Mrs. James.
“Jus’ chop ’em down wid a sickle—da’s all,” was the lofty reply.
“We had to get the roots out, too,” added Mrs. James.
“Diden you know dey woul’ rot ef dey was under water a long time?” asked the maid, with astonishment at such ignorance.
“They would sprout before they would decay, and we had to clean off the bog so the roots would come out with the marsh muck,” was Mrs. James’s patient reply.
Rachel made no further comment for she was too intent on watching the girls carrying the well-mixed soil from the banks back into the hollow again. Here they carefully spread out the enriched soil to the depth of about twenty inches.
“Well—sus!” ejaculated Rachel. “Dem gals is carryin’ all dat muck back where Ames tuk it from all dis week!”
“It has been so thoroughly mixed with manure that it is now ready to use for plants. All the roots and rocks have been cleared out of it while it was spread out upon the banks.”