ms; the gardens had a settled-down look, as if
they had come to stay; and even the wall flowers were enjoying
themselves. These efforts of nature to make us feel at ease were
thankfully received by Polly and me, and we voted that this was more
like home than anything else we had ever had; and when the fruit trees
put forth their promise of an autumn harvest in great masses of
blossoms, we declared that we had made no mistake in transforming
ourselves from city to country folk.

"Aristocracy is of the land," said Polly. "It always has been and
always will be the source of dignity and stability. I feel twice as
great a lady as I did in the tall house on B---- Street."

"So you don't want to go back to that tall house, madam?"

"Indeed I don't. Why should I?"

"I don't know why you should, only I remember 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 restricted, 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 unknown 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
_x_ in the country as easily as in the city. They have had city and
school life, now let them see country life; the _x_ 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 loves country life because
she's young and growing; but there's a subconscious sense which tells
her that she's simply fitting herself to be carried off by that handsome
giant, Jim Jarvis. She doesn't know it, but it's the truth all the same,
and it will come as sure as tide; and when it does come, her life will
be run into other moulds than we have