AdamonaWorkingDayNOTWITHSTANDINGMr。Craig’sprophecy，thedark-blueclouddisperseditselfwithouthavingproducedthethreatenedconsequences。\"Theweather\"——asheobservedthenextmorning——
\"theweather，yousee，’saticklishthing，an’afool’ullhiton’tsometimeswhenawisemanmisses；that’swhythealmanecksgetsomuchcredit。It’soneo’themchancythingsasfoolsthriveon。\"
Thisunreasonablebehaviouroftheweather，however，coulddispleasenooneelseinHayslopebesidesMr。Craig。Allhandsweretobeoutinthemeadowsthismorningassoonasthedewhadrisen；thewivesanddaughtersdiddoubleworkineveryfarmhouse，thatthemaidsmightgivetheirhelpintossingthehay；andwhenAdamwasmarchingalongthelanes，withhisbasketoftoolsoverhisshoulder，hecaughtthesoundofjocosetalkandringinglaughterfrombehindthehedges。Thejocosetalkofhay-makersisbestatadistance；likethoseclumsybellsroundthecows’necks，ithasratheracoarsesoundwhenitcomesclose，andmayevengrateonyourearspainfully；butheardfromfaroff，itminglesveryprettilywiththeotherjoyoussoundsofnature。Men’smusclesmovebetterwhentheirsoulsaremakingmerrymusic，thoughtheirmerrimentisofapoorblunderingsort，notatalllikethemerrimentofbirds。
Andperhapsthereisnotimeinasummer’sdaymorecheeringthanwhenthewarmthofthesunisjustbeginningtotriumphoverthefreshnessofthemorning——whenthereisjustalingeringhintofearlycoolnesstokeepofflanguorunderthedeliciousinfluenceofwarmth。ThereasonAdamwaswalkingalongthelanesatthistimewasbecausehisworkfortherestofthedaylayatacountry-houseaboutthreemilesoff，whichwasbeingputinrepairforthesonofaneighbouringsquire；andhehadbeenbusysinceearlymorningwiththepackingofpanels，doors，andchimney-
pieces，inawaggonwhichwasnowgoneonbeforehim，whileJonathanBurgehimselfhadriddentothespotonhorseback，toawaititsarrivalanddirecttheworkmen。