HOUSE, PLANS, AND SPECIFICATIONS. 43 



the lowest estimate that had yet been made, so that 

 the reader will perceive that Flushing contains not 

 merely the finest building-lots and the gentlest cows, 

 but the most intelligent and enterprising carpenters. 

 There was only one difficulty in the way of closing 

 with this proposal, and that was, as he coolly inform 

 ed me, that he could not finish the house till next 

 winter. Now I wanted a summer residence, not a 

 winter one. The city is a sane man s home in bleak 

 and stormy weather, but in the summer solstice the 

 green fields and fragrant pastures, limpid brooks and 

 shady trees, tempt an equally sane man (meaning 

 myself, of course) into the country. It is true, much 

 time had been wasted over specifications and esti 

 mates, especially by the man w r ho ran away, and the 

 spring was pretty well advanced ; but that house had 

 to be done by July. So, as it was impossible to ac 

 cept the services of the intelligent Flushing me 

 chanic, or to make use of the admirably planned 

 Flushing house, it became necessary to cast about 

 for some other means of accomplishing the object. 



Over against the eastern end of that barren and 

 crooked point of land known as Cape Cod, which, 

 projecting into the ocean, considers the object of its 

 being accomplished when it protects and shelters the 

 &quot; Hub of the Universe,&quot; lie three islands that were, 



