THE CHILDREN 179 



dearly ; but I had given long, hard service to it, 

 and felt that I had earned the right to freedom 

 from its exacting demands. I have never lost 

 interest in this, the noblest of professions, but I 

 had done my share, and was now willing to 

 watch the work of others. In my mind there 

 was no doubt about the desirability of the 

 change. I have always loved the thought of 

 country life, and now that my thoughts were 

 taking material shape, I was keen to push on. 

 Polly looked toward the untrammelled life we 

 hoped to lead with as great pleasure as I. 



But how about the children ? Would it 

 appeal to them with the same force as to us? 

 The children have thus far been kept in the 

 background. I wanted to start my factory farm 

 and to get through with most of its dull details 

 before introducing them to the reader, lest I 

 should be diverted from the business to the 

 domestic, or social, proposition. 



The farm is laid by for the winter, and most 

 of the details needed for a just comprehension of 

 our experiment have been given. From this time 

 on we will deal chiefly with results. We will 

 watch the out-put from the factory, and com- 

 mend or find fault as the case may deserve. 



The social side of life is quite as important as 

 the commercial, for though we gain money, if we 

 lose happiness, what profit have we? Let us 

 study the children to see what chances for happi- 

 ness and good fellowship lie in them. 



