98 FLIGHT FROM THE CITY 



way in which we started out to live, not the fact that 

 we had the capital before we left the city, which ex- 

 plains our possession today of a fairly well-equipped 

 home. If one can lay hands upon just enough with 

 which to start, then a $15,000 homestead should 

 come ultimately by the sheer development which such 

 a way of living makes possible. 



The question, therefore, is not how to secure 

 $15,000, but how to secure enough with which to 

 start. And enough with which to start can be saved 

 by many families, I maintain, in spite of the inequali- 

 ties and injustices of our present social system. How 

 much, then, is really needed in the beginning? That 

 depends in most cases on two things: what sort of in- 

 come from "jobs" the family can depend upon while 

 it is establishing itself, and how much it is willing to 

 endure in the way of hardships for the first year or 

 two. If the income is an average "white collar" salary, 

 hardships can be quickly eliminated. If the income is 

 very much smaller, the original investment must be 

 larger or the family must be willing to endure a rather 

 Spartan regime until the equipment for producing 

 the comforts of country life is gradually purchased. 

 Our own experience illustrates the principles involved. 



When we left the city, we had as capital only the 

 small savings which we had managed to accumulate in 

 spite of the "accidents" which periodically prevent 

 savings accounts from growing as they theoretically 

 should. In addition, I had a salary of $50 per week 

 not a very high one for the post-war period. We 



