BUILDING THE HOUSE 71 



prepared for studying insects, plants, soils, and what- 

 ever else constitutes country . property. The boys 

 and girls may need some instruction here to start 

 them on a line of thorough investigation, but they 

 should make their own collections of the friends and 

 enemies of our fruits and flowers, until they are cap- 

 able of original investigation. This will be a source 

 of infinite pleasure and such satisfaction as no one 

 ever gets from reading the investigations of others. 



The shop should be an adjacent room, with lathes 

 and engines and a chance for making tools as well as 

 using them. Here broken tools can be repaired, 

 wood sawed, apples ground into cider, and a whole lot 

 of farm industries accomplished. These two rooms 

 will pay one hundred fold on their cost. 



Somewhere about a country house there should be 

 what I would call a household shop room or sewing 

 room, the center of household industries apart from 

 the cooking. It is absurd to find a pile of half-made 

 clothing, with needles and thimbles in your chair, in 

 the dining room or library, anywhere and every- 

 where. A snug and tidy room should hold all this, 

 with an up-to-date sewing machine. I have a sewing 

 balcony, opening from my wife's room, and grown 

 over with a magnificent grapevine. Here is sup- 

 posed to be done that sort of work which I have de- 

 scribed; at any rate it is a delightful spot for gossip 

 and needlework. 



Give your wife and daughters just as good accom- 

 modations as you take for yourself and your sons. I 



