The town houses and such country houses as are built on reclaimed land are constructed on piles. They begin to build in Holland by digging to the depth of two or three feet. This excavation soon fills with water. Piles are then driven into the ground, and the ends are cut off evenly; and on this level surface beams of oak are laid. The back and front of the house are not added until long after the roof is laid on, so that the air may pass through and dry the walls thoroughly. The houses are lightly constructed of brick, iron or wood, with outer casings of stone or marble, intended for show and not for solidity. At the back of the house there is usually a little garden, to which it is necessary to bring every year earth and gravel to replace the soil that the water has carried away. Frequently the Dutch town house consists of two apartments; for land is dear, and so are house rents in the cities. The lower apartment is called _benedenhuis_, which comprises a cellar and the ground floor; while the second apartment, called _bovenwoning_, is composed of the first and second floors and a garret. Each apartment has its separate entrance. The houses are deeper than they are wide, and the ordinary arrangement consists of a drawing-room in the front, a dining-room in the back, and a dark room in the middle. The latter is the family sitting-room, particularly in winter evenings, for its complete isolation from the outside protects the inhabitants from the cold air. Of late years this middle room has become less popular, and every room in recently built dwellings contains one or two windows. The houses are comfortable, and are heated throughout. The outsides of the houses, with their cheerful white cornices on windows and doors, ornamental roofs and large windows with Flemish shades and adorned with blooming plants and boxes of flowers, give an impression of comfort and prosperity. These homes are comfortably or luxuriously furnished, according to the purses and tastes of the dwellers, with the ordinary modern furniture; but every prosperous family possesses a few inherited pieces of furniture. Nearly every home contains one _kas_, if not more, and a small collection of porcelain, earthenware and silver. Oriental goods from the Dutch colonies are not rare.