HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 175 



"Well, then," my editor said, "let's get some- 

 thing a little different. Get some stories about 

 some of the farmers around here who have 

 made big, quick money at farming. Some- 

 thing splashy and stunning and romantic 

 that's what I want. Go to it !" 



So I went to it ; but I couldn't find a single, 

 solitary story of that sort, either, though I dug 

 and dug and dug. I found well-to-do farmers 

 enough, and some who were comfortably rich; 

 but the only story they could give me was one 

 of patient, persevering thrift, of difficulties 

 mastered by hard thinking and hard work and 

 patience; always patience. 



My editor abandoned his project, but that 

 experience stayed in my memory. I'm inclined 

 to believe it was that experience quite as much 

 as any native good judgment that restrained 

 me from attempting to do impossible things or 

 expecting impossibly quick results. 



But I avow and shall maintain it was good 

 judgment that kept our energies concentrated 

 upon one central and definite plan of opera- 

 tion instead of scattered over many and vari- 

 ous ventures in quest of early cash income. 



For instance, there's potato growing. 

 There's nothing visionary about the potato. 



