Roads and Paths 
many cases where the road can be kept 
away from the immediate vicinity of the 
house-front, it will have to pass it at a 
greater distance. Its presence may then be 
masked by low plantations which will, at 
least, be less disagreeable to the eye than the 
line of gravel. But plantations will often 
be undesirable as obstructions in what ought 
to be a simple extended view, or a broadly 
treated landscape. It is better, when possi- 
ble, to sink the road, or to raise the lawn in 
a gentle slope toward it to such a degree 
that the eye will not perceive it, and that 
the stretches of lawn on its hither and fur- 
ther sides will seem to unite without a break. 
If the place is so large that the house is 
not seen until after one has entered the ap- 
proach, attention should be paid to the first 
view thus afforded. There is much in in- 
itial impressions, and a house may never 
redeem itself wholly in a visitor’s eyes if it 
, fails to do itself justice when they first light 
upon it. 
The same general principles hold with re- 
gard to walks as with regard to drives. 
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