AS the warm season approaches, many persons, especially those in cities, are anxious to retire to some spot where they may escape the heat. Many go to the fashionable watering places, some to private boarding houses in the country, and not a few camp out by some lake or stream. Generally such persons are able to bear the expense, and have a summer-house on a lot owned or controlled by themselves, located near some lake, bay, or stream, easy of access to the outside world, but far enough away to escape its anxieties. To such we offer a few suggestions.

We will suppose that a summer cottage for a family of four is to be constructed. We must have two rooms on the first floor, and the same number above for sleeping apartments. The plan and dimensions will be as follows: The house will be 13x25 ft., making the front room 12x12 ft., the back room, 10x12 ft. for dining-room, with a staircase between, 2 1/2 ft. wide, the space under staircase being used for a pantry. The same arrangement of rooms on second floor will answer. The roof can be extended out four feet over the front, and a veranda constructed for first floor, the roof of which will serve as a balcony to front sleeping-apartment.

In the rear of house, we would construct a cook-room, or kitchen, with shelves in corners, 10x10, with a shed roof attached to main building. We now have the plan of the house, let us consider kind, quality, and cost of materials.

The structure will require thirteen foundation posts, 7 in. in diameter and not less than 5 ft. long; set four posts on the long sides, one in the center of each end, and three for the kitchen, costing not over $2.(30. Lumber for the building will be required as follows 2 sills, 6x6 in., 25 ft. long; 3 sills, same size, 13 ft. long; 38 studding, 2x4 in., 14 ft. long; 14 studding, same size, 13 ft. long, for plates; 22, studding 12 ft. long, for kitchen walls and rafters; 34 pieces, 10 ft. long, for rafters and gable ends; 22 pieces, 2x8 in., joists for first floor, same number, 2x6 in., for second floor, all 13 ft. long; 0 pieces, 4x4 in., 9 ft. long, for veranda posts; and 7 pieces, 2x8 in., 10 ft. long, for floor joists of cook-room. This includes all the framing lumber required in the frame-work, and is not more than two thousand feet board measure, which would cost $15.00 per thousand, or $30.00

The covering boards for the outside walls should be of a good smooth quality of what is usually termed "barn boards," planed on both sides and applied vertically, and the joints covered with two-inch battens; 1300 ft. will be required at a cost of $20.00. 700 ft. of roofing boards, planed on one side, sound but not necessarily free from knots, will cost $9.00. 5000 shingles for main roof and kitchen, at $4.00 per thousand, $20.00. The flooring, of pine or spruce, matched and laid in the ordinary way, 800 ft., at a cost of $17.00.

For the main cornice use a simple 12-inch projection on rafters, with a verge-board cut in a neat pattern for eaves and gables; the rafters being planed no plancher will be necessary. The veranda is made by extending columns up to the roof with a railing of simple pattern around the upper floor or balcony.

There should be at least two windows in front room, and the same number in the rear rooms, all of common, plain frames, with two-light sash, 24x36 inches. One door opens to each front room, one to veranda and balcony, one between two upper rooms, and one to kitchen, no door being necessary between the two main rooms below. Partitions between rooms of main floors are of plain matched material, and the staircase a box stairs, forming a pantry underneath.

The foregoing includes in a general way the principal things needed for the cottage, and below are the figures giving approximate cost of material and erection: -

Framing material,...................... $32.00

Covering boards, ...................... 20.00

Roofing boards, ........................ 9.00

Shingles,.............................. 20.00

Flooring,.............................. 17.00

Battens, .............................. 6.00

Moldings, verge-boards, etc.,.............. 15.00

Windows all complete, .................. 20.00

Doors all complete,......................$12.00

Staircase and extra lumber, .............. 0.00

Painting - two coats,.................... 20.00

Labor of putting up the building,.......... 50.00

Contingent expenses, .................... 10.00

The whole cost need not exceed $240.00, and in many localities it will come within $200.00.

Hundreds of people can possess such a building for summer use, to which they may retire and spend the "heated term" in the most pleasant manner. Certainly the expense is not so great as to deter people in comfortable circumstances, besides the same amount would be spent in two summers, in boarding and other expenses, with far less real comfort.