Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-01-09
ON AN ABANDONED FARM.
Means of Transportation and
other Practical Matters.

try home.
Il shall touch briefly on the prac-
tical aspects of the case. / had feared
at first to have to spend half my time
hurrying to the market-town to pro-
vision the family, and | thought it
worth doing even then. But, quite
to the contrary, the housekeeping
has proved to be even easier han in
town. This is much due TO the daily
stage. Though a numbering, slow
conveyance for travel or for bringing
out ones friends to the farm, it is a
capital for procuring sup
plies. We signal it by a blue placard
swung out of the window, and it
stops under our maple-trees by eve
in the morning. The amiable driver
takes a prepared list, and he is back
again before noon, bringing, say,
meat from the butcher's-and of ex-
cellent quality, too, even by town
standards-fruit and confectionery,
a new broom and some cotton cloth
for the servant, embroidery-thread
for the mistress, light lumber and
cans of paint for this %deponent, and
a drum for the son of the house. For
such miscellaneous shopping his own
charge is about ten cents. The stage
driver is the Mercury, the special
providence, of the dwellers all along
his line. An old woman awaits to
give him huckleberries to sell, an
other hands up an old saucepan to
be soldered. The complete history
Of one Of his trips would make an in
structive and amusing compendium
of rural existence. Besides this re-
source, other butchers, bakers, fish
men and fruit-men, too, drive by, on
certain days Of the week, jingle their
little bells at our door, and await
our pleasure.
'The servant question is often al
legged as one of the drawbacks to a
country life, but here again, Judging
from our experience and observation,
we are obliged 20 think the dread is
exaggerated. Our vs. domestic has
followed our fortunes throughout.
"Nora" has plenty of merits, to which
/ here gladly pay tribute, but she
cannot be greatly different from her
kind, and yet, so far from being dis
contented or lonesome" she shows
and declares great satisfaction with
the new life and with the respite
from that Of the city. She likes to
compare the way things are done here
with that of her farmhouse home
in ireland Ito the great advantage
Of the latter. Tt is a pleasure to see
Nora cruising down the shrubbery,
popping ripe raspberries into her
mouth. or sitting in the orchard with
her lap fun of apples; and if the
kitchen fire were not so hot-though
the next time | am going to try one
of the patent stoves hat go with oil
or gasoline-she would get as much
benefit out of it all as the rest of us.
Thus far an epidemic of good health
has prevailed among us all. and we
have had no doctors bills to pay.
"Our experiment has been an IN
mistakable success; the life is agree
able, il is healthy, and it is cheap.
You have noticed that the n con-
clusion reached by nearly all persons
who have passed their summer at the
usual clearinghouse, hotel, or hired
cottage, is that they never want to
90 to that place again. We do not
say that and we do not think It,. We
keep the farm much in mind in the
winter-time, We talk it over with
pleasure, we recall how we used to
watch the birds there, and the fire.
and those larger fireflies, the
and we are anxious to get back
10 it at the earliest moment.
"Such is what one of the improved
methods Of transportation has done
for us. As they become more com
mon, they must influence immensely
the filling up Of the farms with sum
mer residents. Perhaps. indeed. the
next step may be a general scramble
for these farms, and the call upon
those who have not read the signs
81 the times. and seized the occasion
1y the forelock. to pay much higher
prices than those that have hitherto
prevailed.
1--WE won our country home, so to
it, by the bicycle, but we
expect to have to hold il by
he automobile, unless il be by the
rolley, FOR already they talk Of a
ink to connect the two systems
lbove and below us. Why will not
one bring out a motor-car-
for two persons-and a third
light one at a pinch-eosting not
much above 5000. and capable of be-
ne slowed away in small quarters?
such a conveyance is bound TO come
ooner or later. Why not give il to
Is sooner and not later2"
Vfctoria's Royal UncIeS.
Hundreds OF writer's and speakers