170 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
In October 1896 I had a good offer for my town 
house, and accepted it. I had purchased the 
property eleven years before for $22,000, but, as 
it was in bad condition, I had at once spent 
$9000 on it and the stable. I sold it for $34,000, 
with the understanding that I could occupy it 
for the balance of the year if I wished. 
After selling the house, I calculated the cost 
of the elementary necessities, food and shelter, 
which I had been willing to pay during many 
years of residence in the city. The record ran 
about like this :— 
Interest at 5% on house valued at $34,000 . $1700.00 
Yearly taxeson same . Seria ee 
Insurance ; oe et 
Fuelandlight ©. . . Ss a 
Wages for one man and thine! women . . 1200.00 
Street sprinkling, watchman, etc. o:2 eens ee 
Food, including water, ice, etc. . ‘ - 1550.00 
Making a total of . er 
It cost me $100 a week to shelter and feed my 
family in the city. This, of course, took no ac- 
count of personal expenses, — travel, sight-seeing, 
clothing, books, gifts, or the thousand and one 
things which enter more or less prominently 
into the everyday life of the family. 
If the farm was to furnish food and shelter 
for us in the future, it would be no more than 
fair to credit it with some portion of this expendi- 
ture, which was to cease when we left the city 
home. What portion of it could be justly cred- 
ited to the farm was to he decided by compara- 
