d malaria, and casually remarks that 'the variation of the north
magnetic pole and the points of compass are not yet fully understood in
their relation to human welfare.'"

"I should hope not! He must be writing under the influence of a full
moon. Let us try a fresh correspondent."

"Very well. Here is Aunt Melville's latest, with a new set of plans.
There will be neither trancendentalism nor vain repetitions here:

"'MY DEAR NIECE: Since writing you last I have had a most
interesting experience, and hasten to give you the benefit of
it. You remember Mr. Melville's niece married a young attorney
in Tumbledonville; very talented and of good family, but poor,
_desperately_ poor. He hadn't over two or three thousand
dollars in the world, but he has built a marvelous little
house, of which I send you the plans. You enter a lovely hall,
positively larger than, mine, an actual room in fact, with a
staircase running up at one side and a charming fireplace at
the right, built, if you will believe it, of common red bricks
that cost only five dollars a thousand. It couldn't have taken
over two hundred and fifty to build it.--'

[Illustration: THE ATTORNEY'S FLOOR PLAN.]

"Just think of that! A charming fireplace for a dollar and a
quarter!--"

"Communicating with the hall by a wide door beautifully draped
with some astonishingly cheap material is the parlor, fully
equal in every respect to my library, and adjoining that the
dining-room, nearly as large. On the same side is a green-house
between two bay windows, the whole arrangement having a
wonderful air of gentility and culture. I am convinced that you
ought to invest three-fourths of your father's wedding present
in some safe business, and with the remainder build a house
like this, buying a small lot for it, and defer the larger
house for a few years. Keeping house alone with Jack and
perhaps one maid-of-all-work will be perfectly respectable and
dignified; the experience will do you good, and I have no doubt
you will enjoy it. It will not only be a great economy in a
pecuniary way, but society is very exacting, and a large house
entails heavy social burdens which you will escape while living
in a cottage. This will give you plenty of time to improve your
taste in art, which is indispensable at present. There will be
great economy, too, in the matter