MR. URBAN AND A CO UNTR Y HO USE. 2 5 5 



I beg that I may be not misunderstood. I by no 

 means intend to say that the country houses of fifty 

 years ago were in any sense equal or comparable, on 

 the score of fitness or of taste, to the country houses 

 of to-day ; but I do mean to say, that if the walls 

 of such old houses are plumb and true and sound, and 

 repairs are undertaken, it will be far wiser, and call 

 for nicer exercise of skill, to carry forward such 

 repairs with the quaint flavor of the old homely tastes 

 upon them thus working out artistic agreement and 

 adornment together than it will be to belittle the 

 old by a shocking contrast, and wantonly dress our 

 grandame in the furbelows of sixteen. 



Again, let me lay down another distinction. 

 There are old houses which, in any traditional or 

 artistic sense, are not old houses. They are mere 

 square boxes of lumber or stone, without noticeable 

 feature or flavor. Such, if posssible, may be incor- 

 porated into any new design, without fear or favor ; 

 none but economic considerations will stand in the 

 way. But there are others which, without being 

 accordant in any sense with the artistic designs of 

 the present day, have yet a character of their own 

 a character which any architectural adviser (by the 

 qualities of his profession) is bound to detect ; and 

 which (by the niceties of his profession) he cannot 

 ignore in carrying out his changes. 



