on the subject, he laughingly said that he "couldn't see to go to
sleep without his specs".

"Well, neighbor Walton, so the cow's sick?" he said, opening the
outer door without ceremony.

"Yes, Elihu, she looks down in the mouth. I hope you can save her."

"I kin tell better when I've seen the critter. When you've got
through breakfast, we'll go out to the barn."

"I've got through now," said Mr. Walton, whose anxiety for the cow
had diminished his appetite.

"May I go too, father?" asked Harry, rising from the table.

"Yes, if you want to."

The three went out to the small, weather-beaten building which
served as a barn for the want of a better. It was small, but still
large enough to contain all the crops which Mr. Walton could raise.
Probably he could have got more out of the land if he had had means
to develop its resources; but it was naturally barren, and needed
much more manure than he was able to spread over it.

So the yield to an acre was correspondingly small, and likely, from
year to year, to grow smaller rather than larger.

They opened the small barn door, which led to the part occupied by
the cow's stall. The cow was lying down, breathing with difficulty.