The Black Swans 



the devil, or some ingenious Yankee, 

 which has robbed me of a lot of harm- 

 less satisfaction is a part of the general 

 equipment. I have always known that 

 half the fun of building a fire was in 

 tearing up the old "Tribunes" and 

 "Posts," and fussing with pine kindling 

 or some shavings in getting started 

 right, but in an evil hour an oil- 

 burning "lighter" came to practically 

 rob me of those privileges. Now we 

 only need a page out of the newspaper 

 and just a few small fagots, and the 

 fire is blazing there before you have 

 had half time enough to get ready to 

 enjoy it. I can thrash the man who 

 thought of kerosene in such connection. 

 It is an insult to my wood, and I ob- 

 ject. I prefer to dicker with the saw- 

 mill for good slabs to haggling with 

 Rockefeller over his petroleum. But 

 we have it, and rather than quarrel 

 over it we shall use it. 



Prodigal as we have been in this 

 country in the use of our natural re- 

 [110] 



