194 The Farmstead 



growth of the tastes, habits and occupation of 

 its owners. Farm life in its best aspect is a 

 synonym for breadth, generosity, simplicity, 

 cleanliness, abundance of sunlight, fresh air and 

 good food, the beauty of nature, freedom from 

 stiif formality ^ these are the things which the 

 city dweller envies the farmer. The equipment 

 of the house should express this breadth, beauty, 

 and freedom of life. It follows from this that 

 many pieces of furniture and some kinds of 

 decoration which are offered in the shops are 

 quite out of place in a country house. Imitation 

 is, therefore, a dangerous principle, for it is likely 

 to lead to the choice and purchase of articles 

 which, however suitable for some other family 

 and i3retty in themselves, are wholly inappro- 

 priate in the case of the purchaser. 



There are three main considerations which 

 should always be taken into account in house- 

 furnishing : health, suitability, and beauty. The 

 order of these is often reversed to the perma- 

 nent injury of the housewife. The first law of 

 hygiene is thai nothing can be suitable which is 

 not wholesome for those who are to use it ; the 

 first law of decorative art is that nothing is 

 beautiful which is not wholly suitable. If these 

 principles should be applied to the furnishing of 

 country houses, they would taboo dark, thick 

 window draperies, nearly all bric-a-brac, heavy 



