MAKING READY 



Is largely dependent on the physical state, and 

 that is never at the best in the shop, the office, or 

 the drawing-room. It is, then, worth while to 

 have a yard, and use it, if only to forget stocks 

 and crimes and bills and government. If the 

 victim is disposed to tempers, he can wreak them 

 on the weeds, the time never having been, nor 

 destined to be, when his yard will be free from 

 these vegetable upstarts. And the cleaner he can 

 keep it from these intruders, the more ample 

 his self-complacency, and the more his enjoy- 

 ment of its acquired and natural scenery. 



And one can do a surprising deal with his 

 yard if he will tend it with affection and humility. 

 Why, if it came to a tussle with hard fortune he 

 could partly outwit adversity by selling his flow- 

 ers and raising vegetables. Don't cry out upon 

 me. If you have ever farmed one, you know 

 that I speak within bounds when I say that out 

 of an ordinary city yard you could grow enough 

 to keep a family for a month. The family might 

 complain a little, and would probably desire 

 to exchange some of the crop for eggs, dairy- 

 products or champagne, yet there would be va- 

 riety. You should have asparagus, lettuce, cel- 



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