Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/19

 WOMAN'S HOME This will be one of the most important sections of Every Woman's Encyclopaedia. It will be written by the leading authorities, and will deal, among other things, with : The House Choosing a House Heating, Plumbing, etc. The Rent-purchase System How to Plan a House Tests for Dampness Tests for Sanitation, etc. Servants Wages Registry Offices Giving Characters Building a House Improving a House Wallpapers Lighting Housekeeping Cleaning Household Recipes How to Clean Silver Furniture Glass China Silver Home-made Furniture Drawing-room How to Clean Marble Labour-saving Suggestions, etc. Lady Helps, etc. Servants' Duties, etc. Dining-room Hall Kitchen Bedroom Nursery, etc. Laundry Plain Laundrywork Fine Laundrywork Flannels Laces Ironins, etc. HOW TO CHOOSE A MOUSE By W. S. ROGERS, C.E., author of "Villa Gardens," etc. In a matter which so intimately concerns the comfort, convenience, and general well- being of the family as the selection of a house, the prospective householder is coun- selled to exercise more than ordinary caution, particularly when assuming the responsi- bility for the first time. There are so many vital considerations to be taken into account, and so many pitfalls for the unwary, that a hasty and careless decision is more than likely to be the prelude to a time of heart-breaking discomfort, un- ireamed of expenditure, and possibly heavy doctors' bills. " Home," that sacred and peculiarly British institution, can only be realised in its fullest sense when the house and its environ- ment are fitted to the /leeds and tempera- ments of its occupants. The discomforts and dangers of a badly built house, and the inconveniences of a badly planned one, are experiences it is worth some trouble to avoid. The chronically damp house, apart from its danger to health, exacts penalties from one's furniture and belongings. The cold, draughty house is a gold-mine to the doctor and coal merchant. The dark house with a gloomy outlook depresses even the average healthy person, and is a nightmare to the invalid. Smoky chimneys, defective sanitary appliances, ill-fitting -doors and windows, locks and fastenings that refuse to perform their office, creaky floor-boards, and leaky taps are some of the internal defects that add to the burden of life. A bad site. Water near the surface Cold and damp ^Af^ -•^•: Vi^^i^:^ J'^^ I^H/ ^v^*; vi:^^ A good site. Water deep below surface. Dry and warm