This sum was considerably more than Mary Erskine had expected to receive.
The question now was what should be done with this money.

There are various modes which are adopted for investing such sums so as to get an annual income from them.

The money may be lent to some person who will take it and pay interest for it.

A house may be bought and let to some one who wishes to hire it; or shares in a rail-road, or a bank, or a bridge, may be taken.

Such kinds of property as those are managed by directors, who take care of all the profits that are made, and twice a year divide the money among the persons that own the shares.
Mary Erskine had a great deal of time for enquiry and reflection in respect to the proper mode of investing her money, for the man who purchased the farm and the stock was not to pay the money immediately.
The price agreed upon for the farm, including of course the new house, was five hundred dollars.