Norwich bulletin., 1922-06-30
THE oLD-FAsHIONED FARM HOUSE AND THE
 PERFECT" HOME.

i While there have been some improve ments made since 1t was built. 1t Is still J mighty plain, simple, unpretentious example of the solid and honest. but clumsy and inconvenient ideas of a century and quarter ago. Years back when was younger, 1t was one of my sharpest regrets that I never seemed able to get together money enough to remodel it with all possible modern improvements" But I never could and never did, and we've now reached that age where I doubt if we would if we could. The change would be too revolu- tionary for three score and ten to accept with real satisfaction. We're used to overcoming inconveniences with make shift methods of most any sort It would take too much of our short re- maining time to grow quite wonted to all the improvements which modern architects list.
 Just what task this last would be. however, I never fully appreciated till I read the dther day in New York Sunday paper the description of "A Per feet Home" which the eflte 4srising sales-director of a certian suburban inn provement company has caused to be erected as a sample. His perfect home is two-story gable-roofed structure of red brick with green copper shingles, h. closed porches, etc. at either end. Eight | rooms, besides three baths five closets, vestibule, hall. pantry and dining al- cove" But what made my unsonhisti- cated and "trooly rooral" eyes stick out was the list of interior fittings. Here | 1t is, exactly as recapitu1ated by the efficient sales manager on his little slip:
 'The house will be fitted with built ] in china closets. bookcases, window seats, hidden radiators, electric clothes
 washer. ironer, vacuum cleaning sys- | temp ioe-nakirks refrigerator, ventilat-
 Ing system, patent kindler; ash chute in 1 fireplace and lift for logs, cold storage
 room, package receivers. disposer for | household waste, 'Tuckaway' folding
 ladder, folding wall ironing board, lauT-
 dry chute, disappearing screens, hidden safety vault, efficiency kitchen, dining
 alcove, radio markers, bells, and buzz
 gers, speaking tube, closets with sliding | hangars:5 raised floors and door control | lights, radio room and flower studio, l patent coal chute and rotary ash re- -ceiver copper sash cords, water filter, heat regulator and phone and closet" I commend the reading of that list in full to all my farmer friends and
 their wives. Thirty-seven modern con- veniences," according to my count, of | which my own particular old shack has just one, and of which I don't belW ( any farmhouse in Connecticut has over half-a-d5zen, all told. Yet they must
 all Se included in what the suburban architect and sales-manager regard as
 a perfect shome.''
 Now do you begin to understand why
 there are -.deserted farms? Why tht
 young folks won't stay in the ole
 homes? Why they flock to the cit!
 as the sparks fly upwards?
 : l Why ShO1JfdAz fbav iTArnai11 in ha1Isec : which are not fitted with 'eTuckawa, folding ladders disappearing screens, dining alcoves," and door contro lights?" To say nothing of Cooper sasl
 cords,'' and rotary ash receivers?" O hidden safety vaults?"
 There can't be any 'perfect home,' you are told, without all these things And, equally. of course, you can't hay
 perfect people or bring up perfect chil
 dren in any but perfeet homes. Is ther l any longer reason why we should won : der at crime? Or why we shouldn'
 wonder things being as they are. tla so many of us are halfway decent cit izens and fairly contented? Consider [ ing that we've all been born an l nurtured and lived in homes runnin l from thirty-two to thirty-six points I'm : perfect out of q possible thirty-sever ! isn't it a wonder that we've develope ] into anything higher than straddle v bugs?
 Of course. child born in such rnr ! scum as fthe perfect home" above dt II scribed, might be expected to take { ' it as the well known duck takes ito wa :. ter. But consider the case of compal l atively old fellows like you and I, sa. | Turn us loose in this modernly concei7 . ed perfect home" How long do yo