RURAL ARCHITECTURE. 413 



gardener or farmer and his family. In this point of view, 

 arrangements for the comfort and convenience of the 

 inmates should be regarded as more important than the 

 fanciful decoration of the exterior — as no exterior, however 

 charming, can, to a reflective and well regulated mind, 

 apologize for contracted apartments, and imperfect light 

 and ventilation, in human habitations. 



Among the numerous entrance lodges which we remember 

 to have seen in the United States, we scarcely recall a single 

 example where the means, or rather the facility, of opening 

 and shutting the gate itself, has been sufficiently considered. 

 Most generally the lodge is at too great a distance from the 

 gate, consuming too much time in attendance, and exposing 

 the persons attending, generally women or children, to the 

 inclemencies of the weather. Besides this, service of this 

 kind is less cheerfully performed in this country than in 

 Europe, from the very simple reason of the greater equality 

 of conditions here, and therefore everything which tends 

 to lessen labor, is worthy of being taken into account. 



For these reasons we would place the gate very near the 

 lodge ; it would be preferable if it were part of the same 

 architectural composition : and if possible adopt the con- 

 trivance now in use at some places abroad, by which the 

 gate, being hung nearest the building, may be opened by 

 the occupant without the latter being seen, or being 

 scarcely obliged to leave his or her employment.* This 



* In Fig. 62, is shown the section of a gate arranged upon this plan. At 

 the bottom of the hanging pest of the gate, is a bevelled iron pinion, that works 

 into another pinion, h, at the end of the horizontal shaft, a, which shaft is fixed 

 in a square box or tunnel under the road. The part to the right of the partition 

 line, /, is the interior of the gate-keeper's house ; and by turning the winch, e, 

 the upright shaft, c, is put in motion, which moves by means of the bcTelled 

 pinions, g, d, the shaft a, and therefore, through d, the back post of the gate. 



