AND FENCES. 49 



for them the most tedious and embarrassing. A court-house, 

 or city-hall, that costs a hundred thousand dollars, will give an 

 architect no more thought, nor tax his creative faculties so much, 

 as the designing of an original and tasteful suburban dwelling 

 costing not more than one-tenth that sum. It is therefore very 

 desirable that those who wish to have houses of enduring beauty 

 should give themselves and their architects ample time to mature 

 the plans. 



There is a world of expression in the character of outbuildings 

 that is little thought of or understood in this country, notwithstand- 

 ing their mere conveniences are carefully considered. A stable 

 and carriage-house should be one of the attractive, home-looking 

 features of every place large enough to require them ; and, if prop- 

 erly built and taken care of, no more to be shut out of sight than 

 your house chimneys. What more pleasing sight than to glance 

 over a smooth lawn, under trees, or through vistas of shrubbery, to 

 the sunlit open space around the carriage-house door, where the 

 horse in the brightly-polished " buggy " stands neighing for you, or 

 the children are clustered around " our pony " — while doves are 

 cooing in their little house above, and martins and swallows twitter 

 about the eaves, up to which luxuriant grape-vines clamber. Ah, the 

 children are at home there ! One has not learned the art of enjoy- 

 ing home till he knows how much of beauty and delight there may 

 be in the domestic work-places, and buildings set apart for the ani- 

 mals that serve us. The English are much more generous in their 

 tastes in this respect than we. An English lady shows her stable, 

 her horses, cows, pigs, and poultry, with the same pride and affec- 

 tion for her animal retinue that she has in leading you through the 

 beauties of her lawn and flowers. 



The stable, the wood-shed, the well-house, the tool-room, and 

 all needful back buildings, should be made with as much reference 

 to good taste in their design as the dwelling, and should all have the 

 same general architectural character. The style and keeping of all 

 these will have more to do with the home-look and general elegance 

 of a suburban residence than any amount of ponderous or super- 

 fine carpentry, masonry, or interior decoration. 

 4 



