HOMES. 135 



I object to outdoor parlors ; but I believe in out- 

 door and indoor sitting-rooms. About a beautiful 

 home there is never any occasion for putting up 

 "Keep off the grass." Every lawn should be free 

 to the children and to visitors at least to the chil- 

 dren. But for all that there should be order and 

 system about your home. The best plan is to pre- 

 pare for games and sports from the very outset 

 lawn tennis, or croquet, or quoits, or all together. 

 These will naturally draw the young gamesters away 

 from the shrubbery and flower gardens when they 

 wish to romp and play. A croquet ground should 

 be absolutely level, and kept level by a nice stone wall ; 

 which should rise high enough to stop the balls from 

 rolling into the grass. It should be graded-with fine 

 shale, and not a weed allowed to grow. Then plant 

 a windbreak ; or plant it behind the windbreak. Much 

 of the fun of such a game is spoiled if we cannot play 

 it on cool or windy days. Beside my own ground 

 is a great living arbor in which are chairs, where 

 those who need shade can get it. You will lose noih- 

 ing by thus making your whole property homeful. 

 You will have kept your boys and girls with you; 

 and no possible influence can attract them away. In 

 other words, they find you yourself everywhere, with 

 your love and your smile. 



What we wish to have the common folk see is 

 that the end of home-getting is not to buy someone 

 else's house ; and that it is not even to have a house 

 that you have built yourself; that a man or woman 

 who would have a home must begin to live himself 

 or herself out of doors until the grounds are a part 

 of the habitation. Whoever proposes to build a 



