356 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



" I don't know why you should, only I remem- 

 ber Lot's wife looked back toward the city." 



" Don't mention that woman ! She didn't 

 know what she wanted. You won't catch me 

 looking toward the city, except once a week for 

 three or four hours, and then I hurry back to the 

 farm to see what has happened in my garden 

 while I've been away." 



" But how about your friends, Polly ? " 



" You know as well as I that we haven't lost 

 a friend by living out here, and that we've tied 

 some of them closer. No, sir ! No more city 

 life for me. It may do for young people, who 

 don't know better, but not for me. It's too re- 

 stricted, and there's not enough excitement." 



" Country life fits us like paper on the wall," 

 said I, "but how about the youngsters? If we 

 insist on keeping children, we must take them 

 into our scheme of life." 



" Of course we must, but children are an un- 

 known quantity. They are x in the domestic 

 problem, and we cannot tell what they stand for 

 until the problem is worked out. I don't see 

 why we can't find the value of x in the country 

 as easily as in the city. They have had city and 

 school life, now let them see country life ; the x 

 will stand for wide experience at least." 



" Jane likes it thus far," said I, " and I think 

 she will continue ; but I don't feel so sure about 

 Jack." 



" You're as blind as a bat or a man. Jane 



