THE SEARCH AND FINDING 



I bespoke in my advertisement no less than 

 twenty acres of woodland. The days of wood 

 fires are not utterly gone; as long as I live, 

 they never will be gone. Coal indeed may 

 have its uses in the furnace which takes off the 

 sharp edge of winter from the whole interior 

 of the house, and keeps up a night and day 

 struggle with Boreas for the mastery. Coal 

 may belong in the kitchens of winter; I do not 

 say nay to this : but I do say that a country 

 home without some one open chimney, around 

 which in time of winter twilight, when snows 

 are beating against the panes, the family may 

 gather, and watch the fire flashing and crack- 

 ling and flaming and waving, until the girls 

 clap their hands, and the boys shout, in a kind 

 of exultant thankfulness, is not worthy the 

 name. 



And if such a fiery thanksgiving is to 

 crackle out its praises — why not from a man's 

 own ground? There is no farmer but feels a 

 commendable pride in feeding his own grain, 

 in luxuriating upon his own poultry, in con- 

 suming his own hay — why not burn wood of 

 his own growing? It is not an extravagant 

 crop. Thirty years on rocky, wild land, else 

 unserviceable, will mature a good fire-crop; 

 and if there be chestnut growth, will ensure 



II 



