384 
RURAL HOURS. 
buildings of twice tlieir size, and, altogether, they belong to the 
ponderous style. 
It is amusing, in passing from one hamlet to the other, to observe 
how imitative the good people are ; for there is generally some 
one original genius in every neighborhood who strikes out a new 
variation upon one of the styles alluded to, and whether the 
novelty be an improvement, or an unsightly oddity, he is pretty 
sure of being closely followed by all who build about the same 
time. One often sees half a dozen new houses in close neighbor- 
hood precisely on the same pattern, however grotesque it may 
chance to be. This imitative disposition shows itself also in the 
coloring of the houses ; for of course here, as elsewhere through- 
out the country, they change their colors every few years with 
the last coat of paint. Many are white ; many others yellow and 
orange ; some are red, others brown ; green, blue, and pink may 
also be found in the county ; but these last shades are more rare, 
not having taken generally. Two or three years since, black was 
the hue of the season, but at present gray is all the fashion. It 
is by no means uncommon to find a house under different shades, 
front and rear, and I have seen a small farm-house with a differ- 
ent color on each of its four walls ; yellow, red, brown, and white. 
We have also seen red houses with brimstone-colored bhnds. 
But this Harlequin fancy seems to be subsiding, and as it has al- 
ready been observed, sober gray and drabs are the colors in favor 
to-day, as though all the houses in the land were turning Quaker. 
The "rural Gothic" and " Elizabethan," which have grown 
rapidly into favor about the suburbs of large towns, have scarcely 
as yet made any impression here. There are, probably, not more 
