“No. What are they about?” she inquired.
“A number of old people have applied to be taken in the society and while most of them have enough to pay for the permanent shares entitling them to live here, many have not enough to pay for their consumable shares; they are able to do a certain amount of work; but they want the protection of the society. Others again wish to place their savings in the society and live where they are with their relatives until the amount required is decided upon. Of course we cannot tell to a certainty how much will be needed to keep one person. Their ideas are so varied, but after they have secured their permanent shares that entitle them to one room, then we can place to their credit what is left and give them employment so they can earn sufficient to make up the balance on their consumable shares. They will have to judge for themselves as to the amount they will require. This they can do after living here for at least a year, for in that time they can calculate from what it has cost them in that time to buy food or other necessities.
“Here is a very pathetic letter:
“‘Mr. Vivian.
“‘Dear Sir:—My wife and I are alone. Our children are dead and now that we are old, we feel the noises, heat and other discomforts in the city more every year. The intense cold this last winter has been terrible and we want to get to the country where we can have the necessary comforts within our means. We have been investigating your society and want to join if our means are sufficient to buy the permanent shares that will give us two rooms.
“‘We have been trying to get in several places, but in every one we would be separated. We have only five hundred dollars between us in cash, but I am still able to work, if you think you can find something we can do to make up the balance that we will require for our consumable shares, as you call them.
“‘If you can help us to be together for the rest of our lives we will be very thankful to you. Yours truly,
“‘John G. Smith.’
“Here is a portion his wife has written separately, as a postscript to his letter:
“‘I am as able to work as he and if we could have a little garden and be allowed to keep chickens and a goat, to supply us with milk, we would not be a burden to any one.