﻿3^4 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  October, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  HE 
  latest 
  word 
  in 
  building 
  fashions 
  is 
  one 
  

   fraught 
  with 
  the 
  saddest 
  woe. 
  The 
  foyer 
  

   hall, 
  it 
  appears, 
  must 
  go, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  very 
  

   good 
  and 
  practical 
  reason 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  

   suited 
  to 
  courting 
  uses! 
  A 
  pretty 
  state 
  of 
  

   affairs, 
  forsooth, 
  and 
  one 
  that 
  calls 
  for 
  in- 
  

   stant 
  remedying. 
  The 
  parlor, 
  the 
  old- 
  

   fashioned 
  parlor, 
  if 
  you 
  please, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  indispensable 
  

   adjunct 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  noble 
  art 
  of 
  love-making. 
  And 
  the 
  par- 
  

   lor 
  has 
  been 
  on 
  the 
  decline, 
  lo, 
  these 
  years 
  and 
  days. 
  In 
  

   many 
  cases 
  it 
  has 
  utterly 
  disappeared 
  from 
  the 
  modern 
  house 
  

   plan, 
  and 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  has 
  survived 
  as 
  a 
  "reception-room" 
  of 
  

   the 
  smallest 
  possible 
  dimensions. 
  These 
  narrow 
  quarters 
  

   might 
  be 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  ample 
  for 
  such 
  delectable 
  proceed- 
  

   ings, 
  but 
  even 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  without 
  their 
  undesirable 
  qualifica- 
  

   tions, 
  and 
  the 
  only 
  safety, 
  the 
  only 
  absolute 
  safety, 
  seems 
  to 
  

   be 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  and 
  complete 
  extermination 
  of 
  the 
  foyer 
  

   hall 
  with 
  its 
  open 
  stairway, 
  its 
  spacious 
  hospitable 
  dimensions, 
  

   its 
  utter 
  freedom, 
  its 
  elegance, 
  its 
  convenience 
  to 
  every 
  one 
  

   not 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  aforsaid 
  occupation 
  which 
  cries 
  aloud 
  for 
  

   its 
  extermination. 
  

  

  The 
  truth 
  of 
  the 
  matter 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  that 
  bashful 
  young 
  

   men 
  will 
  not 
  even 
  so 
  much 
  as 
  enter 
  such 
  spacious 
  and 
  semi- 
  

   public 
  apartments. 
  The 
  proud 
  possessor 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  new- 
  

   fangled 
  rooms, 
  therefore, 
  finds 
  his 
  daughters 
  on 
  his 
  hands 
  in- 
  

   definitely, 
  while 
  the 
  maiden 
  who 
  once 
  rejoiced 
  in 
  the 
  latest 
  

   thing 
  in 
  family 
  rooms 
  finds 
  herself 
  compelled 
  to 
  pass 
  her 
  

   evenings 
  in 
  solitary 
  loneliness 
  or 
  surrounded 
  by 
  such 
  unin- 
  

   teresting 
  company 
  as 
  is 
  provided 
  by 
  her 
  immediate 
  family. 
  

   Rural 
  regions, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  feel 
  these 
  distressing 
  circumstances 
  

   much 
  more 
  keenly 
  than 
  the 
  cities, 
  for 
  in 
  rural 
  regions 
  the 
  

   parlor 
  has 
  a 
  historic 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  art 
  of 
  courting 
  that 
  the 
  

   foyer 
  hall 
  utterly 
  refuses 
  to 
  supply. 
  Everyone 
  knows 
  how 
  

   important 
  courting 
  is, 
  and 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  very 
  useful 
  apart- 
  

   ment 
  is 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  sight, 
  but 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  actually 
  

   arrived. 
  Fathers 
  with 
  marriageable 
  daughters 
  and 
  foyer 
  

   halls 
  — 
  perish 
  the 
  combination 
  — 
  may, 
  therefore, 
  be 
  expected 
  

   to 
  place 
  their 
  houses 
  in 
  the 
  market 
  for 
  immediate 
  sale 
  at 
  

   marked-down 
  prices. 
  

  

  The 
  scarcity 
  of 
  rural 
  help 
  of 
  all 
  kinds 
  was 
  never 
  more 
  

   marked 
  than 
  at 
  present. 
  That 
  the 
  farmers 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  a 
  

   bad 
  way 
  for 
  help 
  of 
  all 
  kinds 
  for 
  several 
  years 
  is 
  very 
  gen- 
  

   erally 
  known; 
  but 
  the 
  scarcity 
  has 
  now 
  extended 
  to 
  every 
  

   form 
  of 
  rural 
  help, 
  and 
  rests 
  quite 
  as 
  heavily 
  upon 
  the 
  well- 
  

   to-do 
  in 
  places 
  near 
  the 
  large 
  cities 
  as 
  upon 
  those 
  residing 
  at 
  

   remote 
  spots. 
  The 
  satisfied 
  dependable 
  servant 
  is 
  becoming 
  

   so 
  rare 
  an 
  article 
  as 
  to 
  have 
  almost 
  completely 
  disappeared. 
  

   The 
  changing 
  of 
  plans 
  to 
  suit 
  the 
  convenience 
  of 
  servants 
  has 
  

   long 
  ceased 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  joke, 
  and 
  has 
  become 
  a 
  grim 
  reality. 
  One 
  

   may, 
  indeed, 
  descend 
  on 
  one's 
  country 
  seat 
  with 
  a 
  full 
  retinue 
  

   of 
  retainers, 
  but 
  one 
  is 
  fortunate 
  if 
  the 
  return 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  is 
  

   made 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  triumphal 
  fashion. 
  Nor 
  is 
  this 
  all. 
  A 
  

   really 
  much 
  more 
  serious 
  problem 
  is 
  the 
  difficulty 
  of 
  employ- 
  

   ing 
  local 
  labor 
  for 
  any 
  purpose 
  whatsoever. 
  The 
  man 
  and 
  

   woman 
  who 
  could 
  be 
  hired 
  by 
  the 
  day 
  for 
  odd 
  jobs, 
  or 
  even 
  

   for 
  extended 
  jobs, 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  for 
  love 
  or 
  money. 
  

   Vast 
  areas 
  of 
  rural 
  communities 
  everywhere 
  are 
  absolutely 
  

   devoid 
  of 
  laborers, 
  while 
  the 
  skilled 
  workman, 
  the 
  carpenter 
  

   and 
  the 
  plumber, 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  be 
  so 
  much 
  occupied 
  with 
  steady 
  

   work 
  that 
  their 
  services 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  had 
  at 
  odd 
  hours 
  and 
  

   at 
  most 
  highly 
  advanced 
  compensation. 
  This 
  state 
  of 
  affairs 
  

   doubtless 
  reflects 
  a 
  general 
  prosperity, 
  and 
  certainly 
  indxates 
  

   a 
  very 
  general 
  activity, 
  but 
  it 
  greatly 
  increases 
  the 
  difficulty 
  

  

  of 
  rural 
  and 
  suburban 
  living, 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  many 
  hard- 
  

   ships 
  one 
  must 
  undergo 
  in 
  the 
  effort 
  to 
  be 
  comfortable. 
  And 
  

   it 
  is 
  a 
  condition 
  that 
  affects 
  the 
  rich 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  less 
  well 
  

   off. 
  Money 
  can 
  not 
  hire 
  men 
  when 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  men 
  to 
  be 
  

   hired. 
  

  

  No 
  ONE 
  should 
  imagine 
  that 
  the 
  country 
  is 
  a 
  cheap 
  place 
  

   in 
  which 
  to 
  live. 
  One 
  can, 
  of 
  course, 
  for 
  a 
  given 
  sum, 
  acquire 
  

   more 
  land 
  and 
  a 
  more 
  commodious 
  house 
  than 
  one 
  could 
  own 
  

   in 
  a 
  city 
  for 
  an 
  equal 
  amount. 
  One 
  may 
  pay 
  actually 
  less 
  in 
  

   taxes, 
  but 
  almost 
  all 
  other 
  expenses 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  higher. 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  saving 
  in 
  meats 
  and 
  vegetables; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  saving 
  

   in 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  help; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  saving 
  in 
  merchandise 
  supplies; 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  saving 
  in 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  fuel. 
  Oil 
  will 
  cost 
  less 
  

   than 
  electricity, 
  but 
  where 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  

   invariably 
  preferred. 
  One 
  actually 
  needs 
  more 
  things 
  in 
  the 
  

   country 
  to 
  be 
  comfortable 
  than 
  were 
  deemed 
  essential 
  in 
  the 
  

   city. 
  If 
  one's 
  place 
  is 
  of 
  any 
  size 
  at 
  all 
  a 
  man 
  must 
  be 
  kept 
  

   for 
  the 
  outdoor 
  work, 
  and 
  at 
  least 
  one 
  horse, 
  while 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  too 
  many. 
  If 
  the 
  vegetable 
  bill 
  is 
  small 
  in 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  summer, 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  because 
  various 
  other 
  ex- 
  

   penses 
  have 
  been 
  incurred 
  in 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  market 
  

   garden. 
  The 
  truth 
  is, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  spe- 
  

   cial 
  expenses 
  that 
  must 
  be 
  incurred 
  if 
  one 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  comfortable 
  

   and 
  satisfied 
  with 
  rural 
  life, 
  and 
  almost 
  every 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  

   absolutely 
  unavoidable. 
  

  

  But 
  for 
  this 
  increased 
  expense 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  compensa- 
  

   tions. 
  It 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  important 
  to 
  get 
  as 
  much 
  wholesome 
  

   enjoyment 
  out 
  of 
  life 
  than 
  to 
  keep 
  expenses 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  low- 
  

   est 
  possible 
  limit. 
  And 
  it 
  is 
  because 
  these 
  compensations 
  are 
  

   so 
  many 
  and 
  so 
  obvious 
  that 
  great 
  crowds 
  of 
  city 
  folk 
  are 
  

   annually 
  deserting 
  the 
  cities 
  with 
  the 
  avowed 
  intention 
  of 
  

   never 
  returning. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  rent 
  and 
  the 
  costli- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  real 
  estate 
  is 
  the 
  great 
  moving 
  impetus, 
  but, 
  after 
  all, 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  wide 
  appreciation 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  healthful 
  life, 
  

   and 
  greater 
  personal 
  freedom, 
  the 
  ample 
  spaces 
  and 
  the 
  purer 
  

   air 
  that 
  characterize 
  every 
  rural 
  spot, 
  and 
  which 
  help 
  to 
  

   bring 
  about 
  that 
  contentment 
  and 
  satisfaction 
  for 
  which 
  rural 
  

   life 
  is 
  so 
  admirably 
  fitted. 
  

  

  The 
  house 
  painting 
  season 
  is 
  now 
  at 
  its 
  height, 
  and 
  all 
  

   sorts 
  of 
  transformations 
  are 
  in 
  progress 
  everywhere. 
  There 
  

   are 
  few 
  matters 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  house 
  that 
  call 
  for 
  more 
  

   complete 
  reform 
  than 
  this. 
  Comparatively 
  few 
  persons 
  have 
  

   any 
  realizing 
  sense 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  color 
  on 
  the 
  exterior 
  of 
  

   a 
  house, 
  and 
  many 
  an 
  excellent 
  design 
  has 
  been 
  ruined 
  by 
  

   improper 
  painting 
  and 
  unjudicious 
  choice 
  in 
  the 
  selection 
  of 
  

   colors. 
  Nor 
  is 
  the 
  problem 
  one 
  that 
  can 
  readily 
  be 
  solved. 
  

   The 
  color 
  problem 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  is 
  an 
  individual 
  problem, 
  each 
  

   house 
  calling 
  for 
  an 
  individual 
  solution 
  in 
  an 
  individual 
  way. 
  

   Generalities 
  help, 
  in 
  a 
  measure, 
  of 
  course, 
  but 
  their 
  practical 
  

   utility 
  is 
  comparatively 
  small. 
  Only 
  one 
  general 
  rule 
  seems 
  

   available, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  to 
  use 
  as 
  few 
  different 
  colors 
  and 
  tones 
  

   as 
  possible. 
  Do 
  not 
  make 
  your 
  house 
  an 
  exhibit 
  of 
  the 
  possi- 
  

   bilities 
  of 
  house 
  paint. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  error 
  to 
  introduce 
  as 
  

   many 
  different 
  colors 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  emphasize 
  every 
  mold- 
  

   ing, 
  to 
  pick 
  out 
  every 
  piece 
  of 
  detail. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  only 
  unneces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  do 
  that, 
  but 
  often 
  most 
  distressful. 
  One 
  must, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  depend 
  on 
  one's 
  painter 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  extent, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  in 
  rural 
  communities. 
  There 
  one 
  does 
  not 
  always 
  find 
  

   competent 
  men 
  trained 
  in 
  an 
  artistic 
  way; 
  but 
  often 
  enough 
  it 
  

   is 
  the 
  only 
  available 
  material. 
  It 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  advise 
  further, 
  

   in 
  a 
  general 
  way, 
  than 
  to 
  avoid 
  indiscriminate 
  colors 
  and 
  

   garish 
  tones. 
  

  

  