The Abandoned Farmers

to own an abandoned farm. The idea first came to us through reading articles that appeared in the variou

owners had moved away to the nearby manufacturing towns, leaving their ancestral homesteads empty and their ancestral acres idle. As a result there were great numbers of desirable places, any one of which might be had for a song. That was the term most comm

t a trivial sum in restoring the fences, and so on, and modernizing the interior of the house; after which it was a comparatively easy task to restore the land to productiveness by processes of intensive agriculture-details procurable from any standard book on the subject or through easy lessons by mail. And

velous antique furniture, grandfather's clocks dating back to the whaling days, spinning wheels, pottery that came over on the Mayflower, and all those sor

ugh; at the other side a purling brook wandering its way into a greenwood copse, where through all the golden day sang the feathered warblers indigenous to the climate, in

rose the spires of a typical New England village full of old line Republicans and characters suitable for putting into short stories. On beyond, past where a silver lake glinted in the sunshine, was a view either of the distant Sound or the distant mountains. Personally I

objected to it on account of its woolly appearance and slightly caterpillary taste. My idea was to cross the mulberry on the slippery elm-pronounced, where I came from, ellum-producing a fruit which I shall call the mulellum. This fruit would combine the health-giving qu

stead of wasting his energies in idle pursuits? This is what I wished to know. And why should this man Luther Burbank enjoy a practical monopoly of all these proposition

life along the Eastern seaboard and searched assiduously through its columns for mention of abandoned farms. The owners of most of the country places that were advertised for sale made mention of such things as fourteen

t was not exactly the kind of country home that we had pictured for ourselves. As my wife said, just the detail of washing all those windows would keep the girl busy fully half the time. Nor did I care to invest in any sunken gardens. I had sufficient experience in that direction when we lived in the sub

ht thought. I said to myself that undoubtedly abandoned farms were so cheap the owners did not expect to get any real money for them; they would probably b

ly graveyard-planted-orchard, woodland, fields-unplanted-for a collection of postage stamps in album, an amateur magician's outf

ne a number of the more attractive abandoned farms in the immediate vicinity and make a discriminating selection. Having reached this conclusion I went to bed and slept peacefully-or at least I went to bed and did so as soon as my wife and I had settled one point that came up unexpectedly at this juncture. It related t

out the walls and alter the roof and have a summer house with a pergola in connection. It was after we reached this comprom

morning that I alighted from the

orm would be populated by picturesque natives in quaint clothes, with straws in their mouths and all whittling; and that the depot agent would wear long chin whiskers and say "I vum!" with much heartiness at frequent intervals. Right here I wish to state that so fa

bus labeled: Sylvan Dale Summer Hotel, European and American Plans. The station agent also proved in the nature of a disappointment. He did not even say "I swan" or "I cal'late!"

abandoned farms of this vicinity? I would prefer to

so I repeated the question, at th

ns the garage three doors up the street from here on the other side. Tony does a lo

d New England houses fronting close up to the sidewalk. One had the sign of a teahouse over the door, and in the wi

e fair English-that is, as fair English as any one

g purposes at five dollars an hour he was quite affable and accommodating; but m

don't seem to make you. What's this thing y

eir very doors and written about constantly in the public prints-was ludicrous. It would have been laughable if it ha

is a farm that has been deserted, so to speak-one that has outl

The place you're looking for is the old Parham place, out here on the pos

inquired.

second; that was before he came up here and opened up the old Parham place as an automobile roadhouse. He's cleaning up about a thousand a month. Some class to that mantrap! They've

that he was on a totally wrong

r. She knows everything that's going on round here-and she ought to, too, seeing as she gets first chance at all the circula

spinsterish-looking, kittenish females who seem in an intense state of surprise all the tim

e?" she said

old

o is watching a Fourth of July skyrocket expl

initials,

I do not expect any mail," I said.

d just given her a handsome remembrance, and she coc

in making your townspeople understand me. I am looking for a certain kind of

to a farm that has been deserted, closed up, shut do

however. She gave me a wounded-fawn

shoulder. "Mr. Jabez Pickerel, of Pickerel & Pike, real-estate dealers, on the first corner a

track. Mr. Pickerel rose as I entered his place of business. He

y. "I have been told," I continued, "that you have charge of the old Prewitt farm so

shouted explosively-

into this machine at one bound, he dragged me up into the seat beside him and threw on the power. Instantly we were streaking away at a perfectly appalling rate of speed-fully forty-five to fifty-five miles an hour I should say. You never

stable, I think-ran out of a house that had a magistrate's sign over it and threw up his hand authoritatively, as though to stop us; but my companion yelled something the purport of which I coul

portunity," repeated several times-the term appeared to be a favorite of his-and "marvelous proposition." Possibly I was not listening very closely anyhow, my mind being otherwise engaged. For one thing I was surmising in a general sort of way upon the old theory of the result when the irresistible force encounters the immovable object. I was wondering how long it would be bef

est of one small hill to the crest of the next small hill; of passing a truck patch with such velocity that the lettu

d alone, with no fence in connection. We bumpily traversed a rutted stretch of cleared land; and

at regular intervals, so as to form aisles, stretched away from us in every direction. Also there were twin rows of slender sticks planted in the earth in a sort of geometric pattern. Some were the size of switches. Others were almost as large as umbrella handles and had sprouted slightly. A short distance away an Italian was steering a dirtscraper attach

"There has bee

so. Just observe that view!" He waved his arm in the general direction of the horizon from northwest to southeast. "Breathe this air! As a personal favor to me just brea

ully when I had finished b

out the train service? Ah, there spoke the true business man, the careful investor! Twenty fast trains a day each way-twenty, sir! Remember! And as for accessibility-well, accessibility is simply no name for i

ything except a hole in the g

asked. "I d

at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Washington Parkway, where that scraper is, is the public library-the site for it! You'll be crazy about the public library! Wh

ring torrent of hi

d to you for the interest you take in me, a mere stranger to you; but

Prewitt pla

And why all this-why all these-" I ind

the Development Ideal!" Having begun to capitalize his words, he continued to do so. "The Perfect Addition! The Suburb Superb! Away From the City's Dust and Heat! Away From Its Glamor and Clamor! Into the Open! Into

of each-one wife a

One a Chance? You Would Give Her Congenial Surroundings-Refined Surroundings? You Would Inculcate in Her While Young the

eading. I feared he might kiss me. I raised him to his feet. Then his

ly that a train pulled in bound for the city just as he was showing me, as party of the first part, where I was to sign my name on the dotted line A. Even then, weakened and worn as I was, I should probably not have succeeded in beating him off if he had not been hampered by having a fountain pen in one hand and the documents in the other. At the door he intercepted me; but I tackled him lo

aths. It was now quite apparent to me that the abandoned farm-seeker who stuck too closely to the railroad lines was bound to be thrown constantly in contact with those false and feverish metropolitan influences which, radiating from the city, have spread over the c

the Winsells. They are charming people! We are devoted to the Winsells. They were very good friends of ours when they had their small four-passenger car; but s

ng; but after a couple of disappointments we caught them when they had an open date. Over the telephone Winsell objected that he did not know anything about the roads up in Connec

ifling incident of a puncture, which delayed us slightly; but fortunately the accident occurred at a point where there was a wonderful view of the

. I am very glad that in accidents of this character it is always the victims that describe the parabola. I know I should be at a complete loss to describe one myself. Unless it is something li

with those neat white-painted villages in which New England excels; and between the villages at frequent intervals were farmhouses. Abandoned ones, however, were rarer than we had been led to expect. Not only were these farms visibly populated by persons who appeared to be permanently at

hat would suit us, we came to a very attractive-looking place facing a lawn and flanked by an orchard. There was a si

sell I

out doubt the place we

t tree. As I came round on the other side of the tree there, to my surprise, was this dog face to face with me. Still desiring to avoid a collision with him, I stepped back the other way. Again I met the dog, which was now growling. The situation was rapidly becoming embarrassing when a gentleman came out upon the porch and called sharply to the dog. The dog, with apparent reluctance

he strange gentleman I went in a b

sked. He bowed. "I take it," I then said,

on?" he said, as

d, "that this is practi

y," he said

haps a trifle impatiently. "But you are th

admitted

ound to the real situation. What

inety acres of land that go with the house

ed dollars. Still, I reflected, there might have been a recent bull movement; there had certainly been much pub

inally prepared to pay; still, the house seems roomy and, as you were saying, th

ered. "That is the c

repared to give pos

ely," he

he look on my wife's face I coul

ing proves satisfactory, I suppose you coul

aid blankly. "Yo

aid blankly. "Yo

aid blankly. "Yo

eed," said my w

parently we were al

us dispense with these evasive and dilatory tactics. You

sions of our faces, he continued hurriedly: "A remarkably small figure considering what summer rentals a

e away. Besides, as I remarked to the others after we were back in the car and on our way again, this house-farm would never have suit

s the eighteenth teahouse for the day. Winsell and I then continued on the quest alone. Women know so little about business anyway that it is better, I think, whenever possible, to conduct important matter

him I was taken with an idea and I told Winsell to stop. I was tired of trafficking with stupid villagers and avaricious land-grabbers. I would dea

seeking an abandoned farm. Do you

" he

n in my life; nevertheless, for this yokel'

rable more'n town property, as a rule. I could scursely say I know of any of the kind of farms you mention as laying round loose-no, wait a minute; I do recollect a place. It's t

for trifling had passed. My mind was fixed. My jaw was also set. I know, because I set it myself. And I hav

rted several rather neat flower beds, curved round a greenhouse and came out on a stretch of lawn. I at once decided that this place would do undoubtedly. There might be alterati

followed. I mounted the steps, treading with great firmness and decision, and rang the d

demanded without any preamble. My patience

uld tell by his accent he was En

articular business-at once! At onc

er, which was, I may say, almost haughty, had impressed him deeply. "If you

," I repli

and what-not. Winsell seemed somewhat perturbed by these attentions, but I bade

strong, but these specimens were very mild and pleasant. I had about decided I should put in tobacco for private consumption and grow my own cigars

ssage I hurried over as f

I replied; "we have not be

regard to the tractio

exactly. You own th

said, sta

Now, then, kindly tell me wh

He opened his mouth and for a few moments

"do you expect to abandon it?" He shook his head as though h

stand yet," he

though I believe them to be very numerous, I am looking for one that is about to be abandoned. I wish, you understand, to have the first call on it. Winsell"-I said in an aside-"quit pulli

ton which was set in the wall. He seemed fluste

said nervously, "h

h dignity. "Yes," he said in a soothing

old him, though I couldn't s

hey do not trust you-I mean you do

insell

, but he"-pointing to me-"he insisted." Winsell is by

several things I wish to say to him. Now in regard to abandoning this place: I do not expect to abandon this place just yet-probably not for some weeks or possibly months. In case I should decide to

again to

riend care for fl

Winsell. "

e a very soothing effect sometimes in such cases-or it may have been music. I have spent thirty thousand dollars beautifying these g

was gone. In the distance s

is incident, preferring to dismiss the entire thing from my mind; but, inasmuch as Winsell has seen fit to circulate a perverted and

ed for some hours then and our wives were sitting in the dark on the teahouse porch waiting for us. Really, I could not blame them for scolding Winsell; but they displayed an unwarranted peevishness toward me. My wife's display of temper was really the last straw. It was

pose of buying an abandoned farm and moved into