WHITE NIGHTS 



IN this plan a small house is shown which in many respects resembles the 

 last. It is adapted for a fifty-foot frontage to the north. Here, however, 

 the building-line has been ignored, and the house brought right up to 

 the road. This allows of a little high-walled square court, with the front 

 entrance through an arched gateway, and with the back, entrance through an 

 entry, as in the previous plans. 



As one approaches the front entrance of this little dwelling, and, looking 

 through the bars of the entrance gate, as one begins to realise the character 

 which the house obtains from this treatment, the Dutch primness and cleanli- 

 ness of the paving and cobble-stones, with a few tubs of flowers and SOUK 

 central ornament a little lead figure, perhaps, on a well-designed pedestal - 

 one may, perhaps, be excused for preferring it to the inevitable ''drive" and 

 shrubs of suburbia. Such a little grey court, with its indefinable hint of 

 romance, is worth a dozen front gardens and sweeping drives, which are the 

 pretentious preludes to such mean habitations. In the plan of the house it 

 will be noticed that the hall, with its appendages of bower and dining-reccss, 

 occupy the whole of the garden frontage to the south, while the kitchen 

 premises, as in the previous example, are placed towards the road. On the 

 upper floor the plan shows the arrangements of the bedrooms, while the attic 

 accommodation is a variable quantity, and may include additional rooms for 

 the family as well as the usual servants' bedroom, boxroom anil cistern room. 

 The plan of the garden is not shown in this example, but the central position 

 of the bay-window, as well as the position of the window in the boudoir, will 

 be sufficient to indicate that its main lines have already been determined. 



The coloured sketch gives a suggestion of the general character of the 

 interior. In the dining-recess here it is proposed to stencil the walls with a 

 pattern of trailing vine, with grey-green leaves and purple grapes ; and this 

 vine motif will perhaps suggest an appropriate selection from the "Hubaiyat" 

 on the beam above. 



Ah till the cup : what boots it to repeat 



] low time is slipping underneath our feet ; 



Unborn to-morrow and dead yesterday, 



\\liv fret about them if to-day be sweet. 



Such a sentiment may not commend itself to all, but except in its opening 

 phrase it seems but another way of repeating the canonical command to take 

 no thought for the morrow. 



It will be noticed that this little space of vine adornment is the only super- 

 ficial decoration made in this apartment, which almost constitutes the house. 

 All the rest is grey-brown timber, red bricks, and whitewash. It may also be 

 noted that there is only one picture in the room and but few ornaments ; anil it 

 one examines the materials which go to make up this interior, it will be found 

 that there is little but has its definite structural function. It is no histrionic 

 reproduction of a farm-house kitchen, such as the modern furnishing firm will 

 construct for you, where beams and joists are arranged tor eftect, and where the 

 whole is as much like real building as a piece of street scenery en the stage. 

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