As a young lad, Rate realized how content he was living on a farm. There were intriguing places to explore, several animals to tend to, and chores to be done. His favorite animals were Mikey, the driving horse, and Grip, the family dog. His chores consisted of churning butter, hauling kindling for the woodstove, turning the crank on the wringer washer, and going to the corner to fetch the mail.

He knew it was only a matter of time till his pa would let him drive the buggy or a team of horses for field work by himself. This was much more appealing to him than all those "wimmen chores" as he called them. However, one thing Rate never understood was the reason why his folks and grandparents favored his sister Blanche over him. Guessed they mostly didn't care for boys. Peared to him to be the "Setterington way", whether he liked it or not.

The characters' origins are constituted well in conversation, where inflections are present and included authentically. With candor andfirm precision, the Southern turns of phrases and slang result in additional background. Occasions of dithering and heavy pauses further enhance the dialogue, as when Milly constantly pauses as his wife shares her fazed view of their son's antics.