FROM CITY TO COUNTRY 173 



gested to Tom and Kate that they should keep 

 open house for us, or any part of us, whenever 

 we were inclined to take advantage of their hos- 

 pitality. This would give us city refuge after 

 late functions of all sorts. The plan has worked 

 admirably. I devote $1200 a year out of the 

 15200 of food-and-shelter money to the support 

 of our city shelter at Kate's house, and the bal- 

 ance, $4000, is entered at the end of each year 

 on the credit side of the farm ledger. Nor do I 

 think this in any way unjust. We do not expect 

 to get things for nothing, and we do not wish to. 

 If the things we pay for now are as valuable as 

 those we paid for six or eight years ago, we 

 ought not to find fault with an equal price. I 

 have repeatedly polled the family on this ques- 

 tion, and we all agree that we have lost nothing 

 by the change, and that we have gained a great 

 deal in several ways. Our friends are of like 

 opinion ; and I am therefore justified in credit- 

 ing Four Oaks with a considerable sum for food 

 and shelter. We have bettered our condition 

 without foregoing anything, and without increas- 

 ing our expenses. That is enough. 



