The wannut logs shot sparkles out
Towards the pootiest, bless her!
An' leetle flames danced all about
The chiny on the dresser.
Agin' the chimbley crooknecks hung,
An' in amongst 'em rusted
The old queen's arm thet Gran'ther Young
Fetched back from Concord busted.
We did not have fireplaces quite as large as this in my father's
house, although they were common in the farmers' houses round
about.
In the coldest weather the heat did not come out a great
way from the hearth, and the whole family gathered close
about the fire to keep warm. It was regarded as a great
breach of good manners to go between any person and the fire.
The fireplace was the centre of the household, and was regarded
as the type and symbol of the home. The boys all understood
the force of the line:
Strike for your altars and your fires!
I wonder if any of my readers nowadays would be stirred by
an appeal to strike for his furnace or his air-tight stove.
Sunday was kept with Jewish strictness. The boys were not
allowed to go out-of-doors except to church. They could
not play at any game or talk about matters not pertaining
to religion.
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