FIVE ACRES TOO MUCH. 



building my intended house was to prepare the 

 plans. A large house a huge pile of wood or brick 

 is an abomination, and it costs so outrageously (the 

 profit or loss was never out of my mind) ; but there 

 seems to be a limit in reduction of size that can not 

 be surpassed. I at once proceeded to lay out an ad 

 mirable plan for a house twenty-four feet square, a 

 neat, nice, cosy, comfortable little cottage ; and this 

 is an economical size, because it requires precisely 

 two lengths of board. I arranged for a grand hall 

 through the centre, and a piazza round three sides ; 

 there were four rooms on each floor, and it would 

 have been perfection had not the parlor and dining- 

 room proved to be only about seven feet by twelve, 

 which, after some careful measurements, was deter 

 mined to be rather small. 



However, the plan had so many recommendations 

 that I determined to make an effort with it. In 

 my younger days I had passed much time in Con 

 necticut, and had there seen houses of the nicest 

 kind, attractive inside and out, and which were said 

 to cost only a few thousand dollars apiece. A friend 

 of mine, residing on Long Island Sound, had import 

 ed one, which came to him cut out, sawed and mark 

 ed, ready to be put up. So, having determined to 

 try something of the same nature, I inquired the 



