work of taking care of the stock, he took a half-bushel measure, and
several bags, and went into the granary. The granary was a small, square
building, with narrow boards and wide cracks between them on the south
side. The building itself was mounted on posts at the four corners, with
flat stones upon the top of the posts, for the corners to rest upon.

The open work upon the side was to let the air in, to dry the corn; and
the high posts and the flat stones were to keep the mice from getting in
and eating it up.

Jonas put a short board across the top of the half-bushel, and sat upon
it. Then he began taking the corn and shelling it off from the cob, by
rubbing it against the edge of the board. As he sat thus at work, he
occasionally looked up, and he could see out of the open door of the
granary, into the farm-yards.

It was a very pleasant morning. The sun shone beautifully; and now and
then a drop fell from the roof on the south side of the barn. The cattle
were standing, basking in the sun, in the barn-yard, and in the sheds,
where the sun could shine in upon them. The whole area of the barn-yard
was trodden smooth and hard by the footsteps of the cattle; and broad
and smooth paths had been worn in every direction, about the house.
Behind the barn was a large sheep-yard, also well worn with the
footsteps of the sheep. A great many sheep were there,--now and then
eating hay from a long rack, which extended across the yard.

When Jonas had shelled out the corn, he carried the bags, and put them
into the sleigh, which was generally used in going to mill. Then he
locked the granary, and put the key away, and afterwards went to the
barn, and opened the great doors, which led in to the barn floor. He