The Republican journal., 1875-04-01

'For one day it wouldn't take much
but tor a year, even one year, have yor
any idea what it would cost ?"
''No, Dolly, | haven't that l know of
But you have, l see. | understand that
look; you're going to bear down on me
now with a column of fguresr'
Yes. In my pocket had a newspaper
slip whose figures aud statistics might
well deter one from waiting to grow Der.
ries. 1t was a compilation from the re-
port Of some labor commission, giving
the average cost Of living Of the individ-
uals of ordinary families.
One hundred and thirty-two dollars and
thirty-thr cents.
1.-Two hundred and sixty-four dollars
and sixty-six cents?" she exclaimed
"No, Dolly, we couldn't live while we
waited, if this is correct. The berry plan
must be for women who have something
to subsist them while they wait we must
have something to sell ri ght away"
She took up the slip again, and looked
over the items. "How much the small
things cost those which people who
have them never count among the ex-
penses of living-milk and eggs and but
ter and vegetables. I was thinking OF
only meats and the flour. Dear me,
Dolly, we couldn't, for we should have
nothing in the world left after we had
bought any sort of a place. 10 accom-
plish anything, we ought to have all such
things without buying. Why don't you
say something, Dolly p' she asked me at
last.
II can't. Not now. I'm thinking I'll
come again in three days Then, l be-
lieve | shall have plenty to say
Lou caught me by both hands. "'You
mean things when you look like this,
Dolly Shepherd what is it ?"
But | broke away from her, not letting
too much hope creep into my smile,
either | felt, indeed, that now had
seized upon what CASTELAR, calls " the
Saving Idea But l always like to dis
sect flash. Until had studied it in de-
tail, l could not tell My mind was in
confusion, with my thoughts all circing
round central idea Could we 90 west
and buy q farm, a real farm?
1t was startling thought to me-a girl
who never had planted hill of corn, OF
hoed hill of potatoes in her life, and who
had hacking cough and a pain in her
side. Still, felt strangely daring. Out
of-doorlte was what needed, and home,
and freedom from anxiety concerning my
daily bread For the first time | could
find certain good in the fact that I was
all alone i'll the world There was nobody,
either Tor Lou or me. to interfere with our
devoting ourselves to the solution of a
problem. If we failed, there was nobody
to be sorry or mortified
Louise did not wait for my mysterious
three days to expire The afternoon of
the second she came down to the school
house Itwas just after had '.dismissed"
"Now" demanded she
Well, had gone through the new plan
in detail, had thought and thought, read
and read, had found there was no sex in
brains; for out of the mass Of agricultural
| reading | saw that even |, had | the
strength, could reduce whatever was per-
tinent to practice. Iresolutely cast money
making o ut of the plan, but believed we
could raise enough for our own needs, and
| thought, ooh, Lou Burney. if we should
be able to establish the fact that women
can buy land and make themselves home
as men do, what q ministry of hope even
our humble lives may become !"
In my earnestness | had tried various
| absurd little experiments In my out-ot-
door strolls | think | had managed to
come upon every farming implement up
on the place. Out Of observation l had
! lifted, dragged, turned, tlourished and
pounded. had pronounced most Of them
as manageable by feminine muscle as the
heavy kettles, washing machines, mat
| tresses, and carpets that belong to wo-
mans indoor work. | had hoed few
stray weeds back of the tool house, q
mullen and burdock, (Which throve
finely thereaiter) and found it as easy as
sweeping, and far daintier than dinner
dish washing.
felt prepared to talk "Well, Lou,n
said. 1--WE will try it very much as we
talked We will even have so.lic berries.
Only we will make our bread and butter
the chief matter, and do whatever else we
can meanwhile. We will take our moneys"
i had three hundred Of my own and
90 up into the great Northwest and make
the best bargain we can for a little farm,
which, however, shall be as big as posi-
BILE, for even at first we must keep a horse
and cow, and pig and some hens. Keep
| ing COW, you know, will enable US to
keep a pig. and therefore it means smoked
ham and sausage for our own table, lard,
milk, cream, and butter AS you said, we
must have something to sell right away.
There will be, as | have planned it, sur
plus of pork, butter, eggs, and poultry,
with which to procure groceries, grains
and sundres. Weshall also raise our own
fruits and vegetables. We can grow corn
to keep our animals, and tor brown bread
for ourselves. We will set out an orchard
and grape arbor, and have a row of bee
hives. Meanwhile. having secured the
means of daily life, have other and great
er plans for a comfortable old age"
These | disclosed. She made no COM
ment upon them, but reverted gravely to
the animals. II should think we might,
Dolly, only the horse? Be sure now,
Dolly, for it would be a great undertak-
ing. You know we would have to keep
a nice one if we kept any, not such one
as women in comic pictures always drive
Be sure, now"
'Yes, [ am We must cultivate our
own corn and potatoes. | can see that in
small farming hiring labor would cost all
the things would come to. Besides, how
could we ever get to mill, or church, OF
store Only by catching rides; our neigh
bors would soon hate u.s."
'Well. then" said Lou, ''let us go.r
Accordingly, we came up into Michigan
to cousin Janet's. Making her hospitable
house our headquarters, we proceeded to
''look land'' like other eastern capitalists
that is cousin Janet's husband took us III
his light wagon to see every farm that was
for sale within ten miles. And it was such
fun-we little midgets to 60 tripping over
magnificent estates of two or three hun
, dred acres, and spying about with only
thousand dollars in our pockets
OF course, we could not buy them; enc
we did not think, so long as we were ION
ly two girls" there was no need Tor sucE
widespread CONSERVATION when we finally
made our choice. However, Lou and
} were of one mind We had resolved tc
keep ourselves to the plan of "mixed
farming" and when the whole of thai
rubbishy, neglected thirty-tve acres was
offered to us by its nonresident owner
for sum quite inside our means, insteac
of turning up our noses at it, we felt it tc
be bit of outspoken triendliness on the
part of Providence, and to the astonish