Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-17

wrll-aud wonder what shey are thinking Of
~ u Is patriotic attempt % copy the capitol At
Washington, II must be forgiven perhaps Oh rhs
score of loyalty. If il IL assertion thai the
builder il a free born American citiz ~, AMI a.
such is a king in his own right and ought TO
Keep house a. monarchs do 1t l. a very emp hatic
statement to his fellow sOvereigus of the doc
tTinc OF equality, and must convince them that
he is as good as they are. Ii IL is meant 10 al
vertise him As a Travelled man, who has seen and
admired the Crystal Palace at SydeDh1m,
and has determined to build just so for Mrs
Jones and the children, he might perhaps get
cheaper certificate of his pilgrimage, but
let him be accorded his honors. II AZ were
simply his purpose 10 leave behind al m a m m
ument of his wealth and taste, IL would serve
his end more graciOlsly and usefully to build a
college hall or = scientific observatory. But 49,
an attempt to found a seat OF successive house
hold generations, which shall keep the family
name cut in its portal and insure its heritage to
the family bsOi for century, OF tor centuries
the scheme is utterly absurd and impracticablc.
We nave no " law of primo geuitlrC" In thts
country. No one OF family OF children with
Us, in the psrceling out even Of 4 large estate,
VIII inherit enough 10 keep up such AN estih-
lshme mt. There Is too much money there Ia
brick and mortsr. Maintain the domestic life
within on n fitting scale, aud whence are the
supplies TO come" II is like spending all one
has for - clothes" and then what shaU he do
for bread :-pinching the stomach to adJTn the
back. IL Is - AN elephant in the distribution
OF hrst-class fortune. II ahsOrhs and ssallows
ny too niue in such "A distribution to be an OBJ
iect of desire 10 any single heir. Even il there
went with II a portion matching it, m4gnih-
Cence, ii would tire and fret the freedom Of our
rowing disposition.
Who OF you lives to-day in the house your
father built" Not one house in ten continues
in the same family through the second genera
ton. Caprice, business, adventure, marriage
Will scatter our sons and daughters from the
parent nest over the breadth of the continent.
And SO, discarded by necessity, or rejected of
choice by all 50 related to it, how shall one of
these great castles be disposed Of Offer IL for
sale. Bnt the men who can afford castles are
few except they be castles in the air). And
every one OF those few woqld rather try his own
hand at castle building, that he might realize
his own ideal. Who will buy the castle? 1t will
most likely come under the hammer and go for
half its cost to some charitable society that will
NIL 1t with orphan children or disabled seamen;
or TO some ambitious boarding house keeper
who will advertise, with your name a catch
word and premium, FURNISHED apartments in
the Girard mansion to let
BUILD A TASTEFUL HOME.
AT the same time one ought to build neither
coarsely Ior carelessly; and this whatever the
sum expended, large or small. IL is a duty which
everv man owes to his neigh bors and the com
muntty, not to debauch or offend, but to refine
anu elevate the public taste. Every structure
has suggestive and educational influence 1,
says 10 the observer, ''GO and do thou likewise"
IL helps to shape and color ideas, and 20 com
mend them to practical adoption. IL ought
therefore, to be safe aud lit to copy. 1t shJud
stimulate contrIvance and waken and gratify
the sense OF beauty and harmony. 1t nav be
lovely ~ proportions and dimensions, but none
the less, perhaps the more for this, 1t ought to
tons. A bit of porch over the main threshold:
cheap vtrandah on the sunny side; a la lder OF
treliis work before the front window for climb
ing vines; bracketed roof; pannsled chin
ney stack; little irregularity in the ground
plan; any of these simple devices, within the
reach as they are of modest means, changes the
whole expression of the fabric, filings over it an
air of elegance and culture, and makes il a ioy
10 the passar-by-a domestic gem, which The
pleased landscape will wear with smile.
The tact Is, there is hardly one man in ten
that is tit to be entrusted with the expenditure
Of dollar for architectural purposes. We in
UlCI as nulSances IL -stles dlstllerieS and bone
factories, and have hem abatet. We ought to
have the privilege of indicting and removing
these eye-sOres OF ebsracter)ess dwellings that
open along all the thor0ughfares of city and
untry. II they were positively ugly it wOlId
be an improvement upon their utter lack OF all
expression, even as human face, rough hewn
and distorted, is more attractive than smooth
and simpering insipidity. There are societies
FOR the prevention of cruelty to animals. 1t
would b Equally legitimate} to form a society
for the protection of peaceful landscapes, OIL
which reckless, eyil-minded and hardened men,
without the fear OF God and the love OF human.
ity before their eyes, fssten these blotches OF
defornity. Every man who builds in spirit OF
loyalty to the acquisitions OF grace and beauty
Is public benetactor, while he who is indifer-
ent TO both iDfcts an injury upon the commu-
nifty, and should be held and treated as a quo
nc enemy There ought to De provisions b.
which such infections might be averted on
healed. Domestic architecture might well be
made branch Of common sc Iool education. 1t
cannot be OF greater Importance that one
should learn to draw imaginary scenes on can
vas, than that he should know how to Law Outthe
home he il to live in, according to the csnons
OF taste Candidates for the marriage vows are
put through quite q catechi.m of particulars
before they get their license. That epoch would |
be a good point ct which to sift their ideas OF
The home structure, and to decide the granting |
OF me document upon the satisfactoriness OF |
CsR EVERY ROOM
, however AMBITIOUS the domestic hospitality, |
me reserved rooms OF the house ought not to |
ave prominence over those In use. There are |
families who scarce enter once a year what are |
called and what are in reality .the best rOoms.r
they crowd themselves into straitened back
apartments, that the rsce ption room and the |
- spare chamber may be kept suffered and |
iArkened for the infrequent guest. Their
daily convenience they subject TO these rigid re-
strictions and these mean accommodations,
that the semi annual visitor may have large /
space, and be duly impressed with the honors |
81 81 MS entertainment ,n tam They go and come
ment entrance. bruising their elbows and arch |
ing their shoulders, lest their feet should dim |
the polish and wear the newness of tue |
front way, kept sacred to the formal |
caller. There are some fine homes, or at least |
me houses which i pass in my daily walk, |
against which have great antipathy, almosta |
life IN them. Nothing stirs them visibly BY day !
and they are dark as tombs by night. / want 10 |
stone the jealous blinds into some sense OF an |
outside world. They are occupied; but the |
v hole cheerfulness of their occupancy wastes |
Itself upon a seQuestered back yard. The front |
,t the house is kept shut, silent and sombre. |
on never get glimpse into lighted room /
where the gas shines on pleasant faces and the |
Joyous freedom Of household intjmaces. There |
seems more than an oriental strictness of seciu.
sion; while it is only voluntary self NOR titica-
tion to save the Parlor carpet, and to leave |
undisturbed the linen ghosts of the parlor |
chairs. Ii has the aspect Of a mean, unsocial |
and unneighbOrly isolation, and II is a sin |
against the laws of good fellowship. Ii felt |
that the best of the house was too good for me |
and my wife and children, 1 think I would |
Vaca'e my statelineEs and take cheaper and |
more suitable premises.
NALCE OF AN OUT OF DOOR DEPARTMENT.
Not the least important appendage of a home !
IN which boys and girls are domiciled, IL what |
may be called the '.Out of Doors Departmen |
The house OF itself cannot with safety to wall |
and ceiling and furniture provide for the flood |
hde OF joyous and exuberant spirits These |
Young Titsns want TO be at liberty, to stretch |
themselves with no fear of touching things frail |
and Manageable. They want to shout and hur-
ran, to try issues breast to breast and finally to
get TO the bosom of the common mother Earth |
and suck in health and vitality. For such needs |
blessed be the home whose back windows look
out upon barn yard. and into the cool free
spaces Of barn. In city life, the barn is lux
ary, not always to be afforded. In the country /
t lifts its hOmely and Welcominu portala al |