Litchfield enquirer., 1875-02-04
[a'rom the Allan ic Mafthly.l TWO GIRLS THAT TRIED FARMnshC.

TWO GIRLS THAT TRIED FARhHikc.
 Dorothea Alice Sheperd aud Louise Bnrney q. Fate. .t-z
 Yes, that was the Way the Case stood. We were making She fight. - ....,.-fTt <s' We-oftef -wJffler now that we dared. Bnt success IS enervatIng. Our neeus gave ms the requisite intensity then
 I suppose fate and folks thought we were very we'll off as We were-LoulSe as hOusemaid ln a family where she Was ''as good as anybody and l as district school teacher; at least, 1 know that Ill the first of the struggle the sympathy was all on the wrong side It IS very fine thing now that we have succeeded; but there were days and times when-well, never mind! 1t is little matter since we have succeeded, have accomplished nearly everything which they predicted we never could do. =.
 I was a district scLool-teacher, and Louise hired girl, as I-said. People who have become interested i'll us since our success say we are each the others complement. Perhaps. Ever since we were tiny schoolgirls we had owned in joint proprietorship many Spanish castles, where we chiefly stayed when together. as neither of us had any other 6oaa-fde home. But the time came when, instead of reading and romancing together, we spent our hours Tn scolding over our lot. I suppose, indeed, that had we been mem bers of the International, or the Com mune, inrtead of pair of harmless Yan- kee girls, we could not have discussed the problems of work and property much more fiercely than We did. We wanted a home, we wanted to be our own mistress es, we wanted living that should be in- dependent of the likes, disIikes, and ca- prices of others.
 We read up the subject of labor, talked over every branch we had known women permitted to try. We turned from all the traditional industries of our sex; we knew those ancient avenues were crowded. Louise would have liked to take step up. 1T should prefer something that would take us among books, shouldn t you, DolIy?" If we only had money we would begin little store; books on one side, with nice news counter, and on the other side, bottles and drugs. Don't you think so. Dolly, some day?"
 But Dolly knew two ladies, tired out teachers, who were doing just that; and she knew the amount of debt incurred in addition to the capital invested.
 Then, in her desperation, Louise would resolve she must save her wages and ed ucate herself as teacher of mathematics, while I should perfect my French and drawing. eff I could, don't you think we might get hired in the same school, Dolly?"
 My poor Louise! there has always been the matter with her head where figures are concerne6 When she sets the basket of eggs in the wagon I always inquire if the ''little pencil" is in the pock- et-book. It always IS, for-careful little soul-she wouldn't be the one to peril our precious gains by trusting to Q mental of eleven dozens at thirteen cents per dozen.
 But finally, when good plan and capi- tai to carry it out both seemed impossible, both the plan and the capital suddenly turned up." g. s..-
 A .maiden sister of Louise, who. as had saved up eight hundred dollars, died and left the sum intact ''to us," as Louise was pleased to say. And one day soon after, she laid down the New York Tribune, and said, "Det us go West!'
 It was meant as merry jest; but it was breeze to blow the tendril of vague fancy of mine round ''happy thought" which I suppose many other women have tried to chamber up by.
 "Lou, why not?" I exclaimed at once. Why not go West and buy Q bit of land and raise small fruits for the markets?"
 In few moments we had talked our- selves brave and eager, not so much over the work as over the happiness; tile plan presented itself to us as idyl, pastoral, holiday, picnic. 'sThat would be home and independence beyond any of the oth- CT plans, D said Lou. Just you and I, and nobody to deal with but Dame Ma turew
 I went back to my boarding place. I read and reflected. Unfortunately for our project, I had a genins for details, and now it came into baleful activity. I stay ed away from Louise until there was not a shred of our bright plan left. Friday she sent me note, and Saturday night I went up to see her.
 She took me up into her room, turned me round, looked me attentively in the face. Dolly, what have you turned down the lights for? Are mt we going to raise small fruits? or did I dream it?"
 "Lou, do you know how long it takes to bring strawberries into profitable bear ing, and raspberries too?"
 ''I believe strawberries bear in June, and raspberries some time,in July-why?" she innocently. Fl suppose we should set them early in the spring."
 ''Lou Burney, We should have to wait as good as two years!' l cried. ''Yes, and then, unless we were supernaturally early in market, the bulk of our crops would go at ten cents per quart. I've market reports through old pa- pers until I'm perfectly certain the mar ketSeverywhere must be overstocked. It is not safe to stake our interests ill such an enterprise. We should have to pro- duce enormous crops to make it busi- ness worth while. And 1t isn't likely two ignorant girls could do that,-not at first: and since, meantime, two ignorant girls must live, they had better beware"
 'Oh, Dolly! do you mean to say all our And you were so sure! How could you?' ing round!' I replied, rather grossly. for NAo tAS OodAy 0ASoPPoiASCu aS ouSs
 Men say we have no business instinct, Louise and are far more inclined to be lieve that now than at first. It is woman like to seize blindly hold of somebody's happy thought and endeavor to realize it under the most absurd circumstances. If you could only hear the plans that lone, energetic women have submitted to us! Still, we don't think 1t is the fault of sex, so much as of training. For just one cen tury give the generations of women the active life of men, and we shall not make these mistakes.
 Louise looked up at last so respectfully. '1 believe I'd rather We hadn't found out. and gone on and tried it, it was such a nice plan: you and I with house of our own-it was next thing to being birds and living in a. nest. I would rather have tried it, and lived so awhile, even if we failed at last. Oh, Dolly, can't we? it wouldn't take much just for you and me just two girls; how could it?''
 ''For one day 1t wouldn't take much: but for year, even one year, have you any idea what it would cost?"
 :'No, Dolly. I haven't, that know of. But you have, I see. understand that