House and Garden 
ISELTWALD 
modern villas and the large hotels being erected at 
the present time to accommodate the great throng of 
summer travelers. 
The primitive mountain abodes are constructed by, 
and for, a being, whose life is to work, and daily 
occupation during the open season, is to lay up store 
for the closed season. The first floor of his dwelling 
is frequently given up to the beasts, and bis store¬ 
house must be lifted on heavy posts, capped by a 
broad flat stone, to keep bis produce of the land safe 
from vermin. The side walls must be of heavy 
strong timbers to withstand the avalanche, and with 
but few window openings through 
which cold may enter. Over all 
is laid a heavy roof of shingles 
loaded down with large boulders, 
and all must stand as a buttress 
against severe wind storms and 
snow. Glorious as are the sur¬ 
roundings, equally dreary must be 
the long winters, and dull the life, 
for mortals cannot live on sub¬ 
limity alone! The monotony of 
the long hours is sometimes 
broken by wood carving, model¬ 
ing, or other artistic work, for 
which the inhabitants have fortu¬ 
nately inherited some talent, and 
although not of high artistic value, 
is a source of small revenue and 
a valuable occupation. The skill 
and patience of the Swiss for 
making fine watches, for which 
they are known the world over, 
probably was the result of the 
condition of life referred to above. 
The dwellings of the valleys are 
of larger dimensions with more 
complicated ornamentation, and 
the jointing of the wood is made 
in many cases with almost the 
extreme care of the cabinet-maker. 
The different floors are sometimes 
shown on the exterior by carved 
friezes, indicating with correct 
architectural ideas the interior 
lines, and the windows are fre¬ 
quently divided into picturesque 
groupings, with boxes of gerani¬ 
ums and other flowers, which 
make a bright and pretty effect 
against the dark coloring of the 
wood. The large overhanging 
eaves are frequently supported at 
the corners of the buildings by 
enormous brackets rising front 
the foundations, causing deep 
irregular shadows, and taking 
away from the stiffness of the vertical lines; also be¬ 
tween these frequently run long galleries with open¬ 
work balustrades. Inscriptions are sometimes carved 
in several lines across the facade of the building, and 
nowand then the letters are colored. On the lower 
levels and in the valleys the first floor walls are fre¬ 
quently built of stone, rough cast with mortar, but 
the stones are not used on the roof. 
The display of flowers is particularly noticeable 
and very beautiful in the smiling valley of Chateaux 
d’Oex. In this valley, until recently so little visited, 
in the little town of Rossinieres, is the largest chalet 
A BERNER HOUSE 
