degrees in the shade--accosted me with--"Does yer honor want to hire a
boy to-day?"

He stood at least six feet in his stockings.

"What can you do, and what makes you wear that great coat this hot
weather?"

"Why, sure, yer honour, it's a good un to keep out the heat, and I can
do almost anything."

"Can you log, chop, or fence?"

"No."

"Can you plough?"

"No; but I think I could soon larn."

"Can you mow or cradle wheat?"

"I can mow a trifle, but I don't know what the other thing is at all,
at all."

"Pray, then, what can you do?"

"Well, then, yer honour, I am illigant at the spade entirely."

"What wages do you expect?"