Art Out-of-Doors 



than real. A short v\^alk to the carriage is 

 seldom a hardship, even for the feet^ except 

 in winter ; and a narrow board-walk^ tem- 

 porarily laid down over the gravel or asphalt, 

 will cheaply do away with the greater part 

 of the inconvenience that winter brings. 

 Unless he keeps horses in a stable on the 

 place, or unless there is an invalid in the 

 family whose comfort must be the first con- 

 sideration, a villa-owner who cares at all for 

 beauty will sacrifice his carriage - approach 

 without a pang. 



Yet, even if it is sacrificed, there are still 

 good reasons why the entrance should not 

 be in the front of the house, unless it stands 

 very close to the street or its grounds are 

 very narrow indeed. A foot- walk must lead 

 to it, and I cannot say too often that even 

 the smallest ribbon of gravel is a disfigure- 

 ment to a lawn. The space to be traversed 

 from street to door will not be perceptibly 

 lengthened by placing the door in the side 

 of the house. And no injury to the plan of 

 the interior need result from the change ; 

 for even if the door admits, not to an old- 

 fashioned narrow entry, but to a hall which 



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