"Chores come heavier when there's snow on the ground, a great sight, especially if there's drifts." And for an instant, with his knotted hands hanging between his knees he pondered this unvarying aspect of his yearly experience.

They all pondered it, sympathetic.
"Well, now, Mr Farquharson," Mrs Crow turned to him.

"An' how reely BE ye?
We've heard better, an' worse, an' middlin'-- there's ben such contradictory reports." "Oh, very well, Mrs Crow.

Never better.

I'm going to give a lot more trouble yet.