And the new-comer was no ordinary person.

He seemed to have all the woe of the world upon him; he was as sad and weird-looking as a widow out in the wet.
In the yard was a large heap of firewood--remarkable truth!--which Dad told him to chop up.

He began.

And how he worked! The axe rang again--particularly when it left the handle--and pieces of wood scattered everywhere.

Dad watched him chopping for a while, then went with Dave to pull corn.
For hours the man chopped away without once looking at the sun.