distinct loss.

But back to the little gray parsonage; its location and the fact that
train service in its vicinity was poor, were the two deciding votes
against it. Another attractive house in a good location was ruled out
because our car got stuck in a spring hole practically in sight of it.
A mile or so of dirt road to the station is no drawback, provided it
is passable at all times of the year. This one was obviously poor,
even in summer. Finally a real estate broker showed us a picture of a
modest 18th century farm cottage. We visited the place one dreary
sunless day in late March, investigated the neighborhood, determined
the time required to drive to the nearest railroad station, and bought
it, all in one week.

In general, we are not sure that such haste is advisable. There were
certain disadvantages that we did not observe; there were others where
we turned a blind eye because we were infatuated with the place and
determined to have it. Fortunately time has taken care of practically
all of these. In short, we have come to believe that a place in the
country is, like marriage, just what you make it. In both cases,
though, one's emotions should be under control, so here are a few
salient points for the searcher after a suitable location.

First and foremost, decide on the sort of life you wish to lead. Then
pick your location to fit it. If you are not chained to a city desk
five days a week but at best make only one or two weekly trips there,
a railroad journey of two or three hours is endurable especially when
a highly attractive place lies at the end. For such a person, the
radius in which to look for likely places is much extended and the
farther out, the more advantageous the prices. But for one individual
so fortunately situated, there are more than a hundred who must choose
a place near enough for daily trips to the city.

For the latter the ideal situation is, as stated before, an hour from
house to office. That is the ideal but, in all honesty, we must admit
that few attain it. The average country commuter is a born optimist
on this point and will unblushingly distort facts in a manner to put
the most ardent fisherman to shame. But figures don't lie. If the time
table, say between Stamford, Connecticut, and the Grand Central, New
York, gives its fastest running time as fifty minutes, it means
exactly that. You may plan to hurtle through the air at sixty miles an
hour to the station but traffic and roa