From Town Drudgery 245 



is the broken-down merchant, tired of meeting 

 notes, tired of the long struggle to ward off 

 bankruptcy, who finally says to himself: "I 

 will sell out my business and with the proceeds 

 buy a strawberry patch, upon which I can raise 

 enough fruit to support my family in comfort." 

 And he does it in the book. Again, it is the 

 family of the merchant who dies bankrupt who 

 give up their city house in order to find pleasure 

 and profit in keeping cows and selling butter 

 at a dollar a pound in the book. I have quite 

 a collection of books written by enthusiasts 

 upon country life, and I know some persons 

 who have acted upon the suggestions given, 

 sometimes with very unfortunate results. But 

 invariably this country life is considered as an 

 asylum. So long as a man can live in the city 

 and pay his notes and buy dresses for the 

 family, it is not for him to think of trying 

 the country. The man who falls behind in the 

 race is advised to retreat to the country and 

 take to strawberry raising. 



I contend that the strawberry raising or 

 whatever out-door work is chosen as a means 

 for making a livelihood should be preferred, 



