This house was in the village, and she found on inquiry, that it could be let to a family for fifty dollars a year.

It is true that a part of this fifty dollars would have to be expended every year in making repairs upon the house, so as to keep it in good order; such as painting it from time to time, and renewing the roof when the shingles began to decay, and other similar things.

But, then, Mary Erskine found, on making a careful examination, that after expending as much of the money which she should receive for the rent of her house, as should be necessary for the repairs, she should still have rather more than she would receive from the money to be invested, if it was put out at interest by lending it to some person who wanted to borrow it.
So she decided to buy the house in preference to adopting any other plan.
It happened that the house which Mary Erskine thus determined to buy, was the very one that Mr.Gordon lived in.

The owner of the house wished to sell it, and offered it first to Mr.Gordon; but he said that he was not able to buy it.

He had been doing very well in his business, but his expenses were so great, he said, that he had not any ready money at command.