PROFIT AND Loss. 153 



The profits of my first year were not large, but 

 sufficient to induce me to continue the experiment. 

 There may be some few items of expense, such as 

 neglect of business, which are omitted ; but the 

 amount is difficult to compute, and rather too re 

 mote, as we lawyers say, for the business might have 

 been neglected in any event. The mink skin was 

 taken at a bad season of the year for the fur ; it is 

 included among the annual receipts as an offset to 

 the chickens, and in the confident expectation that 

 if another mink were to do similar damage he would 

 suffer the same fate. The clear profit may be set 

 down at $1000 in round numbers, which was entire 

 ly satisfactory, considering the unusual difficulties 

 that presented themselves, and which more experi 

 ence and less drought would probably remove in 

 succeeding years. It will be observed that the costs 

 of suit are included, although the case is not yet 

 tried; but as it is a question involving a long ac 

 count of many items, and is brought by a lawyer, 

 the judge will probably refer it to another lawyer, 

 who will undoubtedly perceive the justice of the 

 claim. The amount of both recovery and costs is 

 rather understated, if any thing. This is a source of 

 profit that could only be counted on by one of the 

 profession ; a non-professional would probably find 



G 2 



