eaking of the pleasure I experienced from residing in the
country, and placed _health_ among its many advantages, when I was
answered, "It is better to die in London than live in the country!"

I think I have said enough to cause my lady readers to wish that the
time may not be far distant when they may, like ourselves,--for we did
all sorts of "odd jobs" in our garden,--cut their own asparagus, and
assist in gathering their own peas.

It is indeed impossible to over-estimate the value of a kitchen-garden
in a large family which numbers many children among its members.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE MONEY WE MADE.

Some time ago we showed our first six months' accounts to a friend,
who was very sceptical as to the profit we always told him we made by
our farming. After he had looked over our figures, he said,--

"Well! And after all, what have you made by your butter-making,
pig-killing, and fowl-slaughtering?"

"What have we made?" said I, indignantly. "Why, don't you see that,
from July to January, we realized a profit of $9 50 from our cows, $11
12 from our pigs, $9 67 from our poultry-yard, and $45 at the least
from our kitchen-garden, which, altogether, amounts to no less a sum
than $145 29; and all this in our 'salad-days, when we were green in
judgment?' What shall we not make now that we have more stock, our
ground well cropped, and, better still, have gained so much
experience?"

"Well," said our friend, "the more 'stock,' as you call it, you have,
the more money you will lose."

At this rejoinder, H. looked at the speaker as if she thought he had
"eaten of the insane root, which takes the reason prisoner."

"_Lose more money_!" when you can yourself see, by looking at this
book, that in our first six months we have cleared $145 29! And,
indeed, it was absurd of A. to put down so little, for she has allowed
$25 for the land; and if she take that off the rent, she ought to
enter it as profit from the "farm." Besides, think of only putting
down a shilling a day for fruit and vegetables! Very few puddings
would the children get at that rate, supposing we were in London."

"If we were in London," interrupted I, "you know that $90 yearly would
be as much as we could afford to expend for that item in our family. I
have made out all our farming accounts as fairly as I can. I am as
well aware as you can be that a shilling a day would not give us the
luxuries of the garden as we now have them; and though that plent