The Washington herald., 1909-04-18

London. April H.-This spring the
hitherto inhospltable door Of the small
est house IN London" is 70 be opened TO
such OF the sightseeing tourists who
visit The metropolis as care to penetrate
into It's tiny interior
In the heart Of ultrasashionable Lon
don. opposite Hyde Park. this little
house IL fanksd On either side by impos-
ing stone residences. but its own dinen-
sions are. width six feet, depth thirty
feet. and in height Il reaches half way Up
the second story OF its tail neighhors-
II has front door that leads into a long.
narrow passageway. Walking through
that and out al the back. one sees the
only staircase the house possesses II
closely resembles a IRE escape. as Il iz
on the outside OF the building and Is
scarcely more than an iron ladder
Al the top OF the ladder Is the ons and
only room. a long. narrow nsIl-Hke
place lighted by one large window. u Is
easy % stretch from one wall 20 the 9th
er. so limited Is its width There Is no
fireplace. for no chimney was ever put
IN the house. and no water pipes have
ever been laid in IL n fact. no one has
attempted 10 live IN Il for q great many
years past.
Example OF Wasted space
London might vel be chrlstsned "the
city OF wasted space. as any one knows
who has roamed around the streets and
seen the unused and uabuilt-up0u land IN
otherwise crowded districts This a5-
surd. tiny. useless house right in the
midst Of one OF the most fashionable resi-
dental districts in the metropolis Is an
example of wasted space. and the lanes
and squares IN other parts OF the city
which serve no purpose. and which might
have been added 20 the buildings on eth
er side OF them. are further evidences
Why the smallest hOuse was not d.
vided between the tWo residences which
flank it Is a problem All the land around
il belongs 10 a rich convent situated IN
an adjacent street. When the two large
houses were put up evidently the build
ers leased Just enough land from the con
vent 70 erect such houses as they wished
and left between the Two residences this
six feet 90 space. Il was not wide enough
20 cut a street through. and besides a
street would only have led into the con
vent gardens. The sisters. perhaps fear
ing some such contingency. built this
shell Of a house which preserves the
continuity OF the handsome block OF resi-
dences and nowadays is let with the
house 10 the night OF T. though Il Is sb-
solutely distinct from II and has no cor
Meeting doors az all
A White Elephant.
Z Is a most embarrassing possession
indeed 70 the owners OF the large house.
for they must keep it painted or the out
side sno have fresh curtains and window
boxes 90 that Il viii not spoil the ap-
pearance OF the other houses in tha row
It's one room e o. course quite useless.
for a fve-foot-wide room with no heat
or water Is ike Whitechapel IN discon-
fort. yet the rent they would have 70 ask
would be Ike Park Lane in its figures.
50 naturally the tiny house stands fGie
and unused and is a small b1t none the
less un6oubted white elephant
The sisters Of the convent have reserv-
ed the right 20 walk in al the front door
and through the ground 6oo- passage
into the lane az the back which leads
INTO their garden aEy tine they please.
but as a matter OF fact they only arai
themselves Of the privilege once a
year. and then they file slowly along Il
oy twos. just 70 keep the right o. way
through their property according 20 Eng
hsh law
OF course there Is nothing CO interest
10 see in the little house The one room
Is distinctly ugly and evidently no one
has ever lived in Il long enough 70 take
the slightest interest in decorating or
embe-hshing H. 50 II tourists were able
20 avail themselves OF the privilege oy
going through Il Il would only be inter
esting as an example OF the absurdity
Of some OF the English ground laws and
land leases.