. Those things that get
out of order easily ought surely to be accessible. I don't believe
there would have been half the trouble with plumbing, either in the way
of danger to health or from dishonest and ignorant work, if it had not
been the custom to keep it as much as possible out of sight. There is a
great satisfaction, too, in knowing that everything is genuine."

"We might build a log house. The logs are solid, and the chimney, if
there happens to be one, won't pretend to be of the same material as
the walls of the building."

"I like better the notion of letting the material of which brick walls
and partitions are composed form the actual finish inside as well as
outside. The floors, too, should be bare, and the beams that support
them ought to be visible, and in case of a wooden house, the posts,
braces and other timbers should be left in sight when the building is
finished. It is a sad pity that modern modes of building, like modern
manners and fashions, conceal actual construction and character, making
a mask that may hide great excellence or absolute worthlessness."

"Won't all these pipes, wooden beams, bell ropes and things be
fearfully dusty and cumber the housekeeper with too much serving? I
supposed you would vote for smooth, flat, hard wood and painted walls,
they are so much easier to keep clean."

"Perhaps I shall; but we must remember the gnat and the camel and try
to be consistent. A single portiere, especially if it be of the
rag-carpet style, has a greater dust-collecting capacity than a whole
houseful of wooden floors, ceilings and wainscots, even when they are
moulded and ornamentally wrought. Surely they will not be troublesome
if they are plain and simple, and only think how much more interesting
than flat square walls and ceilings, which we feel compelled to cover
with some sort of decoration to make them endurable. I suppose
architects have outgrown the sheet-iron and stucco style of building,
and do not generally approve of 'graining' honest pine in imitation of
coarse-grained chestnut. But these are not the only concealments and
disguises that ought to be reformed. If we cannot make our house a
model in any other respect, I hope it will be free from hypocrisy and
silly affectations."

"By all means; but you mustn't forget that reformers risk martyrdom.
However, you can't be too honest for me; I am ready to sign any pledge
you offer, even though it prohibit paint, putty and all other c