The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-26

village homes, Which he seems TO tnlnk I
Characteristic, though it would seem to |
many that the same lack is evident |
in many homes in larger cities. Per- |
haps the fact that this is an age OF |
publicity and that the press is SO eX-
ceedingly free, has much to do with IT. |
but at all events there has been a ire
mendous change in public feeling upon |
this subject. The writer of this par
ticular article thinks that homes are ,,
built too hastily and not with suff1- |
cient thought, or are left too much 10
an architect He thinks that in build |
ing we think too much of the opinion
of our neighbors or even the stranger
in the street, and sacrifice our own
comfort and convenience and above all.
a certain privacy that should be the
first essential of a home. A home has
become a place. The fad for gar
dens has increased them to such an eX-
tent that much time and thought Is
spent in their planning and variety.
The writer speaks of large houses set
in the midst Of long stretches or green
lawns, with no trees, or few, and lew
scattered plants and flowers, the Whole
exposed to view like a public park
and not even surrounded by fences
This is true and is particularly no.
ticeable in America, but there is a
certain altruism in it after ALL. which
is perhaps more kindly than the prl-
waite parks and shut-in gardens of
EISldIlu- dIiQ OlllSt 1Ol SAS1I NOCAhsAAON0'
The high walls and close hedges to be
seen in other lands certainly secure
privacy for the owners of the places,
but they shut out the public and de-
priVe many persons Of pleasure Which
could~be very cheaply afforded them by
the sight of these well kept homes.
The writer also criticiseS. with rea-
son, the Short-Sig htedneSS which keeps
the front of house in perfect order
and lets the back yard take care of it
self. This is sometimes seen in places
where it is surprising and is the re-
suit of careleSsness and shows a splr-
1t of putting the best foot foremost.
The next generation. he seems to think,
viii put all these things right Some
times, and indeed often, the most beau
tiful English gardens are back of the
house, where the family drink tea and
spend a pleasant time together at-the
English tea time. The popularity Of
the. screened-in porch during the last
season and the training of vines over
the pOrches is about the only privacy
that the average American family at
tainS in summer. The writer cont1n-
ues: What can we do about it? A
great deal-especially if we begin in
time. We cannot adopt the English
way frankly desirable as that would
be. The places around US are Ameri-
can. and it is not desirable TO be too
different from the rest; besides, if we
were to put high walls around our yard
and hide behind them, our neighbors
would certainly not appreciate the mo-
tive, and would say disagreeable
things. Nevertheless, by compro
mise, We may do much; only we need,
first of all, to cast aside certain con-
Ventional ideas that we have always
had and never questioned. I
"In planning the home we must re-
fuse absolutely to follow popular pre-
judice, which insists on putting the
II, I1rIo0 hoy crpt
the best exposure, and the work and
living rooms on the side and rear; that
puts a wi lie porch along the front and
around one corner, and In the rear an
eight by ten porch that is chiefly serv-
iceable as a catch-all for kitchen
things; that insists on growing grass
and flowers for the benefit of the
neighbors and vegetables for our own
benefit. Instead, we must set the house
so that the rear will get the best ex-
posure and the kitchen will fall on the
side or in front. We must put the
lounging porch in the rear, facing the
garden, where we may have flowers
and shrubs to our hearts content. We
are well-nigh emancipated when we
come to realize that if some one must
see the vegetable garden, better the
stranger who sees it in passing than
the owner, whose peace and comfort
must be found in that spot. By so do
Ing We may attain privacy, and this
without detracting greatly from the
appearance of the place from the street
"a compromise, as it were, with the
municipal idea. Such a plan
is only suggestive. What I desire to
insist upon is that prospective build
er begin with his ground plan before
he plans his house. The landscape
gardener-and most of US must be our
own landscape gardener-should pre-
cede the architect, or at least work in
common with him Whom he toll 70
has been grasped, that if we desire we
must turn our houses around, the bat
tie has been won. The details may be
worked out easily" This reminds one
of the convention of civic improvement
clubs which was held in ST Paul dur
ing the past autumn, and the good
things that were said about homes and
buildings by some of the members, and
1t viii be remembered that one clever
woman gave a talk about it and said
that as homes were mainly for women
1t is women who muSt-se that thew are
sanitary and comfortable for those who
are to live In them. She said that the
women must begin with the ground
plan and insist upon knowing every
detail, even to the material of every
part, and she believed that each wom-
an who was so fortunate as to have a
home built for her should study and
read the subject thoroughly before al
lowing the house to be started.
Ways of Making Authors.
Frank BulIen, an English author who
has made success, was the recipient
of much attention from friends in Lon
don and was the guest at the Authors
club and made a speech. He told of
how he came to write and said frankly
that it was simply because he was
earning so little that he took to writ
Ing to augment his income For his
f1rst book he received 9100, and it was
faYorably reviewed by the London
Times, which, in itself, almost makes a
success. Mr.. w. L. Alden, who is an
authority on literary matters in Eng
land, speaks of the remarks made nv
Mr. Bullen and wonders whether he
did not refer to Kipling's kindness to
MIN, or whether this was an omission
OF the one who reported the speech
For In his mind Kipling made Mr. Bull
len absolutely. His book which Mr.
Alden says is not remarkable. was
read by every one because Kipling
wrote warm commentator of If and
allowed the author to use it as an adj
Vertisement This, without a douTA
made the book and made it's writer
and if MI. Bullen failed to acknowI-
edge the kindness he was singularly
lacking in gratitude.
The Bean Nc Joke in Boston.
THE Beau's Comedy is the subject
OF a good joke that is going the rounds
of the literary press in the East. Har-
per & Brothers say that some Boston
man called them up by telephone the
other day and asked for The Beams
Comedy, which made a good laugh
everywhere save in Boston, where the
Dean is not regarded as a comedy, but
as a necessity as much as bread.