We brought the cows home to the corner
nearest the barn, and the boys milked them
while night came on. Everything was as it
should be: the strong smell of sunflowers and
ironweed in the dew, the clear blue and gold
of the sky, the evening star, the purr of the
milk into the pails, the grunts and squeals
of the pigs fighting over their supper. I began
to feel the loneliness of the farm-boy at
evening, when the chores seem everlastingly
the same, and the world so far away.

What a tableful we were at supper; two
long rows of restless heads in the lamplight,
and so many eyes fastened excitedly upon An-
tonia as she sat at the head of the table, fill-
ing the plates and starting the dishes on their
way. The children were seated according to
a system; a little one next an older one, who
was to watch over his behavior and to see
that he got his food. Anna and Yulka left
their chairs from time to time to bring fresh
plates of _kolaches_ and pitchers of milk.

After supper we went into the parlor, so
that Yulka and Leo could play for me. An-
tonia went first, carrying the lamp. There
were not nearly chairs enough to go round,
so the younger children sat down on the bare

[[391]]

p390 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p391w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p392

v?