house, with ground, can be had for from $1000 up. The type of house upon which Mr. Starr has settled is a three-story brick building, one room to each story, about twelve feet square. The lower room is at once living-room and kitchen, with range and boiler, sink with hot and cold water, and dresser. At first sight no means of getting upstairs is visible, but a mysterious door, apparently part of the dresser, opens upon a winding stair whose top steps utilize the space over the dresser itself. The second and third story rooms are each a bedroom. Out of the secondstory room opens a "hanging bath-room,' a peculiar Philadelphia institution developed from the municipal provision that each house must have a yard twelve feet deep. The hanging bath-room, built out like a bay-window, does not encroach on the ground itself, and so is within the letter of the law. These four-roomed houses rent easily at nine dollars per month, which pays a fair return. The cost in one particular case was $374 45 for ground (12 by 35 feet), $949 29 for the building, $12 25 for "perpetual insurance" in all $1335 99; out of the $108 rent comes $8 water rate and $18 50 taxes, leaving $81 50, or six per cent. In the northwestern part of the city, which is largely covered by the self-built homes of owners who derived their capital for the purpose from the "building and loan associations," the type is different, following the "backbuilding" plan found in the finest old Philadelphia houses. The "back-building" is an extension narrower than the front part of the house, leaving space for a back window in each story of the front building, and for one or more side windows in each story of the back building. These houses are usually two- or threestory, of the inevitable red brick, with white stone steps and white shutters, usually with two, but sometimes with three, rooms to a story, and with the inevitable hanging bath-room. The "building associations" proper, which have done so much to make Philadelphia a city of homes, are really not building societies at all, but co-operative banking associations, making loans on land and houses to their members. The first of these in America was started in 1831 by some English operatives at Frankford, Pennsylvania, but the real germ of the present organizations was in the Kensington Building Association of Philadelphia, started in 1847, of which John B. Duff, called "the father of building associations," was the inspiring spirit. He died only last year, and for a quarter of a century, being a "lumber counter" in the great lumber yards, he might almost any day be seen arguing the cause of the series up to an amount which makes each share worth $200, the series comes to an end; the borrowers' debts of $200 are cancelled, and non- borrowing shareholders receive $200 per share cash. The series usually run about ten years. A non-borrowing shareholder can withdraw at thirty days' notice, receiving the full amount of his deposits and the calcu no forfeiture, scarcely any loose capital to invite dishonesty, no hardship, a maximum of safety and return at a minimum of risk and investment. It is scarcely necessary to add that the plan has been one of the great uplifting institutions of our day. The These working-men's homes are sometimes spoken of by those who don't know as "homes for the poor" in a sense that stamps them as charities. The Peabody trust is in one sense a charity, to the extent that it is content with less than the usual market return for its money. others are simply an endeavor to bring the advantages of capital to the service of those who have little capital of their own. The self-supporting men and women who occupy these buildings are no more pensioners than are those who live in the more costly apartment - houses. stay or go at their own will; they pay their rent; they are one of the best classes of the community. It is by giving them the opportunity of such homes that the lower classes are brought up to their level. of thrift to his fellow-workmen with a piece of chalk on the nearest stick of lumber. The League in Philadelphia includes 223 associations; there are nearly a thousand in the State; and New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other States have many. A Building Association and Home Journal is edited, as a labor of love, by Mr. M. J. Brown, Secretary of the League, at 529 Commerce Street, Phil-lated gain up to that date. There is thus adelphia, and it has done good service in insisting on careful management of accounts, so that discounts or bonuses shall not be recklessly paid out as dividends until the time that they are really earned. One of these societies, with about 200 members, received in six years $118,000 cash, and has handled this sum at $320 a year expenses. Its present loans foot up $40,500, and its total assets $53,000, so that its present members, who deposited $43,000, have gained nearly $10,000; while the security, by the addition of deposits, has become greater each month. The plan of operation is simple enough. The people who start an association take as many shares as each pleases, and undertake to pay monthly one dollar on each share. They elect a board of directors, serving without pay. Once a month a meeting is held in some small hall, the rent of which, and the payment of perhaps $200 a year to a secretary, are the chief expenses. The one dollar per share is paid in on or before this meeting. The cash thus paid in, with that received for interest, bonuses, etc., is then offered at this meeting for loan. Any member can bid, and the bidder offering the highest bonus (i. e., the greatest discount) gets the loan, providing he or she offers real estate to the amount as security. The loans are in sums of $200, and the borrower must have or take one share for each $200 borrowed. It is this feature which helps the building of homes. Any member starting with a small saving can arrange to buy a piece of ground, and on this get a loan; with this loan he can build a first story, and on this get another loan to complete his house. On each $200 the borrower pays one dollar a month interest, or six per cent. The bonus or discount has run as high as ten per cent., but nowadays it is often nominal, thus making the interest the ordinary rate. Each share is a part of some series.' When the deposits of one dollar per month per share and the gains bring the value They There is a strong passage in Ruskin's Bible of Amiens, in which he contrasts "the modern aggregate of bad building, and ill living held in check by constables, which we call a town, of which the widest streets are devoted by consent to the encouragement of vice, and the narrow ones to the concealment of misery," with the great cathedrals and the spirit of their builders. But there was misery in the old days as well, and we too have cathedral builders. These men and women have "builded mightily" in the true spirit of Christianity for the service of humanity. Yet it is best of all that they have not given, but have garnered. These houses are not charities, but simply a way of investing money that gives tenants more than they could otherwise get for their weekly rent. This is a prosaic way of putting a great work; but, after all, life is mostly written in prose. CHAPTER X. A PLAY-HOUSE. Don; and while the great dun-colored beast devoured these, she had turned from him to regard Matthew gardener; and OUT Judith laughed aside these foolish there was a sullen resentment on her face; portant matters were just at this moment occupying her mind. She was in the garden. She had brought out some after-dinner fragments for the kept doggedly and persistently near the summer-house, on which she had certain dark designs. However, the instant she caught sight of Prudence, her eyes bright ened up; and, indeed, became full of an eager animation. Hither, hither, good Prue!" she exclaimed, hurriedly. "Quick! quick! I have news for you.' "Yes, indeed, Judith," said the other; and at the same moment Judith came to see there was something wrong-the startled pale face and frightened eyes had a story to tell. "Why, what is to do?" said she. "Know you not, Judith? Have you not heard? The French king is slainis murdered by an assassin!" To her astonishment the news seemed to produce no effect whatever. "Well, I am sorry for the poor man," Judith said, with perfect self-possession. "They that climb high must sometimes have a sudden fall. But why should that alarm you, good Prue? Or have you other news that comes more nearly home?" And then, when Prudence almost breathlessly revealed the apprehensions that had so suddenly filled her mind, Judith would not even stay to discuss such a monstrous possibility. She laughed it aside altogether. That the courteous young gentleman who had come with a letter from Ben Jonson should be concerned in the assassination of the King of France was entirely absurd and out of the question. I know not what else of jests and laughing; but at length he sent to have the Evesham roan saddled; and he said that when once he had gone along to the sheepwash to see that the hurdles were rightly up for the shearing, he would give all the rest of the day to idleness-to idleness wholly; and perchance he might ride over to Broadway to see the shootingmatch going forward there. Now, you wise one, can you guess what has happened? Know you what is in store for us? Can you read me the riddle?" "I see no riddle, Judith," said the other, with puzzled eyes. "I met your father as I came through the house; and he asked if Julius were at home: doubtless he would have him ride to Broadway with him." Be sure "Dear mouse, is that your skill at guessing? But listen now"-and here she dropped her voice as she regarded goodman Matthew, though that personage seemed busily enough occupied with his watering-can. "This is what has happened: I know the signs of the weather. he has finished the play-the play that the young prince Mamillius was in: you remember, good Prue?-and the large fair copy is made out and locked away in the little cupboard, against my father's next going to London; and the loose sheets are thrown into the oak chest, along with the others. And now, good Prue, sweet Prue, do you know what you must manage? Indeed, I dare not go near the summerhouse while that ancient wiseman is loitering about; and you must coax him, Prue; you must get him away; sometimes I see his villain eyes watching me, as if he had suspicion in his mind-" ""Tis your own guilty conscience, Judith," said Prudence, but with a smile; for she had herself connived at this offense ere now. "Nay, nay, good Prue," said she, lightly, "you shall make him amends for these unjust suspicions; that you shall, dear mouse, all in good time. But listen now: I have weightier matters; I have eggs on the spit, beshrew me else! Can you read me this riddle, sweet Prue? Know you by these tokens what has happened? My father comes in to dinner to-day in the gayest of humors; there is no absent staring at the window, and forgetting of all of us; it is all merriment this time; and he must needs have Bess Hall to sit beside him; and he would charge her with being "By fair means or foul, sweet mouse, a witch; and reproach her for our simple you must get him away to the other end of meal, when that she might have given us the garden," said she, eagerly; "for now a banquet like that of a London Com- the Don has nearly finished his dinner, pany, with French dishes and silver flag- and goodman-wiseman-fool will wonder if ons of Theologicum, and a memorial to we stay longer here. Nay, I have it, sweet tell each of us what was coming. And Prue: you must get him along to the corthen he would miscall your brother- ner where my mother grows her simples; which you know, dear Prudence, he never and you must keep him there for a space, would do were he in earnest-and said he that I may get out the right papers; and was chamberlain now, and was conspiring this is what you must do: you will ask to be made alderman, only that he might him for something that sounds like Latin sell building materials to the Corporation-no matter what nonsense it may be; and and so make money out of his office. And he will answer you that he knows it right VOL. LXVIII.-No. 407.-49 |