The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-05-08
CHAPTER XI--Continued

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"No," Selma admitted, "but those
Italian villas and French chateaux in
north Chicago suburbs are good deal
like. a lace evening gown in the Ari-
IONA desert. 1t wouldn't keep you
cool in the daytime, and it wouldn't
be warm enough at night. / suppose
a native architecture is evolved from
building for the local climate and the
needs of the community, keeping beau
ty in mind as you go. We don't need
tu-rets and towers any more than we
need draw-bridges and meats. It's all
right to keep them, suppose, where
they grew up, in country where the
feudal system meant that any day
Your next-door neighbor might take 1t
into his head to call his gang around
him and sneak up to steal your wife
and tapestries, and gold drinking cups"
Dirk was interested and amused.
Talks with his mother were likely to
affect him thus. whats your idea of
a real Chicago house, mother?'
Selma. answered quickly, as If she
had thought often about it; as If she
would have liked just such dwelling
on the site of the old DeJOng farm
house in which they now We're seated
so comfeetably. swell, it would need
hig porches for the hot days and
nights SOS to catch the prevailing
southwest winds from the prairies in
the summer-a porch that would be
swung clear around to the east too
or terrace or another porch east so
that if the precious old lake breeze
should come up just when you think
you're dying of the heat, as it some
times does you could catch that. too.
1t ought to be buit-the house.
mean-ratller squarish and tight and
solid against our cold winters and
northeasters. Then sleeping porches,
Of course. There's grand American
institution for you! England may
have It's afternoon tea on the terrace,
and Spain may have its patio, and
France its courtyard, and Italy its
pergola, uncovered; but Americas
got the sleeping porch-the screened
in open-;ir sleeping porch, and
shouldn't wonder il the man who first
thought of that would get precedence.
on Judgment day, over the men who
Invented the airplane, the talking ma
chine, and the telephone After all.
he had nothing in mind but the health
Of the human race" After which
grand period Selma grinned at Dirk.
and Dirk grinned at Selma and the
two giggled together there by the fire.
place. icompanionably.
Mother, you're simply wonderful =
only your native Chicago dwelling
seems to ne mostly porch"
Selma waved such carping criticism
away with a careless hand. ooh. well,
any house that has enough porches,
and two or three bathrooms and at
least eight closets can be lived in COM
fortably, no matter what else it has or
hasn't got"
Next day they were more serious.
The eastern college and the architec-
tural career seemed to be settled
lllllssS. fDClltla WAS NOlllclltJ HUBBY.
Dirk was troubled about the expense.
lie spoke of it at breakfast next morn
ins (Dlrk's breakfast; his mother had
had hers hours before and now as he
drank his coffee, was sitting with him
Il moment and glancing at the paper
that had come in the rural mail deliv-
ery). She had been out in the fields
overseeing the transplanting of young
tomato seedlings from hotbed to field.
She wore an old gray sweater bntoned
Up tight. for the air was still sharp.
On her head was battered black felt
soft hat Gan old one of Dirk's) much
like The one she had worn to the Hay
market that day ten years ago.
.I've been thinking" he began, "the
expense"
"Pigs'll do it," Selma said. calmly.
1--WE been wanting to put them in for
three or four years. It's August
Hempers idea. Hogs, I should have
said'
He echoed, "Hogs" rather family.
"High-bred hogs. They're worth
their weight in silver this minute, and
VIII be for years to come. 1 won't go
in for them extensively. Just enough
to make an architect out of Mr.. Dirk
DeJong." Then, at the expression Mn
his face: Don't look so panied, son.
There's nothing revolving about hog
hes handsome. impressive-looking
animal, the hog. when he isn't treated
like one
He looked detected. "Td rather not
go to school on-hOgs."
She took off the felt hat and tossed
1t over to the old couch by the win
dow; smoothed her hair back with the
fiat of her PALM You saw that the
soft dark hair was literally sprinkled
with gray now, but the eyes were
bright and clear as ever.
"You know, Sobig, this is what they
call paying farm-as vegetable farms
go. We're out Of debt, the lands in
good shape, the crop promises well if
We don't have another rainy cold
Spring like last years. I'm having a
II.