OR, WITH BRAINS, SIR. 241 



the way, see what I found at one of the hotels yester- 



So saying, he drew forth a small paper-covered book, 

 " Washburn's Amateur Cultivator's Guide to the Flower 

 and Kitchen Garden." 



" Just what we want," said I. " Fortune favors us slightly, 

 Robert. Come, let us set up for i sass-farmers ' for a sum- 

 mer." 



"Agreed! We will farm for a living for six months. 

 Then we will cast our shells, and come out in our original 

 characters as city-folks." 



So far I have told my story as if I were the ruling spirit 

 in the house. My husband's illness threw nearly all the re- 

 sponsibility of our action on me. As his health returned, I 

 gladly gave up the reins, and henceforth this will be more 

 the record of his doings than of mine, or, better, our doings, 

 for in the new farming enterprise we had an equal share. I 

 tried to carry out to the best of my ability the old-fashioned 

 idea of a woman's being a helpmeet to her husband. At 

 first I imagined in my ignorance that I could aid him directly 

 about our little farm ; but I s.oon found that there was an im- 

 mense deal to be done aside from mere field-work. My share 

 of the duties ultimately became that of house-keeper and 

 accountant. In this I was fully employed. The house-keep- 

 ing part was easy enough, but keeping accurate accounts of 



