CHAPTER II 



FIRST STEPS TOWARD THE HOME 



WHEN you have found a piece of ground 

 that you have thoroughly considered, both 

 as to itself and its relations to its sur- 

 roundings, a property that you can look at lovingly 

 and say it is your own, you must learn to make the 

 best of it. Be sure you do not fall into the com- 

 mon blunder of imagining you have only to hire a 

 builder to construct a house into which you will move, 

 supposing you are living in the country. If your 

 house is a city house, and your surroundings are 

 citified, it will be a problem whether you are living in 

 the country or the city. 



One who lives a real life in the country does very 

 little of it indoors. For this reason he must look 

 out carefully for his out of doors and see to it that 

 his gardens, lawns, groves, orchards, retreats, and 

 drives are his own, and expressive of his own aspira- 

 tion and character. The most important part of 

 country home-making precedes the house. In fact, 

 you cannot wisely build at all until you have done 

 some planting. 



I have seen a house put up on a knoll, conspicuously, 

 without a tree to shade it, and it was as pleasant to 



33 



