we look deeper
into the subject and go farther afield, we find it pays to carefully
develop the plan before commencing to rebuild. The requirements of
elaborate modes of life, liveried servants and much entertaining,
demand, of course, many apartments; reception-room and drawing-room,
library and den seem essential in the house plan, but for those who come
to the country to simplify existence, these are not needed. In
remodeling your house, let three things be uppermost in your mind:
convenience, comfort, and light; if you follow these, you will not go
far astray.

Even a very small house need not be devoid of these qualities. It may be
very tiny and yet most attractive and complete in every detail. With
careful thought and a broad conception of the whole, it is quite
possible to make a place where it is a pleasure to visit and where even
the casual guest realizes the application of small and interesting
details in making a harmonious whole.

Do not let your mind wander from the fact that the interior is of as
much importance, and even more, than the exterior, for it is there that
we live much of the time during the season, and it should therefore be
harmonious and in good taste. The development of one room for common
family use, and the elimination of the shut-up parlor for company, have
brought about an atmosphere of simplicity that goes to make a perfect
and livable house.

[Illustration: THE ROBERT SPENCER HOUSE ON CAPE COD]

This one-room idea has been charmingly carried out in a small house that
has been remodeled for a summer home by Mr. Robert Spencer of New York
and South Yarmouth. It is most attractively situated, standing far back
from the road, with a background of pine trees that give a picturesque
touch to the little cottage. Originally it stood on the opposite side of
the bay, on the shores of Cape Cod at South Dennis, Massachusetts. Its
possibilities seemed to the present owner worth developing, and he had
it "flecked" and brought over the water to its present site. This was
not a hard task to accomplish, as the timbers were stanch and in a good
state of preservation.

[Illustration: THE ROBERT SPENCER HOUSE--FRONT VIEW]

It was a typical fisherman's cottage, with a wide gable roof sloping
down to the first story and four small rooms about a central chimney. To
meet the needs of the new owner, it required considerable enlargement. A
two-story building was added at the rear and side, meeting the ma