"Why both, to tell you the truth. I want bands and teams, for that matter, for I have only two, and I suppose there is no time to be lost. And I want very much to get a person thoroughly acquainted with the business to go along with my man. He is an Irishman, and I am afraid not very well accustomed to the ways of doing things here."
"Like enough," said Seth; " and the worst of 'em is, you can't learn 'em."
"Well! can you help me?"
"Mr. Douglass!" said Seth, raising his voice to speak to one of his assistants who was approaching them "Mr. Douglass! you're holding that 'ere plough a little too obleekly for my grounds."
"Very good, Mr. Plumfield!" said the person called upon, with a quick accent that intimated, "If you don't know what is best, it is not my affair!" the voice very peculiar, seeming to come from no lower than the top of his throat, with a guttural roll of the words.
"Is that Earl Douglass?" said Fleda.
"You remember him?" said her cousin, smiling. "He's just where he was, and his wife too. Well, Mr. Rossitur, 'tain't very easy to find what you want just at this season, when most folks have their hands full, and help is all taken up. I'll see if I can't come down and give you a lift myself with the ploughing, for a day or two, as I'm pretty beforehand with the spring, but you'll want more than that. I ain't sure I haven't more hands than I'll want myself, but I think it is possible Squire Springer may spare you one of his'n. He aint taking in any new land this year, and he's got things pretty snug; I guess he don't care to do any more than common, anyhow, you might try. You know where uncle Joshua lives, Fleda? Well, Philetus what now?"
They had been slowly walking along the fence towards the furthest of Mr. Plumfield's coadjutors, upon whom his eye had been curiously fixed as he was speaking a young man who was an excellent sample of what is called "the raw material." He had just come to a sudden stop in the midst of the furrow when his employer called to him; and he answered, somewhat lack-a- daisically
"Why, I've broke this here clavis: I ha'n't touched anything nor nothing, and it broke right in teu!"
"What do you 'spose 'll be done now?" said Mr. Plumfield, gravely, going up to examine the fracture.