12 THE NEW METHOD 



nients at long intervals, it has reached a good degree 

 of excellence, and it is improving faster than ever. 



The barbarian who built the first house finished it 

 in one day. With a modern axe he could have done 

 it in one hour ; but his axe was only a sharp stone, 

 and he used his hand and arm for the handle. 



The primitive house had a ridge-pole, and that is 

 the only part of it that has come down to our time. 

 Each end of the pole rested on the branch of a tree, 

 and for the walls of the house small evergreen trees 

 stood leaning toward each other and the pole. The 

 builder was well pleased with his house and thought 

 it was perfect. But on a cold morning a month later 

 the children were found covered w T ith snow which 

 had sifted through in the high wind. This set the 

 architect to thinking how to improve his house and 

 keep his family dry and warm. At last the way to 

 do it dawned upon him, and soon he was bringing 

 hemlock boughs to weave thick into the walls. For 

 a while the house was again thought to be perfect. 

 But on a very cold day a fire was needed, and the dry 

 resinous boughs were soon in flames. 



The next plan was a fire-proof house. Rocks were 

 piled one upon another for the walls ; but open spaces 

 between them let in the cold air and snow. A happy 

 thought the next rainy day resulted in plastering 

 the house with mud. Soon as the mud was dry it 

 crumbled away and left the walls as they were before. 



