Why does the universal farm-house hang its gable over the public road, without tree or shrub to cover its boldness?  It would look much better, and give greater comfort to its inmates, if it were more remote.  A lawn leading up to a house, even though not beautiful or well kept, adds dignity and character to a place out of all proportion to its waste or expense.  I know of nothing that would add so much to the beautification of the country-side as a building line prohibiting houses and barns within a hundred yards of a public road.  A staring, glaring farm-house, flanked by a red barn and a pigsty, all crowding the public road as hard as the path-master will permit, is incongruous and unsightly.  With all outdoors to choose from, why ape the crowded city streets?  With much to apologize for in barn and pigsty, why place them in the seat of honor?  Moreover, many things which take place on the farm gain enchantment from distance.  It is best to leave some scope for the imagination of the passer-by.  These and other things will change as farmers’ lives grow more gracious, and more attention is given to beautifying country houses.

The house, whose gables looked up and down the street, was two stories in height, twenty-five feet by forty in the main, with a one-story ell running back.  Without doubt there was a parlor, sitting room, and four chambers in the main, with dining room and kitchen in the ell.

“That will do for the head man’s house, if we put it in the right place and fix it up,” said Polly.

“My young lady, I propose to be the ‘head man’ on this farm, and I wish it spelled with a capital H, but I do not expect to live in that house.  It will do first-rate for the farmer and his men, when you have placed it where you want it, but I intend to live in the big house with you.”

“We’ll not disagree about that, Mr. Headman.”

The barns were fairly good, but badly placed.  They were not worth the expense of moving, so I decided to let them stand as they were until we could build better ones, and then tear them down.

We drove in through a clump of trees behind the farm-house, and pushed on about three hundred yards to the crest of the knoll.  Here we got out of the carriage and looked about, with keen interest, in every direction.  The views were wide toward three points of the compass.  North and northwest we could see pleasant lands for at least two miles; directly west, our eyes could not reach beyond our own forest; to the south and southwest, fruitful valleys stretched away to a range of wooded hills four miles distant; but on the east our view was limited by the fringe of woods which lay between us and the north-and-south road.

“This is the exact spot for the house,” said Polly.  “It must face to the south, with a broad piazza, and the chief entrance must be on the east.  The kitchens and fussy things will be out of sight on the northwest corner; two stories, a high attic with rooms, and covered all over with yellow-brown shingles.”  She had it all settled in a minute.