me more than I have paid for, nor, on the other hand, do I wish to pay him more than a fair value for his work and material.  You cannot avoid doing one of these two things in contracting such work as your house, for it is impossible to estimate its cost with perfect accuracy, and no specifications, however binding, can draw a well-defined line between ‘first’ and ’second’-class work.  A general contract may be the least of a choice of evils in some cases; it is not so in yours.  If you know just what you want, the right mode of securing it is to hire honest, competent workmen and pay them righteous wages.  If, before the work is completed, you find the cost has been underestimated, stop when your money is spent.  It may be mortifying and inconvenient to live in an unfinished house; it is far more so to be burdened with debt or an uneasy conscience.  There is another thing to be remembered:  We hear loud lamentations over the dearth of skillful, trusty laborers.  There is no way of promoting intelligent, productive industry—­which is the basis of all prosperity—­but by employing artisans in such a way that the personal skill and fidelity of each one shall have their legitimate reward.  The contract system, as usually practiced, acts in precisely an opposite direction.  Your house must be built ‘by the day’ Jill, or I shall recall my gift.” That question was settled.  The good and wise man had previously decided as peremptorily an early query relating to the plans.  When it was known that a new house was to be built, several architects, with more conceit than self-respect, proposed to offer plans “in open competition”—­not to be paid for unless accepted—­concerning which Jill had asked her father’s advice.

[Illustration:  THE HOUSE THAT JILL BUILT.]

“What should you think of a physician,” said he, “who, on hearing that you were ill, should hasten to present himself with a prescription and a bottle of medicine, begging you to read the one, test the other, and, if they made a favorable impression, give him the job of curing you?  There are such who call themselves physicians; other people call them quacks, and there is one place for their gratuitous offerings—­the fire.  I shall burn any plans that are presented in this way.  Choose your architect at the outset, and give him all possible aid in carrying out your wishes, but do not employ one of those who must charge a double price for their actual work in order to work for nothing half the time.  In any other business such a practice would be condemned at once.”

“Isn’t it the same thing as offering samples of goods?”

“No, it is offering the goods themselves—­the top of the barrel at that.”

Of course this did not apply to the contributions that were prompted by personal friendship, of which Jill, as we have seen, received her full share, none of them, excepting the one-story plan, proving in the least tempting.