s first-rate
if the front door looks toward the east: if there is a grand view of
rivers and mountains toward the southwest; if the family live on the
west piazza all the forenoon; if they board a moderate family of
servants in the north end (which I notice is a few steps lower than the
dining-room--for social reasons, I suppose)--if they keep up rather a
'tony' style of living in the south end; are not above condescending to
men of low estate to the extent of receiving common people in the big
hall, but holding themselves about two steps above the average human;
and, finally, if and provided the butler's pantry is made as large
again for a smoking-room, and the kitchen pantry made large enough to
hold the butler. With these few remarks, I think we may lay this set of
plans on the table."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VI.

THE WISDOM OF JILL IN THE KITCHEN.

"Perhaps Jack will remember," said Jill, as she prepared to explain her
plans, "that we examined not long ago a large number of somewhat
pretentious houses, but did not find one that was satisfactory, the
defects being usually in what I should call the working department of
the house. The large front rooms were often exceedingly charming,
elegantly furnished and well arranged."

"For which reason," said Jack, "the family seemed to be religiously
kept out of them unless they had on their company manners and their
Sunday clothes, or wished to make themselves particularly miserable by
having a wedding, a sewing society or an evening party."

"The rear boundary of the dining-room seemed like Mason and Dixon's
line in the old times; once beyond it, we entered a region 'without law
or ornament or order,' a realm of architectural incompetence, confusion
and evil work--if it is fair to call the arrangements of the domestic
part of a house an architectural matter."

"Certainly it is," Jack affirmed, "and it's my opinion that no
architect ought to receive his diploma until he has served one year in
a first-class family as cook, butler and maid-of-all-work."

[Illustration: THE OUTSIDE OF TED'S HOUSE.]

"One would almost be inclined to think that such an experience, with
another year at bridge building, had been with certain 'practical
architects and builders' the entire course of study."

"It was plain enough," Jill continued, "that these houses were planned
by _men_, who were not only ignorant of the details of housework but
who held them in low esteem, as of