A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



old house of nine rooms, two cellars, a summer 

 kitchen, barn, chicken-house, cow shed, small 

 smoke-house, and twelve acres of land, five 

 of which were covered with apple trees. 

 Near the house were three pear trees, four 

 peach, three quinces, two plum trees, and 

 about half an acre divided between straw- 

 berry plants, blackberry and raspberry bushes. 

 It was the haven of our imagination, and could 

 be leased for three years at $180 a year, so 

 that, even after $6 a month had been added 

 for my husband's commutation ticket, there 

 was still a surplus of $19 from the rent of 

 the apartment we were occupying in town, 

 which, of course, was to be used to defray 

 moving expenses and purchase of stock. 

 The latter commenced with the acquisition 

 of an old Plymouth Rock hen, which my 

 nearest neighbor sold me for fifty cents, 

 because, as she put it: 



"The plaguy thing wanted to set afore 

 weather was settled enough to be bothered 

 with chicks." 



3 



