12 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



idea took form before we were born; for each 

 of us came of a long line of home-makers. It 

 was in our blood. We might differ about 

 other things, but never about that. For both 

 of us home was life's one great essential. It 

 wasn't merely a pretty sentiment; it was a 

 ruling passion. 



We were agreed in this, too: We would 

 never compromise our vision; we would never 

 let life offer us something "just as good" and 

 accept it as the real thing. We should know a 

 counterfeit when we saw it. We might have to 

 accept postponement and maybe ultimate de- 

 feat; but we'd go down with our colors nailed 

 to the masthead. Talk about fixed ideas 1 We 

 certainly had one of 'em. 



Before ever we set pencil to paper with the 

 first scrawled sketch, we had the picture in 

 our minds. Wide spaces that was the es- 

 sence of it. It wouldn't answer at all that we 

 should have just any sort of roof over our 

 heads and then let the spirit of contentment 

 do the rest. It wouldn't do at all that we 

 should just "take a house," live in it till we 

 were tired, and then swap it for another, on 

 the chance of by and by finding something 

 that would suit us well enough. We didn't 



