One of the chief offenders against the charm of the home in the matter of noise is cheaply constructed plumbing. This is not only unsanitary, but at times deeply embarrassing. Good plumbing is an absolute essential in the well-constructed house. Nothing will betray your economy so promptly as plumbing that is not of good materials and well placed. It is necessary to get all your fixtures from the most reputable dealer, and have the best workman put them in, and then you will save money in the long run and charm and peace will envelop the plumbing side of life. The bathtub with a water inlet so fixed that there is only a little noise for a few seconds or none at all is a point of perfection that manufacturers are making every effort to attain. Perhaps the nearest to it is a device hung very low in the tub so that after the first few inches of water the faucet is covered, and the noise from the inflowing water is smothered. People who will not endure the slightest rattle or creaking in an automobile will live for months with a squeaking, leaking faucet. A slight adjustment will usually remedy the difficulty; sometimes only a washer is needed. And even an entirely new faucet is not a purchase with very serious consequences. As yet no way has been found to modify the noise of the telephone without lessening its effectiveness. The telephone is rung to catch your attention and if you muffle the bell too completely you are liable to lose an important call. If you have a very noisy telephone bell in an apartment where every sound is heard, you can muffle it slightly with a little pad of absorbent cotton. This is an especially good thing to try where the sound of the bell disturbs an invalid or little children. Rugs are a delightful way to reduce noise in the hall. A long runner that goes the whole length of the hall and about half its width will keep your hall quiet for your own house and prevent its disturbing your neighbors. Of course, in a house where the hall is large and capacious, the surface is much more interesting covered with groups of rugs; a runner spoils its interest and a carpet is less intriguing. Quiet is one of the most difficult things to find these days in the city, and also one of the most essential things for one’s work and happiness and health. There is only one way to acquire it in the modern home and that is to look after every detail of your house at the very beginning. After all, the things that make for quiet are in the main little things. Yet it takes thought, some experience and a good deal of attention to detail at the beginning of making a home, to insure in it that pervasive charm which must have for its foundation quiet throughout the house. CHAPTER XXXI OSTRACIZING THE FLY