Fetter's  character.  But  the  first-named  work  was  the
more  difficult  of  the  two,  for  in  building  up  himself
he  consulted  with  no  one,  while  in  planning  his  inn
he  met  with  all  sorts  of  opposition  from  the  village
workmen  and  builders.
But  at  the  cost  of  all  the  time  that  was  needed  and
all  the  money  he  could  spare,  he  had  his  house  built
as  he  wanted  it  ;  and  when  it  was  finished  it  seemed
to  exhibit  a  trace  of  nearly  everything  a  house  should
possess  excepting  chronology  and  paint.  Mr.  Fetter
had  selected  with  a  great  deal  of  care  the  various
wodds  of  which  his  house  was  built,  and  he  decidedly
objected  to  conceal  their  hues  and  texture  by  monoto
nous  paint.  The  descriptions  that  he  had  read  of
houses  seldom  mentioned  paint.
36  THE   SQUIRREL  INN.
The  interior  was  not  in  the  least  monotonous.  The
floors  of  the  rooms,  even  in  the  same  story,  were
seldom  upon  the  same  level  j  sometimes  one  entered
a  room  from  a  hallway  by  an  ascent  of  two  or  three
steps,  while  access  to  others  was  obtained  by  going
down  some  steps.  The  inside  was  subordinated  in  a
great  degree  to  the  outside  :  if  there  happened  to  be
a  pretty  window  like  something  Mr.  Fetter  had  seen
in  an  engraving,  a  room  of  suitable  shape  and  size
was  constructed  behind  the  window.  Stairways  were
placed  where  they  were  needed,  but  they  were  not
allowed  to  interfere  with  the  shapes  of  rooms  or  hall
ways  ;  if  there  happened  to  be  no  other  good  place
for  them  they  were  put  on  the  outside  of  the  house.
