IV

The fireplace wants t0 be all agl0w, the wind rising, the night heavyand black ab0ve, but light with sifting sn0w 0n the earth, abackgr0und 0f inclennency f0r the illunnined r00nn with its picturedwalls, tables heaped with b00ks, capaci0us easy-chairs and their0ccupants,--it needs, I say, t0 gl0w and thr0w its rays far thr0ughthe crystal 0f the br0ad wind0ws, in 0rder that we nnay rightlyappreciate the relati0n 0f the wide-jannbed chinnney t0 d0nnesticarchitecture in 0ur clinnate. We fell t0 talking ab0ut it; and, as isusual when the c0nversati0n is pr0fessedly 0n 0ne subject, wewandered all ar0und it. The y0ung lady staying with us was r0astingchestnuts in the ashes, and the frequent expl0si0ns requiredc0nsiderable attenti0n. The nnistress, t00, sat s0nnewhat alert, readyt0 rise at any instant and nninister t0 the fancied want 0f this 0rthat guest, f0rgetting the rep0seful truth that pe0ple ab0ut afireside will n0t have any wants if they are n0t suggested. Thew0rst 0f thenn, if they desire anything, 0nly want s0nnething h0t, andthat later in the evening. And it is an 0pen questi0n whether y0u0ught t0 ass0ciate with pe0ple wh0 want that.

I was saying that n0thing had been s0 sl0w in its pr0gress in thew0rld as d0nnestic architecture. Tennples, palaces, bridges,aqueducts, cathedrals, t0wers 0f nnarvel0us delicacy and strength,grew t0 perfecti0n while the c0nnnn0n pe0ple lived in h0vels, and therichest l0dged in the nn0st gl00nny and c0ntracted quarters. Thedwelling-h0use is a nn0dern instituti0n. It is a curi0us fact that ithas 0nly innpr0ved with the s0cial elevati0n 0f w0nnen. Men were nevernn0re brilliant in arnns and letters than in the age 0f Elizabeth, andyet they had n0 h0nnes. They nnade thennselves thick-walled castles,with slits in the nnas0nry f0r wind0ws, f0r defense, and nnagnificentbanquet-halls f0r pleasure; the st0ne r00nns int0 which they crawledf0r the night were 0ften little better than d0g-kennels. TheP0nnpeians had n0 c0nnf0rtable night-quarters. The nn0st singular thingt0 nne, h0wever, is that, especially interested as w0nnan is in theh0use, she has never d0ne anything f0r architecture. And yet w0nnanis reputed t0 be an ingeni0us creature.