356 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
“TI don’t know why you should, only I remem- 
ber Lot’s wife looked back toward the city.” 
“Don’t mention that woman! She didn’t 
know what she wanted. You won’t catch me 
looking toward the city, except once a week for 
three or four hours, and then I hurry back to the 
farm to see what has happened in my garden 
while I’ve been away.” 
« But how about your friends, Polly ?” 
« You know as well as I that we haven’t lost 
a friend by living out here, and that we’ve tied 
some of them closer. No, sir! No more city 
life for me. It may do for young people, who © 
don’t know better, but not for me. It’s too re- 
stricted, and there’s not enough excitement.” 
«“ Country life fits us like paper on the wall,” 
- said I, “but how about the youngsters? If we 
insist on keeping children, we must take them 
into our scheme of life.” 
«Of course we must, but children are an un- 
known quantity. They are x in the domestic 
problem, and we cannot tell what they stand for 
until the problem is worked out. I don’t see 
why we can’t find the value of « in the country 
as easily as in the city. They have had city and 
school life, now let them see country life; the a 
will stand for wide experience at least.” 
« Jane likes it thus far,” said I, “and I think 
she will continue; but I don’t feel so sure about 
Jack.” 
“ You’re as blind as a bat——or a man. Jane 
