An Old House ' ■ ''HE first article in this issue 
or a New One J- brings up a question that is 
always interesting though never vital. 
One might argue all clay that the mellowness of an old house is 
a quality to be desired above all other considerations, or that wdth 
the life of to-day any house other than one designed and built to 
conform to our demands for electric lighting, plentiful plumbing, 
scientific heating and other like requirements, is inconsistent. The 
arguments on both sides are interesting and productive of good, 
in that they help us to decide which of the two — old house or 
new — better suits our individual taste. It is not hard to imagine 
the man who, in a remodeled farmhouse, would feel — and look as 
though he felt — like a strayed kitten. His whole personality is 
out of time with his environment. And that same man, in a 
home of his own choosing, designed to reflect something of his 
individuality, would feel — and look as if he felt — at peace with 
the world. The choice is essentially one to be referred to our 
individual taste rather than to abstract reasoning. And, above 
all, the ultimate success of our home depends not on whether we 
choose now' to build a new structure or remodel an old one, but 
rather on the way in cvhich w'e do either one of these things. To 
many people there is a joy in remodeling, in seeing the actual 
substance of w'hat they w'ould alter, that they do not And in the 
contemplation of w'orking drawings. It is hard for most laymen 
to visualize a house as it is designed by the architect — many feel 
surer of success in making a little change here, a little addition 
there, to an old building, noting the effect as they proceed and 
changing back again if a later judgment so wills it. On the other 
hand, remodeling falls far short of securing for a home-builder 
such features as a great hall extending up through two stories, 
with the bedrooms opening from a balcony. It may be that some 
such thing is the home-builder’s pet hobby, in which case he should 
surely build a new house. Once again, then, the choice is merely 
a matter of taste, not a fork in the road, leading to success on one 
branch and failure on the other. And the ultimately successful 
home depends very little on its size, type or previous condition — its 
success lies in the manner in which an idea has been follow'ed out 
to its logical end. 
The Ideal I ■'WO things are necessary in any 
House A neighborhood where we pro¬ 
pose to spend a life: a desert and 
some living w'ater." So writes Stevenson in one of his essays 
about the house that he would build. It’s a pleasant combination 
of the practical and the dreamy, this essay, but it has much of 
interest to the reader contemplating building. There is no 
need to accept his ideal in toto as one’s own, for we are not 
Robert Louis Stevensons, but there is an excellent method sug¬ 
gested that certainly should help us all. Strangely enough, an 
article in another part of this magazine is a practical application 
of the Stevensonian method — it tells how two people found the 
way to realize their ideal house. 
Stevenson felt that his house should be a little world complete 
in itself, a miniature of his delectable lands, which could under 
the imagination’s power grow into heroic proportions. So he 
visualized these ideals of his, and the place would have been the 
outgrow'th of his preconceived plan. Perhaps some of us might 
like to develop the plan he proposes in that ideal home of ours. 
First he demanded a combination of wildness with what he 
calls a “kindly variety.’’ “A bit of moor bordered with flrs” or a 
“forest developed with heath and rock” were the desert features. 
And the crags and rocks could be merely boulders close at hand 
to give him the effect of cliffs at a distance. The water features 
that he sought could all be obtained in a little brook, for each 
tiny fall of the stream differs from Niagara only in degree. If 
'the sea coast provided this essential water feature there must be 
promontories and rocks reaching out into the water. 
Such are his suggestions for the first requirements of the 
home; the nature of the country could be rendered suitable. He 
specifies, however, old trees, and thickets of evergreen; much 
level, such as successions of small lawns; a garden divided by 
hedges, and a rolling orchard stretching to the brook. All this 
sounds like a great estate, but the idea was not that; it was sim¬ 
ply to combine these features — not necessarily as the Japanese 
do— in a small place and by giving variety get completeness. 
The way a man and woman reconnoitered for a building site is 
a way to obtain this ideal. They had their notion, and sought 
the land with the two essentials. Then when they had found it 
they camped there. They considered each outlook, each corner 
and slope, and gradually, when their desires were crystallized and 
fitted to each portion of their lot, the house was ready to be built, 
its position decided upon and the most advantageous knoll selected 
for it. They had become acquainted with the land and could 
then give their architect something tangible to work upon. 
Such a building campaign not only gives us considerable happiness 
in working it out, but is apt to give much more satisfaction. 
Health 'l7l the “'I make the country as healthy 
Country A as the city” is the aim of a re¬ 
cent publication. Such a statement 
comes as a shock to those of us who have considered the country 
the one place where disease and sickness should be absent. But 
though country air may be purer and sweeter than the urban 
atmosphere, statistics show that the rural communities have a 
greater rate of typhoid fever per population. The great, well- 
organized health departments of the cities assume the responsi¬ 
bility of the public health. In the country the case devolves upon 
the individual. How often he is indifferent to his duty is revealed 
in countless instances. In this building number emphasis cannot 
be put too strongly upon the need of sanitary reformation in 
suburban sections. The consideration of health should be the 
first thought of the prospective builder. It should be a vital issue 
with the country resident that the local health boards are awake 
to the situation. What he cannot do in the community he should 
strive to accomplish in his own home. 
The subject of land drainage should be looked into. Then the 
importance of a watertight and damp-proof foundation should 
actuate him to make proper provision against trouble. Some 
authoritative information is given elsewhere in this magazine 
upon this subject. Heating, ventilation and sewage disposal are 
of prime importance in health preservation. The experts whose 
advice is presented within these pages have endeavored to give 
illuminating instruction bearing on these subjects. Plumbing, 
too, is an allied subject that should be investigated. In these 
matters little should be taken for granted and much made the ob¬ 
ject of personal knowledge and supervision. 
We do not often consider that the position of our house in¬ 
fluences our well being, yet sunlight is a more potent purifier than 
many antiseptic solutions, and the house should be so planned that 
the most occupied rooms receive an abundance of light. Its set¬ 
ting in relation to the street is of but small import to this. 
Water supply should never be taken for granted. That same 
babbling brook which delights one’s imagination may be foully 
contaminated. The little bother of having the water analyzed be¬ 
fore one settles in a new location is a precaution that may save 
many regrets and much expense later. These should become of 
first interest, and the sanitation of town and home grounds ought 
to be as much second nature as the matter of personal hygiene. 
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