The Hired Hand was Johnnie's oracle. His auguries were infallible; from
his decisions there was no appeal. The wisdom of experienced age was
his, and he always stood willing to impart it to the youngest. No
question was too trivial for him to consider, and none too abstruse for
him to answer. He did not tell Johnnie to "never mind" or wait until he
grew older, but was ever willing to pause in his work to explain things.
And his oracular qualifications were genuine. He had traveled--had even
been as far as the State Fair; he had read--from _Robinson Crusoe_ to
_Dick the Dead Shot_, and, more than all, he had meditated deeply.

The Hired Hand's name was Eph. Perhaps he had another name, too, but if
so it had become obsolete. Far and wide he was known simply as Eph.

Eph was generally termed "a cur'ous feller," and this characterization
applied equally well to his peculiar appearance and his inquiring
disposition. In his confirmation nature had evidently sacrificed her
love of beauty to a temporary passion for elongation. Length seemed to
have been the central thought, the theme, as it were, upon which he had
been composed. This effect was heightened by generously broad hands and
feet and a contrastingly abbreviated chin. The latter feature caused his
countenance to wear in repose a decidedly vacant look, but it was seldom
caught reposing, usually having to bear a smirk of some sort.

Eph's position in the Winkle household was as peculiar as his
personality. Nominally he was a hired servant, but, in fact, from his
own point of view at least, he was Mr. Winkle's private secretary and
confidential adviser. He had been on the place "ever sence old Fan was a
yearlin'," which was a long while, indeed; and had come to regard