“Young gentleman would receive board and practical instruction in farming in refined family. Beautiful location. Moderate terms. Apply X——”
“But——” he faltered, “I don’t ... do you mean ... you would teach farming, Miss Minnie?”
“Yes,” she said, calmly. “I could always ask Thomas Washington about things I didn’t know, when they came up. His truck farm is quite a model, you know.”
Mr. Petersen was suffering horribly; he felt that he could not keep a straight face much longer.
“But—you see ...” he said. “People don’t do that much—in these days. There are—you know—any number of agricultural colleges——”
“Yes,” said Minnie, scornfully. “That’s all very well. But practical experience is what anyone needs. You can’t learn farming out of books.”
Mr. Petersen tried to convince her that students at agricultural colleges didn’t occupy themselves exclusively with books, but he failed. She plainly considered all such institutions ridiculous and unpractical. He did convince her, however, that other people would very likely have the same silly notions as he had, and that it would be difficult, to say the least, for her to secure a pupil.
“Then suppose I simply advertise for a boarder?” she said.
Mr. Petersen was silent for some time, torn between a desire to placate Minnie, and a strong dislike for making a fool of himself. Suppose she were able to say afterward, “Well, you didn’t say anything against it. I consulted you!” No! He couldn’t; he had to be honest.
“The trouble is, nowadays people expect so much,” he said, with a distressed frown. “All sorts of conveniences. Bathroom, hot water, gas or electricity. I don’t believe—unless of course you were willing to make very low terms—and in that case you wouldn’t attract the sort of person you’d care to have in the house.”