FINDING THE PLACE 21 



social life, and most people cannot afford to neglect 

 it. Only those who have large libraries and peculiar 

 facilities in the way of culture can get along without 

 the weekly meeting. Even to this class there is a 

 good deal lost. 



As for neighbors they are a good deal what we 

 make them, as a rule, yet after all there are neighbor- 

 hoods where one would not like to cast in his lot. I 

 advise you to know a little at least about this matter 

 before you decide on your purchase. 



A good brook is money and joy in one, and I think 

 so much of a beautiful stream of water that I should 

 count it a very important item in selecting a country 

 home. It is half of life to children, turning their 

 mimic water wheels, and it will come very handy 

 to irrigate your strawberries and help you through 

 a drought that threatens to destroy your garden. 

 The talking of a brook will put a lot of poetry into 

 your daily life, and I can easily imagine how the 

 mother of the household will find a bend where she 

 can place her easy chair, and, under a beech or an 

 apple tree, let the rippling and the singing sweeten 

 her thoughts and drive away care. 



Then again the time is coming when every farmer 

 who can command a bit of water power will have his 

 own plant for electric lighting and a good deal of 

 machine work. At any rate, he may carry it to his 

 barns as water power, or to his house, to be used in 

 case of fire, or possibly provide pure spring water 

 for consumption. In any case, look about to see if 



