Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1874-09-24
Hospitality ana Sunlight.
[FrOm "HoHnea and How to Make Them publish
hy i, II, ONQOOd 4 Col


by j. II. O3gOOd Col
Dear John In arranging your plans, be gen.
erous il you can /; not lavish or extIsyagant in
expenditure, but generous in feeling and express
sion. Lot yonr DOOR and windows be wide, and
your roof be high. A wide door is far more con-
venient t4au narrow one, usually much better
in appearance and for the windows, when
shall We learn the unspeakable worth OF the
bountful light Of hoayen2 Does Mrs. John
complain that the sunlight will fade her
carpets? Let them fade, and know Of n
truth that all the colors Of all the carpets
worth to the civilized m ,rtsl. who tread tho
duAt-containing fabrics one single hour Of un-
obstructed sunshine. IL II that our deeds are
evil that we seem to love the darkness rather
than light I; or IN 1t through our ignorant exclu-
sion Of tina glorious gift, .'otfspring OF heaven
ny darksome ways2 Be generous, did | say !?
rather try to bo Just to yourself Practically, the
larger opening 10 scarcely more OK
pensivo than the smAl one. The work Of
construction 10 no greater, and the material for
the door or window costs but little more than tho
thicker wall Of wood, brick or STONE. lemem-
her All old farm house on the side Of one Of our
rocky Now England hills, type Of a fashion
almost extinSe, broad and broodmg, low in the
walls, small windows and far between, high roof,
rious sizes, and queerly located, ~ il the
huge garrett were inhabited by 4 mixed COM
pauy Of dwarfs aud giants, each with his own
particular window suited to his height IN the
centre massive chimney, like the base af a
tower out Of which the smoke rolled in lazy
curves. At the esst side of the house, under
the narrow caves, and opening, think, into the
long kitchen, was one huge window, NJ high M the
Others and ~ wide ~ 1t was high. How it found
place there never knew. but nothing could be
more benign in its effect than it, generous
breadth. The panes were small and green and
warped, after the manner Of glass known to for
mer times but through it the sun poured
flood Of warm light every morning. and ON win
ter evenings the glow Of the freight within
made grand illumination far across the snowy
hillsides !; yet don't think the old window was
ever truly appreciated. The others seemed to
despise it, and try to keep at distance in their
narrowness and regularity. The little square
loopholes IN the gables lifted their diniinutivo
eyebrows III contempt; even the green door
looked blank and scowling, a. though at possi-
BILE rival. fancy the. housekeepcr fretted
at the larger curtain covering this wide, unwink-
ing eye, and the extra labor required on clean
ing days. But this one great square vim
dow WAS the sole redeemlng feature beneath the
roof of the ancient farm honse. Beneath the
roof, I say. The roof itself was, and il,
sntqusted honscs,not q % tie old alone, m but i Il
any new house shall ever rise, IL you succeed in
building your own 30 that II shall seem to be the
abiding place Of the incarnste genius Of domes-
tic happiness, the roof Of your earthly paradise
will be bold and high. Pierced by windows it
to shed rain aud dsnow. and high enough to be
plainly visible 10 the coming guest, promising
safety and welcome beneath its tranquil shade.
Practically, the steep roof is better tllan any
other, because flat one cannot be ~ permar-
emily covered with any known material at no lit
md nf md fVppn
patent rooiings to tho contrary notwithstanding.
by steep roofs mean any that have sufficient
pitch to allow the use of slate or shingle. Such
need not be Intricate difficult Of construction
to look well, but must be honest and useful.
They can be neither unless visible, and here we
see the holy alliance Of use and beauty ; for the
character and expression of . building depends
almost wholly upon the roof. You will lose
too, under the flat roof. the roomy garret Of the
old high -roofed houses. These have for me a
the shingles, the mingled fragrance of seeds and
drying herbs, the surprising bigaess Of the CHM
ney, the mysteries hidden in tho wOrm-eaten
chests, the almost sanity charm Of the long-un-
used spinning wheels, crnmblng memeutoes Of
the patient industry q former generations or the
tho old garret aud all its associations are Among
the "long, long thoughts" / sometimes doubt
whether the modern conveniences we are 20 fond
OF proclaiming are really all equivalent to the
TlsHb BenethtlOn iot I's nappleet OF ploy-TOOInhj
this storehouse Of berlooms, this silent but po-
tent tie, that binds us to the life, the labor and
the love OF the past.
Let there be light, too, in this upper story.
Spinning-spiders and stingng- was ps are not half
20 terrible to the Children who will make half
way paradise OF the garrett, ~ the darkness that
is covered by ali unlighted roof.
II you have been living in Ottage-chambers,
rooms in which ful-sized man can hardly stand
erect in the centre, aud well.grown baby scarce
ly creep at the sides unventilated, heated
beyond endurance during the hot, summer days,
and retaining their heat through the long, wake
full nights-rooms In which the furniture must
stand at various distances from the walls as
il marshalled for tile house cleaning battle, but
in which even tho making Of beds is a work
such rooms as these, don't wonder, whatever
architects or other men may say, that
that Mrs. John objects, and insists on
good, square chambers. But good, square cham
hers no more require fiat roofs than good, square
common sense requires flat head. don't be-
lieve Won will contfive house, Of whatever form
or size, that may not be covered moro cheaply,
more securely and more tRstefully by . steep
roof than by flat one. or course, I'm suppos-
ing your house to be isolated. Buildings in
crowded streets or in blocks require on all &C.
counts, entirely different treatment. by all
means. then, have wide doors, generous viii
dows, and high roofs; and il you must build
with strict economy you may be morally certain
gether lovely rs you might wish, will still be
cheerful and hOmelike.
Allow mo to add, that, while faith fully striv-
ing to build house that shnll be honest and
cheerful, you will surely find yourself growing
in the same direction.