If the colonel and his young wife desire to indulge in meals a little more expensive than their neighbors', as has been the desire of wealthy epicures in all times, they can do so by only eating oatmeal and cream, for if they only take a large cupful each of oatmeal much requiring 1 cent's worth each of oatmeal to make, and take 2 cups each of delicious cold cream to eat it with, the cream at city price will cost 30 cents for the two and it will be 16 cents a plate or the average of our highest-priced dinners, for a very incomplete meal, and as their one maid servant will inevitably cost them the same rate, they will be at an expense of 24 cents a meal each for provisions alone, and not much provisions either; but if they will take their 1 cent's worth of oatmeal with 2 cents' worth of milk that will be a different affair and much better for their health and temper.

To be extravagant with buckwheat cakes let them have all the cakes they can eat, which if raised with yeast will only cost them 2 cents each, and put between them 1/2 cup of fine creamy butter at the city price of 40 cents a pound or 5 cents the 1/2, cup, and 1/2 cup more of pure Vermont maple syrup at $1.40 a gallon, or 5 cents the 1/2 cup, and their plate of cakes will cost 12 cents each for material alone, which is higher than the average of any breakfast or supper that we have set out in this book; but if they will take elegant silver drips which can be bought now at 60 cents a gallon or 4 cents a cup and restrict themselves to restaurant allowance of 1/2 ounce of butter or even forego it altogether, their cake breakfast need not cost more than 4 or 5 cents each person.

It is very likely that the colonel's young wife would be able to prevail on the butcher to cut out tenderloin steaks for her, such as they used to get by favor at our Summer house, but it would be much against his will as it spoils the loin and he would be obliged to charge her at least 40 cents a pound. Taking a quarter pound each and a can of best button mushrooms at 40 cents and 1/2 cup butter for the sauce, and rolls, butter and coffee, they will have managed to spend 40 cents each for the material for a breakfast and, allowing in a selection of this sort that 10 cents more will feed the girl it is 50 cents each for the meal and $1.50 for the three meals of one day, a sum that with careful management and good cooking might provision them for a whole week at a Summer house after the method which these preceding pages have shown; for if, instead of the 40-cent steak and 40-cent mushrooms or peas, she will take a pound of steak at 10 cents and 10 cents worth of peas - either green garden peas or home canned, and with but half the steak make a stew with peas, a la Turque, the meal need not cost more than 15 cents each, all counted, or 45 cents a day.

There has been plenty of matter contributed to the newspapers at various times in regard to the cost of living, but all partaking more of the nature of arguments in favor of some person's pet scheme than of plain statements of actual trials. What we think this diary of ours proves is that people can live more cheaply and better in numbers together than they can by twos and threes; that a moderate variety of dishes does not necessarily cost more per plate than two or three dishes in larger quantity would if we have the foresight to know how little of some of the dishes will be required and know what to do with the remainders, and that the profit or loss of keeping boarders depends greatly upon the selection of material and the skill to offset one or two expensive dishes with a good many others made of cheap materials, but exceedingly well-cooked and well served - as for illustration; a pound of the breast of chicken costs 25 cents,and you cannot board them on breast of chicken; a pound of baked beans costs 3 cents, and they will not take beans alone; put the two together and you have 2 pounds of the most desirable and most desired food for 14 cents a pound, which you can afford, and it takes more skill and care to cook the beans so that the dish will be sought after than it does to cook the chicken.