It was warm summer, and he was used to going barefoot, even to Sunday-school, from which he was now returning.

Over the hot, dry grass of the fields there swayed at frequent intervals the heads of California wild oats.

One such stem grew near the road, and Martin, with a quick sweep of his hand, pulled off the wild oat heads and went on through the dusty road, scattering the oats as he walked.
Martin was thinking.
"Teacher doesn't know how 'tis," he said.

"I have to carry 'round milk mornings and nights, and I have to go down to the barn to hunt eggs, and I have to help pa about the stage horses, and sometimes I have to ride the horses back to be shod, and I have to walk a mile to day-school and back, and learn my lessons, and I'd like to know how teacher thinks I've got much time to read the Bible some every day.

There's lots of days I don't believe pa reads any in the Bible.
He's too busy driving the stage and 'tending to the horses.