1892.] ESSAYS. 133 



every jubilant emotion. Tlie most cheerful house would be 

 dumb with such inmates. But sometimes this deadness arises 

 from the gloomy construction of the house, in which case the 

 most cheerful family would find it difficult to give it an appear- 

 ance of light and happiness. Its whole outward expression is 

 cold, dull and uninviting. Birds and children will not willingly 

 hover around it or be merry in its presence. Streams of life 

 and sounds of laughter will not issue from its sombre windows. 

 Its soulless and half-darkened rooms dampen and repress the 

 most cheerful and hopeful of human spirits, and even the most 

 gushing sono^-birds will not sinof in them. 



Every good house should have chimneys of good size, well 

 built and with a separate flue for each fire. The ancients, with 

 all their wisdom, and the splendor of their public architecture, 

 never dreamed of the use and beauty of chimneys in their 

 domestic architecture. Alike from the laborer's hut, the 

 nobleman's villa and the king's palace, the savory odors of cook- 

 ing food along with the smoke from the fire under it escaped 

 throuo-h a hole in the roof. We moderns now manaije smoke in 

 a more dignified manner as we dismiss it from our rooms 

 through plain or ornamental chimneys, and in some cases 

 through Gothic pinnacles and Tuscan columns. But in the 

 disposal of smoke in this way we dismiss along with it a good 

 share of the fire's heat, whereby is demonstrated the truth of 

 the adage that there is no great gain without some small loss. 

 We now need to devise a way to let out the smoke through 

 chimneys without letting out so much heat at the same time, for 

 we cannot dispense with the chimneys without great inconven- 

 ience, and also without loss in the appearance of our houses. 

 Nothing adds more to the dignity and the picturesque appear- 

 ance of a house than a cluster of graceful and strong chimney- 

 tops rising above its roof. On the other hand, nothing gives it 

 a more weak and dilapidated appearance than one or two chim- 

 ney-tops of frail construction, with loosened bricks or stones 

 ready to fall ofi" on the passage of every fresh gust of wind. 

 Much ornamentation of chimneys is out of place, but they should 

 be built fireproof, solid and massive, and in suitable shape and 



height for the style of the house. 

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