WORK ON THE HOME FORTY 161 



rounded with ploughs and scraper, and then 

 covered with gravel. The open slope intended 

 for the lawn was now to be treated. It com- 

 prised about ten acres, irregular in form and 

 surface, and would require a good deal of work 

 to whip it into shape. A lawn need not be per- 

 fectly graded, in fact, natural inequalities with 

 dips and rises are much more attractive ; but we 

 had to take out the asperities. We ploughed it 

 thoroughly, removed all stumps and stones, lev- 

 elled and sloped it as much as pleased Polly, 

 harrowed it twice a week until late August, 

 sowed it heavily to grass seed, rolled it, and 

 left it. 



Polly had the house in her mind's eye. She 

 held repeated conversations with Nelson, and was 

 as full of plans and secrets as she could hold. 

 By agreement, she was to have a free hand to the 

 extent of $15,000 for the house and the carriage 

 barn. I never really examined the plans, though 

 I saw the blue prints of what appeared to be a 

 large house with a driving entrance on the east 

 and a great wide porch along the whole south 

 side. I did not know until it was nearly finished 

 how large, convenient, and comfortable it was to 

 be. A hall, a great living-room, the dining room, 

 a small reception room, and an office, bedroom, 

 and bath for me, were all on the ground floor, 

 besides a huge wing for the kitchen and other 

 useful offices. 



Above stairs there was room for the family 



