When giving to
my parish, I bought a place in the near vicinity of the house
which I had spent my childhood. The front windows of our house
command a noble view of the Hudson, while on the east and south
the Highlands are within rifle-shot. For several years I hesitated
to trust solely to literary work for support. As I have said, not
a few critics insisted that my books should not be read, and would
soon cease to be read. But whether the prediction should prove
true or not, I knew in any case that the critics themselves would
eat my strawberries; so I made the culture of small fruits the
second string to my bow. This business speedily took the form of
growing plants for sale, and was developing rapidly, when
financial misfortune led to my failure and the devotion of my
entire time to writing. Perhaps it was just as well in the end,
for my health was being undermined by too great and conflicting
demands on my energy. In 1878, at Dr. Holland's request, I wrote a
series of papers on small fruits for "Scribner's Magazine"--papers
that were expanded into a book entitled "Success with Small
Fruits.
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