OUT-OF-TOWN PLACES 



ness, and I should think of all the inmates as 

 growing thenceforth, every day, more kindly, 

 and every day mellower in their charities. 



I next give a sketch of a little stone porch, 

 which, if I do not mistake, is taken from some 

 stone cottage in Cumberland County, Eng- 

 land. It belongs, certainly, by its whole air 

 and by its arrangement, to a country where 

 stones of good, straight-splitting quality (such 

 as gneiss) are plentiful, and are used for un- 

 pretending cottage architecture. It would 

 seem to have pertained to a house of very 

 modest character and to one whose position 

 and exposure demanded special shelter. I 

 think it may offer a hint, at least, of the proper 

 use of similar material in our country. We 

 have not half learned yet all that may be ac- 

 complished in domestic architecture, with the 

 wealth of stones scattered over our fields. 

 Dear lumber is teaching us somewhat; but 

 necessity will presently teach us more. The 

 great cost of mason-work is in the way of any 

 present large use of stone for building pur- 

 poses, least of all such purpose as a cottage 

 porch. But with straight-cleaving stone 

 at hand, such a porch as I have drawn could 

 be put together, with all its real effect (though 

 not perhaps a great nicety), by common 



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