CHAPTER IV 



WALKS AND LAWNS 



DIRECTLY we leave the public road and enter upon the 

 precincts of the dwelling, the question of suitable walks 

 and paths at once demands attention. According to the 

 size of the house and its surroundings, we may have to 

 traverse a stately drive bordered with noble trees, or 

 simply a flower-fringed pathway, to reach the entrance 

 door. The subject of carriage drives must necessarily 

 be somewhat outside the scope of this little book, which 

 is destined as a guide for those possessing grounds of 

 small or medium extent. "We find, however, that the 

 desire for an imposing approach is by no means confined 

 to those whose property demands a certain amount of 

 pretension ; the owners of quite small places will often 

 sacrifice anything, that they may have a drive of even 

 humble proportions. It is to attain this object that the 

 most fantastically contorted approaches are devised, many 

 actually running parallel with the main road for almost 

 their entire length. It may be taken as a fixed rule, only 

 alterable under rare circumstances, that a drive should be 

 as direct as possible in its course ; the idea that needless 

 twistings will give an air of importance and dignity to a 

 place is totally erroneous. I remember once visiting a 

 house of quite unpretending dimensions, the approach to 

 which was by way of a drive of astonishing length. In 

 driving up, one actually passed twice within close view 

 of the house before arriving at the front door ; each time, 

 instead of taking a direct route, the drive meandered 

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