Europe has countless small fountains built for interior walls and for
small alcoves and indoor conservatories, but we are just beginning to
use them in America. American sculptors are doing such notable work,
however, that we shall soon plan our indoor fountains as carefully as we
plan our fireplaces. The fact that our houses are heated mechanically
has not lessened our appreciation of an open fire, and running water
brought indoors has the same animate charm.
[Illustration: FOUNTAIN IN THE TRELLIS ROOM OF MRS. ORMOND G. SMITH]
[Illustration: MR. JAMES DEERING'S WALL FOUNTAIN]
I am showing a picture of the wall fountain in the entrance hall of my
own New York house in East Fifty-fifth Street. I have had this wall
fountain built as part of the architectural detail of the room, with a
background of paneled mirrors. It spills over into a marble curbed pool
where fat orange-colored goldfish live. I keep the fountain banked with
flowers. You can imagine the pleasure of leaving the dusty city
streets and entering this cool, pleasant entrance hall.
Our modern use of indoor fountains is perfectly legitimate: we use them
to bring the atmosphere of outdoors in. In country houses we use
fountains in our gardens, but in the city we have no gardens, and so we
are very wise to bring in the outdoor things that make our lives a
little more gay and informal.
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