New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-09

spOnsfble for the fact that French county
houses possess the minimum number OF w"
dows- Formerly, The tax was levied en- al WIN
dows looking on the main road. and to aVoio Il
and reduce expenses the architects turned 'No
eyes CT the houses into the stable yard OF
courtyard In preference to the natural frontage
OF the house. The tax to-day Is irrespective OF
the position Of the windows. and IS only SINAI
item among the contributions in any case
There is. therefore. excuse for the blind i0oA
presented By country villas all over France ~
this year OF grace.
Outside. there is strong family likeness II
villa residences Inside. the diversity OF It's IA
conyeniences will astonish the foreigner. Ouu
shaped slices are cut OF the rooms 10 provide
weird black holes OF cupboards. 20 be digni-
fed with the name OF cabinets De toilette on
! dressing rooms. There are three doors in every
| room. and 20 reach the drawing room 1t is nee
essary 20 cross one II not two bedrooms. or vice
versa The staircase viii as likely as not be
wedged IN between the walls Of two rooms. an
Egyptian darkness prevailing all the way Do
nestle Offices. If they exist at all. viii be found
IN some corner OF the garden. and. OF course, al
the water will be drawn from a we'll
i Many Of these pecuIiarities are accounted for
by the fact that most Parisians their own
| architects. Sometimes il IS the wife and some
| times the husband who draws up the plan or
the country villa, and odd oversights are apt to
occur modern little house In rural neigh
| borhOOd about fifty minutes from Paris. stand
i ing on the slope OF richly wooded hill. on the
border of an historical forest. commands a view
down the valley toward the west OF the distant
arcades OF the ST GermaIn viaduct. which IL u
In the rays of the setting sun as though set in
liquid gold above a stretch Of the broad Seine.
Notwithstanding this tempting scene. however.
all its windows face north. where the roofs Of
the village alone be seen In the sitting
room is a high and wide stone chimney place.
after the model Of the seventeenth century work
70 be seen IN the CIuny Museum, IN which log
Of wood is generally burning. for on the hottest
day the room is like an icehOuse. But the woman
who planned this house. which is shaped like
T square. forgot the staircase altogether and
the builders themselves did not notice the Omis-
sion until the rooms were all completed Neither
art nor science was then brought into requisi-
ton. but plain pitchpine staircase with
handran was placed outside the house and
door made into one OF the upper rooms. where
the staircase ends. the whole OF the staircase
Of course being exposed to the weather. Thus
on wet. cold nights the occupants are obliged to
put on waterproofs and rubber shoes before
; they can go up 20 their rooms
In strong contrast to these morose looking
villas Is the touching confidence shown BY the
natives IN the honesty OF their brother man as
; regards material possessions An around the
} little villas on every available patch OF ground.
are orchards. where fruit trees laden with pears
pluns apples peaches are growing without
so much fence TO keep or the passes-
And It is fact that IL any fruit stealing is done
1t IS by the unprincipled foreigners; the people
Of the place would not even pick up windfall.
however tempting it might be. Fruit stealing is
an unheard Of offence. and no grower spends
penny therefore on hedging. fencing ditching
for the protection OF his property. Fruit and
flowers In rich prOfusion are al around. and
| everywhere a beautiful order prevails. Not
stone Is out of it's place the straight high
road. and double rows Of trees afford a welcome
! shade from the hot August sun The green shut
tiers are closed In all the villas. and there faded
Parisians recover from the effects OF Paris
summer. Not until the end Of September viii
they leave their country houses and return 10
the metropolis. @ L 3.