COUSIN PHILLIS. 21
and we have an hour for dinner, and then we go at it again till eight or nine."
"Then you have not much time for reading."
"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 earher 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 wanted for food for man and beast; yes, and for fuel, too. And then, if he has a bit of time to spare, he comes in and reads
