VI. 



CITIZENS RETIRmG TO THE COUNTRY. 



February, 1852. 



IN a former volume we oflFered a few words to our readers on the 

 subject of choosing a country-seat. As the subject was only 

 slightly touched upoil, we propose to say something more regarding 

 it now. 



There are few or no maffnijicent country-seats in America, if we 

 take as a standard such residences as Chatsworth, Woburn, Blen- 

 heim, and other well known English places— ^with parks a. dozen 

 miles round, and-palaces in their midst larger than our largest pub- 

 lic buildings. But any one who notices in the suburbs of our towns 

 and cities, and on the borders of oiu: great rivers and railroads, in 

 the older parts of the Union, the rapidity with which cottages and 

 villa residences are increasing, each one of which costs from three, 

 to fhirty or forty thousand dollars, will find that the aggregate 

 amount of money expended in American rural homes, for the last 

 ten years, is perhaps larger than has been spent in . any part of the 

 world. Our Anglo-Saxon nature leads our successfiil business men 

 always to look forward to a home out of the city ; and the ease with 

 which freehold property may be obtained here, ofiers every encour- 

 agement to the growth of the natural instinct for landed proprietor- 

 ship. 



This large class of citizens turning country-folk, which every sea- 

 son's revolution is increasing, which every successful business year 

 greatly augments, and eveiy fortune made in California helps to 

 swell in number, is one which, perhaps, spends its means more freely. 



