CHAPTER IV 
WALKS AND LAWNS 
Direct y we leave the public road and enter upon the 
precincts of the dwelling, the question of suitable walks 
and paths at once demands attention. According to the 
size of the house and its surroundings, we may have to 
traverse a stately drive bordered with noble trees, or 
simply a flower-fringed pathway, to reach the entrance 
door. The subject of carriage drives must necessarily 
be somewhat outside the scope of this little book, which 
is destined as a guide for those possessing grounds of 
small or medium extent. We find, however, that the 
desire for an imposing approach is by no means confined 
to those whose property demands a certain amount of 
pretension ; the owners of quite small places will often 
sacrifice anything, that they may have a drive of even 
humble proportions. It is to attain this object that the 
most fantastically contorted approaches are devised, many 
actually running parallel with the main road for almost 
their entire length. It may be taken as a fixed rule, only 
alterable under rare circumstances, that a drive should be 
as direct as possible in its course; the idea that needless 
twistings will give an air of importance and dignity toa 
place is totally erroneous. I remember once visiting a 
house of quite unpretending dimensions, the approach to 
which was by way of a drive of astonishing length. In 
driving up, one actually passed twice within close view 
of the house before arriving at the front door; each time, 
instead of taking a direct route, the drive meandered 
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