iv Preface 



have tried your plan and here we are." 

 Other correspondents have advised me to wait 

 a few years and then acknowledge my folly. 

 Well, I have waited fifteen years without 

 meeting any criticism that I consider destruc- 

 tive of the main thesis of the book namely, 

 that thousands of people pay too much for 

 their money, and that it is possible to make a 

 small income go much further in the purchase 

 of peace, culture, sunshine, and happiness than 

 is commonly thought possible. But I must 

 repeat that the scheme of life outlined in 

 Liberty and a Living is not for every one; it 

 presupposes an uncommon capacity for enjoy- 

 ment in nature, books, and very simple living. 

 The problem is complicated by the question : 

 What is best for the children? Good schools 

 are expensive, and perhaps the best that a 

 father can do for his children at home falls 

 short of school training. 



To my many correspondents I have a word 

 of apology to offer. I could not answer all 

 their letters, many of them long and kindly, 

 and so I made it a rule to answer none. To 

 answer them all would be seriously to curtail 



