MY FARM OF EDGEWOOD 



But while I was thus compelled to discard 

 certain propositions at their first suggestion, 

 there were others which wore such a roseate 

 hue as challenged scrutiny and compelled a 

 visit. Thus, a very straightforward and busi- 

 ness-like letter from a Wall-street agent in- 

 formed me that his esteemed client, Mr. Van 

 Heine, "was willing to dispose of a consid- 

 erable country property thirty miles from the 

 city, in a favorable location. The house was 

 not large or expensive, possibly not extensive 

 enough; there was old wood upon the place, 

 the surface charmingly diversified, and in ad- 

 dition to other requisites, it possessed a mill 

 site, mill, and small body of water, which, in 

 the hands of taste, he had no doubt," &c., &c. 



The agent regretted that he could give me 

 no definite information in regard to the exact 

 size of the property, or terms of sale, but 

 begged me to pay a visit to the place before 

 deciding. 



The description, though not particularly 

 definite, was yet sufficiently piquant and sug- 

 gestive to induce me to comply with the hint 

 of the agent. I liked the man's nomenclature 

 —"a considerable country property"; it con- 

 veyed an impression of dignified quiet and re- 

 tirement. The dwelling was probably a mod- 



24 



