Woman's Club Work and Programs Part 17

Holland had some notable early printers, among them the Elzevirs, who stand in the first rank. She had two world-leaders in philosophy, Spinoza and Descartes, the latter belonging also to France. Erasmus was the most distinguished of modern cla.s.sical scholars, and Grotius founded the science of International Law. Jakob Cats is Holland's best-known poet, and Maarten Maartens is the great novelist.

The Dutch have stood foremost in science, especially medicine. They produced the first fine optical instruments, and they have been pioneers in navigation and floriculture.

In painting, Holland occupies a place of high distinction. Among the names of the great painters are those of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerard Douw, Teniers, Ruysdael, Jan Steen, Hobbema, and Cuyp; and in our own time, Ary Scheffer, Alma-Tadema, Israels, Mesdag, and Mauve.

Clubs would do well to take a year of study on the last general topic alone. The history of the men of science and philosophy and the a.n.a.lysis of the work of the painters are enough to fill easily many programs. Add to this the study of Holland as a country; its picturesque buildings in the cities; its ca.n.a.ls, bridges, and boats; its windmills; its fishing towns and their quays and smacks; the great picture-galleries and museums; the market-places; the peasants there and in the villages, and their quaint costumes; the life of the court; the curious out-of-the-world places on the islands and in what are called the "dead cities."

Ill.u.s.trate programs on these subjects with pictures of all kinds, such as may be found in De Amicis' book, already suggested. See also G. H.

Boughton's Sketching Rambles and Stevenson's An Inland Voyage. A clever little story of a trip on Holland's ca.n.a.ls is The Chaperon, by C. N. and A. M. Williamson.

CHAPTER XII

THE HOMELIKE HOUSE

This very practical subject for club study is here arranged under ten topics, but they may be divided into as many more. Numbers one, seven, and ten may be used separately--a year's work made out of each one.

Good books for general reference are: The Family House, by C. F.

Osborne; The House, Its Plan, Decoration, and Care, by Isabel Bevier; and The House Beautiful, by W. C. Gannett. The American School of Economics of Chicago has some very useful books on its list on the building and furnishing of homes, and there are hundreds of magazine articles on these and kindred subjects.

I--THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN HOUSE

Begin in the earliest times with the homes of the cave and lake dwellers, the reed and wattle huts of primitive man, and the tents of the nomads. Notice how, as wandering groups settled, civilization advanced and houses of wood and stone were erected.

Follow with a study of the permanent and beautiful homes of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and show plans of the simple and harmonious interiors. Then contrast these with the dwellings of the Nors.e.m.e.n, the Goths, and other ruder nations, and see how, after they had conquered Rome, they carried back some ideas of comfort and beauty.

A good encyclopedia will furnish references on these subjects.

Study the architecture of the Middle Ages, the great castles of Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and England, with pictures from histories and encyclopedias. Mention carvings and ornaments in stone and wood, used in these castles. Unless this topic is to be expanded into a study of architecture, it is better at this point to take up English houses alone. Note the time when half-timbering prevailed, shown still in many houses in Warwickshire and elsewhere. Take up the Tudor period, when red brick was largely the material used and leaded cas.e.m.e.nt windows are seen. Carved furniture, panelled halls, and elaborate furniture were also common. The Georgian and Victorian periods follow, and have a certain interest; and then we come to our own country.

II--THE AMERICAN HOUSE

Houses built in Colonial and Revolutionary times were suggested by English styles, and many were copies of existing houses. They were largely built of wood, and the lines were simple and artistic. The Old Manse at Concord, the Longfellow house at Cambridge, and well-known Southern mansions are suggestive of the general style. The Dutch houses of the day were often of stone, and were low, with deep roofs and porches and huge fireplaces.

Soon after 1800 the period of experimental architecture began, and has continued till of late, when we are slowly turning backward toward the reproduction of old styles again. Nondescript houses, constructed to please the pa.s.sing fancy, have been the rule; mixed styles, inartistic lines, and scrollwork have disfigured them.

Show from magazines the new ideas; reproductions of old English homes, French chateaux, Tudor mansions; the combinations of brick, stone, and wood; the use of cement, stucco, and stone. We have adopted foreign ideas, and are making them individual and valuable.

Have each member of the club bring in pictures and plans of modern houses of all kinds, those of the city, the village, the farm, from the cheapest to the most costly, and point out the new ideas and the old. A good idea is to have a contest of plan-drawing on easy lines, to give some practical knowledge of desirable points.

III--BUILDING A HOME

How shall one decide on a site for a new house? Embody these ideas in a paper: See that the character of the neighborhood is desirable; that the property in the vicinity is appreciating rather than depreciating. Note the relation of the trolleys or the railroad. Are they accessible, yet not too near for comfort? Is the condition of the street on which the house will face attractive, well kept, and shaded?

Is the lot in good condition?--not too full of stones, not so low that it will require filling, nor so high that it will need grading? Is it drained? Are city water and gas at hand? Is there shade? Is the outlook good? If in a country district, how near are the schools, the church, the markets? What about the condition of the roads in winter?

Study of materials: Will stone, brick, wood, or cement be the best to use for this particular house, and will one alone or two materials combined be preferable? The use of local stone is often the best choice of all, and gives a beautiful and durable house. Cement must be fortified, or else have air-s.p.a.ces. Cement or stucco combined with timbers is always artistic.

As to the plan of the house, a careful study is necessary. See the plans given in magazines and books, and make notes of what suits the family needs best. Discuss the question, Is an architect really necessary, or can a builder carry out a printed plan? Take up the placing of a house, and observe that if it does not stand four-square, but rather with the corners northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest, sunshine will come into every room at some hour of the day. Have a paper or talk on the sanitation of the country and village house especially, and of the necessity of overseering the plumbing intelligently. The heating and the conveniences of the house should be considered. Speak especially of the point that each house should not only be attractive and convenient, but suited to the needs of the individual family; and here, not the architect, but the housekeeper and mother should a.s.sert herself.

IV--THE REMODELLED HOUSE

What can be done to make over a city house that is unattractive? A paper can easily be written on this up-to-date theme, showing how a narrow brown-stone house with high front steps, a bas.e.m.e.nt dining-room, and small rooms can be made over. The outside can be covered with brick or stucco, and perhaps blinds added. The steps can be removed, and an English entrance constructed directly from the street. The stairs can be turned around, making the hall much larger; the dining-room can be put up-stairs, with a dumb-waiter. The small rooms, perhaps dark, can be thrown together into one large living-room, and the windows enlarged.

Wood floors can be laid, dark wall-papers replaced with light, and the whole will have a modern effect. Architects are specializing on this point.

What can be done to make over a village house? All the ugly scrollwork can be removed from the porch and windows, and any little pinnacles, or perhaps a cupola from the roof. A wide, simple porch can replace the narrow one; the house can then be shingled all over, and stained, or painted in a quiet color. The small rooms may be thrown together, making large ones, and small doorways can be made wider. The floors may be laid in hard wood or Southern pine, or maybe painted or stained, and rugs may take the place of carpets. The hangings may be dyed, if they are too ornate; the old wall-paper may be replaced by something plain and quiet; the pictures may be rehung. A bathroom may be put in, if there is none.

The kitchen may be made more convenient. The yard may be made attractive with trees and shrubs. Unsightly out-buildings may be removed; the fence may be improved. The porch may have vines and window-boxes, and be furnished for a living-room, with awnings, chairs, and a table.

What can be done to make over a farmhouse? First of all, the barns and out-buildings must be removed, or hidden behind screens of trees or evergreens, or at least painted or stained. The yard must be put in order, and shrubs and flowers set out. The house front door must be opened, and a porch, or attractive entrance built, with vines. Within, the front room should be arranged for daily use, with the doorway widened, probably, and the windows opened and screened. The floor can be stained, and a pretty rag rug laid down; ugly furniture can be replaced with some of the simple, old-fashioned sort that is in keeping with the character of the house. A fireplace may possibly be opened, and the pictures rehung on freshly papered walls. The kitchen and dining-room may have more modern conveniences, and water may be piped in from the windmill or spring. The bedrooms may be made more airy, and perhaps a bathroom added.

Show pictures of made-over houses of these and other kinds, and emphasize the fact that much may be done with little outlay of money.

Speak of the new ideas in house-furnishing and the return to what is suitable rather than what is merely costly or modern. Make the papers practical, and have club-members tell what they have seen accomplished.

V--THE SUMMER COTTAGE

This is one of the most fascinating subjects of the year. Begin by noting the kinds of houses needed for the mountains, the seash.o.r.e, the inland plain or valley, and the camp, and their delightful variety. The bungalow is the modern suggestion for any simple summer home, and it is capable of infinite change to suit its surroundings.

The forest camp is usually planned to have several plain bungalows rather than one, and they form a group, one for sleeping, one for dining, one for cooking. Note the need of fireplaces, of screened windows and doors, and provision for storing food. Show how bunks can take the place of beds, and the charm of an out-of-door dining-room.

Seash.o.r.e cottages should be built so as to avoid dampness; for this reason stone or cement is not a good choice, but wood, with thin walls which dry quickly. Fireplaces are essential, and deep porches on the sheltered side of the house. There may be two stories to a bungalow of this kind, rather than one, and the inside may be ceiled with wood, and stained rather than plastered.

Inland cottages may be made of cobble or any native stone, or of wood, or cement, or a combination. There should be large, deep porches, to be used for living-rooms, and, if possible, out-of-door sleeping-porches.

The house should be so placed as to command the best view, especially of the sunsets. There should be beautiful gardens all about the house.

Show pictures of all these styles of cottage, and of the famous California bungalows, which are in every possible style and at all prices.

Close this subject with a brief talk or paper on Furnishing the Summer Home, mentioning that it should be done appropriately, not with left-over city furniture, but with the plainer kinds which suit the house. Speak of simple and attractive curtains and hangings, of the use of chintzes and cretonnes, of white-painted beds and chairs, of porch furniture. Notice also the labor-saving contrivances for summer kitchens. Have members tell of what they have seen and done in summer; close with a talk on the names of summer houses.

VI--THE APARTMENT

The remarkable multiplication of apartments in the last few years is noteworthy. Have their advantages and disadvantages presented, and question: What are the essentials of a good, livable apartment?

Suggest that the street should be accessible and as quiet as possible; the rooms not too small nor too crowded; that there should be light and air in the sleeping-rooms; that a few good closets, a sanitary bathroom, a convenient kitchen, are all necessary, and a private hall is desirable.

Discuss the question: How does the furnishing of an apartment differ from that of a house? Present the suggestion that as the rooms are apt to be small there must not be too much furniture, and that what there is should be plain, and simply upholstered. The wall-paper should be rather light in color, and plain or self-figured; to have it all of one kind makes the apartment look larger than if several kinds were used. There should be few hangings, and light curtains. Note also these questions: How can s.p.a.ces be saved in sleeping and other rooms? What about heating and ventilation? Is living in an apartment hygienic? Does it tend to foster or discourage neighborliness? Does one form the habit of moving, and is the sense of continuity of a permanent family home destroyed?

Have a discussion arranged in advance on these and similar points.

VII--FURNISHING THE HOME

This very practical subject may be expanded into several meetings, since it is distinctly educational.