Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-22
After Ali, There is Nothing Like the Cottage Home
Arthur O. CmnunA Architect

Youth and old age are invariably assoc
ciated with cottage life. The poet in his
never-ending verses on Love IN a Cottage"
sings TO the happy bride who finds in her
modest cottage home all that this world
holds Of love and contentment. The little
home seems just suited to their needs; It's
modest proportions mean the cares OF
housekeeping reduced TO a minimum
Flowers. trees and shrubs are piante,
about it in profusion. sometimes with little
thought as TO the appropriateness Of theii
kind or location. but nature usually over
comes these little shortcomings in time,
1t is always to a cottage that the mine
of the youth turns wAen contemplating e
home of his own, not a brown-stone from
on the fashionable drive or a villa at New
port. but a modest iStle home. with a
sanded path leading up to the entrance and
rose vines trailing over the door. AS the
family grows and its social requirements
increase the little home is often found all
too small. A larger and more pretentious
home is then built to accommodate the in
creasing needs OF the family, its guests
and social affairs. As eeeh child reaches
manhood or w~omanhood and leaves to es-
tablish a home OF It's own the house seems
to increase in size; its social affairs grad
uafly become less frequent and finally
cease Altogether; the rooms seem too large
and empty and the great house is becoming
too much Of a burden for the old folks.
II is then TO q cottage home they return,
with It's simple life and little cares, and
here at the last we lind them again in a
home built Just for two" spending the
last days Of a happy married life as they
began IL. Here we will leave ~them-grand-
ma with her knitting on the porch watch
Ing the old man rake up the autumn leaves.
The reason for this crosse association OF
youth and age with a cottage nome Is
plainly evident. The former is not used t.
responsibility and having lead an untram.
meied life desires to start married life
on the simplest plane possible. The lattei
having become weary OF the varying
troubles, trials, fluctuations and triumph
OF lite and having become too enfeebled with
age TO carry with grace the responsibilities
which a large home brings, prefer tin
peace and quiet OF a little home set back
among the trees on a side street.
Sentiment and reason both point TO the
cottage as the ideal American home. Lie
In a cottage. lived In a simple way. does
not mean an aimless life, lived in almost
rustic primitiveness. simplicity does not
mean barrenness and an ideal cottage home
need not lack any Of the c-onvenisnces ana
comforts that are an inseparable part of
our modern life. simplicity is the terminal
pOint OF all progress" says Rusktn. TO
which Charles Wagner adds: One need
not necessarily be rich 10 give grace and
charm to his habitatiOn."
The simplest home TO plan, the simplest
home TO design and build. the simplest 20
decorate. furnish ana live in. Is a cottage.
Stll, there are very few complete, we'll
arranged and well designed cottage homes.
This deplorabie fact is due mainly TO two
reasons. First. tho cottage, because Of It's
popularity, has drifted into the cold calcu-
lations OF the business world a great many
cottages are built 10 sell they are Away
good sellers; reduced to a purely business
proposition tho cottage suffers nuChi n
lacks the sentiment which provides the
many little details and conveniences that
are necessary 10 make Il hOmelike. TIL
second reason is a lack OF knowledge on
the part Of those who build for themselves
OF the proper arrangement OF the rooms
and inability TO adapt to their interior