'No,' said I, with a sudden consciousness that I did not make the
most of what leisure I had.

'No more have I. Father always gets an hour before going a-field
in the mornings, but mother does not like me to get up so early.'

'My mother is always wanting me to get up earlier when I am at
home.'

'What time do you get up?'

'Oh!--ah!--sometimes half-past six: not often though;' for I
remembered only twice that I had done so during the past summer.

She turned her head and looked at me.

'Father is up at three; and so was mother till she was ill. I
should like to be up at four.'

'Your father up at three! Why, what has he to do at that hour?'

'What has he not to do? He has his private exercise in his own
room; he always rings the great bell which calls the men to
milking; he rouses up Betty, our maid; as often as not he gives
the horses their feed before the man is up--for Jem, who takes
care of the horses, is an old man; and father is always loth to
disturb him; he looks at the calves, and the shoulders, heels,
traces, chaff, and corn before the horses go a-field; he has
often to whip-cord the plough-whips; he sees the hogs fed; he
looks into the swill-tubs, and writes his orders for what is