American homes and gardens . horse maynot be a presentable animal, but it is the only horse he has,and carries him around in a manner satisfactory to him. Butthe countryside looks on aghast at such doings. It can notunderstand how any sensible human being can behave inpublic in such a way. It fails, and utterly fails, to realizethat the aforesaid human being does not for a moment seewhy he should dress up on a holiday for the benefit of hishayseed neighbors, nor for a moment does the thoughtpresent itself to him that if his animals or attendants suithim there is any reason why other people sho
American homes and gardens . horse maynot be a presentable animal, but it is the only horse he has,and carries him around in a manner satisfactory to him. Butthe countryside looks on aghast at such doings. It can notunderstand how any sensible human being can behave inpublic in such a way. It fails, and utterly fails, to realizethat the aforesaid human being does not for a moment seewhy he should dress up on a holiday for the benefit of hishayseed neighbors, nor for a moment does the thoughtpresent itself to him that if his animals or attendants suithim there is any reason why other people should be dissatis-fied with them. Yet every hour that one lives in the coun-try his doings and possessions are subjected to rigid unyield-ing, unsatisfied curiosity, and to a criticism beside which thefulminations of the most practised critic are as the mum-blings of a new-born babe. November, 1906 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 285 Notable American Homes By Barr Ferree The House of James H. Proctor, Esq., Hamilton, Massachusetts. R. PROCTORS estate at Hamilton has anair of aloofness which is more apparentthan real. It is due, primarily, to the factthat it is about two miles from the station;Ipswich is two miles to the north of it,Hamilton about three miles to the west. It is, therefore, somewhat apart from the railroad centers, and enjoys a fine isolation that is at once a distinction and an advantage. The value of this isolation is the more marked since the house is built near the summit of a hill, affording a superb outlook over the adjacent country. It is beautiful rolling country in this region, and the higher ones point of observation the more one can see. Yet there are drawbacks to too great altitude; for if your house happens to be placed exactly on the top of a hill it will be swept with the winters breezes in a manner thoroughly typical of the bleak New England winter. Hence Mr. Proc-tors house does not occupy the precise summit, but is placed somewhat down the slope so as
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