The rooms of houses are of various kinds. The houses of very poor people serve them for parlor and kitchen, and bed-room, which is very unhealthy. The house of a tradesman generally consists of a shop, a back parlor, a drawing-room, and several bed-rooms, with kitchen and cellar.
The houses of people who are rich consist of a great variety of apartments:—a saloon, a hall, a picture-gallery, a large dining-room, library, dressing rooms, breakfast-rooms, and many others. The house, or dwelling, of a king, a prince, is called a palace, which is generally very large, and contains many other apartments, fitted up in the most splendid manner.
The passages in a house lead from one room to another; the stairs lead to the bed-chambers, or other upper apartments; the floors of the rooms are generally made of pine or oak. The former are usually covered with painted canvass called oil-cloth, and the latter with carpet.
The cellar of a house is generally under ground, and is used for keeping coals, wood, beer, and wine in. Closets are for the purpose of placing clothes and linen in security; the pantry and larder are for provisions of various kinds; and the kitchen is a place to cook our food in.
Edwin, the Rabbit-Fancier.
“Edwin was a very tender-hearted boy, and very eager about a thing when he took it into his head; but his enthusiasm very often left him just at the time it ought to have remained with him. Thus he never pursued any study or amusement for any length of time with profit to himself, and often fell into very grievous errors.
“‘Oh! dear mamma,’ said he one day to his mother, ‘I do wish so that I had something for a pet; there is Charles Jones has a sweet little bird, and cousin James has a squirrel. I should so like something for a pet. Do, mamma, buy me something—a Guinea pig, or a couple of pigeons, or a rabbit. Oh! I saw such a beautiful white rabbit yesterday!
“‘Ay, my dear,’ said his mamma, ‘I am afraid you would soon grow tired of your rabbit, as you did of your gun, and bow and arrow, and ship, and rocking-horse.’
“‘Oh, but a rabbit is quite different, mamma; you can love a rabbit, you know, and coax it, and feed it, and make it happy. I should go out early in the morning, and pick some nice clover for it, and some thistle, and dandelion, and marsh-mallows. I know how to feed rabbits—I have learned all about it. I must not give them too much green stuff, but some nice bran and oats; and then I could make a little trough for it to eat from, you know; and—and—’
“I am sure, my dear, it would be too much trouble to you; rabbits require a great deal of care and attention, and you so soon get tired of anything you take up, that I fear it would soon suffer from neglect.’