The Press., 1922-12-07
IN HUMBLE HOMES
People of Europe Long Satisfied
 With WretChed HutS.
Even Small Degree of Comfort Only Came About the Beginning of
 the Sixteenth Century.

i In different countries, of course, peO- pie have different kinds of houses to live ill, and it is curious to note how the ideas of people vary as to what they consider is comfort as regards a dwelling. Of course, climate has good deal to do with it. In Burma, for instance, where they certainly know how to build, for the Burmese temples are some of the most magnificent in the world, it is said that all entire house can be constructed without single nail being used, so lightly are they put together. The framework ls of wooden posts or bamboo, tightly bound together, the floors of bamboo, the walls of mating and the roofs matched with palm leaves. There is never any upstairs to these houses, be cause the Burmese dislike the idea of having anyOnes feet above their heads. How comfortable they would be in one of our large hotels or one of our tall houses, and how wretched we should be in one of their filmsy little hutS. Then, again, base mentS do so aStOnish eastern people who come to Europe on q visit. Indeed one party of Orientals who once came to London, seeing people going down area steps to basement houses, thought that they were going to another city, lying somewhere entirely below Lon don. To dig into the ground and live in rooms below the surface level was something they never for moment heard of anyone doing, and it is said that that interested them more than all the sights they were shown in London.
 But, just as houses vary in different parts of. the world, according to the amount of comfort people living in them require, so have houses of Euro pean nations varied from one period to another. Very rough and poor in quality at first. but improving, as in course of time civilization advanced and better things became possible. un- til by slow degrees they arrived al what they are now.
 At one time, the only strOng and substantial buildings in d country were the castles of the king and of the nObles, while the people lived in wood en or mud huts, crOWding into the castles for protection in time of war. The living part of these castles was very small sometimes, consisting of only hall, where all took their meals and where most of them slept on the floor, chapel and perhaps one Or more private rooms. It is said that the French kings, even as late as Plantagenet times, had so few rooms in their palaces that they usually shared sleeping room with their courtiers. Later castles had more ac- cOmmOddtiOn and so had the manor houses which succeeded the castles and which were generally strong enough to stand a siege, being sur :, rounded by m0at. But none of these houses had fixed glass windows until Henry WITS time, and, of course, no chimneys. The fireplace was Tn the middle of the hall and the smoke used to escape by the door, so living in them must have been different from anything we know. It was not until 1 the time of TudO1 sOvereigns that | houses began to be planned solely with a view to comfort. Up to then. the chief consideration had always been that of safety against attack; but, by | the Sixteenth century. the country had | become so settled and peaceful that | comfort could now take first place. Christian Science Monitor.