COMMUTER'S WIFE 51 



we call it, "commencement week," so that the 

 rocks of which neighbours are already so kindly 

 warning us, me at home and Evan on the cars, 

 have not appeared in the road. In fact, I've a 

 glimmering idea that it is because we commuters 

 and others hold our servants responsible for bridg- 

 ing certain inconveniences of living instead of ac- 

 knowledging them and bearing the responsibility 

 ourselves, that makes domestic service such a vexed 

 question in America. Personally I do not know 

 of but a single family of all my acquaintances with 

 whom, were I a servant, I would be willing to live, 

 and I'm not yet sure that I would live with myself ; 

 but I shall probably decide this when the anni- 

 versary of my return comes around. 



In short, at present I feel at perfect liberty to 

 give myself to the garden, body and brain. I 

 think my soul always stays outdoors except at 

 night, when it watches my sleeping body. 



After a few moments' silence, during which each 

 of us did some thinking, father said, "How would 

 you like a married man with a family as well, 

 to please you I won't call him a gardener, but a 

 ' general useful ' ? You know there are four or five 

 good living-rooms that were once used, over the 

 carriage-house. Perhaps a married man would have 



