xxvii LETTERS TO MARCO 181 



but the good old oak beams and strong work 

 generally had resisted the effects of time. 

 In the old kitchen was a hen with a large 

 brood of chickens, which were on quite friendly 

 terms with a cat and her kittens, the kitties 

 played with the chickens harmlessly. 



Above the kitchen, up a very small and 

 twisted staircase, were some quaint old rooms, 

 used now as apple-lofts and lumber-rooms. In 

 one was an old door which opened right into 

 the huge chimney from the kitchen below ; 

 in this chimney were numbers of hooks and 

 bars on which bacon used to be hung and 

 placed for the purpose of smoking. 



The farmer, a very old man, showed me 

 an old rate-book of the last century, church 

 rates I think this book contained, and it was 

 surprising to find column after column filled 

 with expenditure accounts for such items as 

 these : 



To so-and-so for one dozen sparheads , 3d. 

 To so-and-so for a pole-cat . . 6d. 



To so-and-so for one hedgehock . ' 4d. 



