1891.] ESSAYS. 95 



mencement by the deeds of our predecessors. Our mental 

 tastes and aspirations by hereditary transmissions, and our 

 homes by the tastes and aspirations of some other person. 

 The majority of us are not house builders, but are like hermit 

 crabs living in the shell of another fellow, and the question that 

 comes home to all is, how can I take this shell that was intended 

 for a mollusk without an^^ ambition than that of living and feed- 

 ing, and fit it up, so as to give a dandy crab such as we the 

 comforts and pleasures of a home. 



Now this brings up the subject of the remodelling of old houses, 

 a very important one in these days, and has become a special 

 business with many men, some architects devote their whole 

 time to it and receive handsome incomes therefrom. Now 

 handsome incomes to them, must have a reverse side, and I 

 judge that it reads a handsome outgo from the property owner. 

 Therefore my advice to you who live in old houses and desire to 

 remodel them is identical with Punch's advice to those about to 

 marry. Don't! 



Holy Writ cautions us against repairing an old garment with 

 new cloth, and intimates that the rent will be made worse. If 

 you are not a householder but hire your dwelling, you will find 

 that your landlord will verify this text, at the close of the very 

 first quarter. 



I dwell in an old house . It is more than a hundred years of 

 age. A large house, built not for modern wants but old-time 

 necessities, and was bare of all ornament. It was a country inn 

 and has a history linked with every old character that the town 

 has known. General trainings made it famous. The old stage 

 coaches added to its renown, and as it goes down farther in 

 future, I think it will gain more yet as the only tavern in New 

 England that Washington did not stop at. When it fell to me 

 it needed repairing. One friend earnestly advocated transform- 

 ing it into a Swiss chalet ; another said raise the south roof one 

 stor3% carry that left-hand corner up into a tower with an out- 

 look and a flag-staff, and put a mansard roof on the rest of it ; 

 another suggested many changes in the interior, removing the 

 huge chimneys with their open fireplaces that had caught and 

 echoed the frolic and fun that had transpired around them, as 



