HOUSE, PLANS, AND SPECIFICATIONS. 41 



had a modest little piazza in front, and a pretty 

 French roof above. The internal arrangement, with 

 such modifications as my superior experience imme 

 diately dictated, was absolute perfection. The build 

 ing was only twenty-four feet by thirty-six, yet there 

 were seven comfortable rooms on the first and second 

 floors, the parlor moderately large, the dining-room 

 long and narrow to suit a dinner-table, and the bed 

 rooms of admirable proportion. I determined at 

 once, with the heroism of self-control, to abandon 

 my own fancies, and to look and think no farther ; 

 but, having completed my modifications, gave them 

 to a draughtsman, to be expressed in builders signs 

 and particularized with, specifications. This event 

 suggested the following beautiful sentiment : It often 

 happens that, while we are roaming over the world 

 to gratify our desires, the precise article for the pur 

 pose is at our very doors. 



The drawings and specifications were soon made 

 out in gorgeous style ; there was a beautiful picture 

 of what the house would look like, with an amount 

 of finish and moulding that did the draughtsman 

 great credit, showing the inside and outside, sections 

 and ground plans, stairs and closets ; and the specifi 

 cations provided how every nail was to be driven, 

 and were completed with a minuteness that would 



