OUT-OF-TOWN PLACES 



of the flue already established. The hall is 

 well lighted from the north, and will give 

 room for the hanging of any of your great- 

 aunt's portraits, if you have any. 



"There is an objection to traversing the 

 dining-room in going from the kitchen to the 

 hall-door; but it could not well be obviated, 

 with the existing shell of your house, without 

 reducing the size of the dining-room too 

 much, or (another resource) without increas- 

 ing largely the dimensions of the hall — throw- 

 ing the intervening space between it and 

 kitchen into store-rooms and making the 

 library do duty for the spread of your table. 



"The dining-room, moreover, having only 

 north exposure, you may condemn as dismal. 

 I propose to obviate this and to give it a 

 cheerful south light by an extravagance 

 which I dare say the architects will condemn, 

 but which will have its novelty and possible 

 convenience. 



"The fireplaces of library and of dining- 

 room, are, you observe, back to back. Now I 

 would suggest that the two flues be carried 

 up with a sweep to either side (uniting in the 

 garret) in such sort, that a broad arched 

 opening shall be left above the mantel from 

 one room into the other. This may be draped, 



58 



