56 WINTER SKETCHES. 



to their seats, some of the children carrying In 

 their hands little tin foot-stoves set in slatted 

 frames, so that mamma or grandmamma at 

 least might have some comfort for her toes, 

 while steaming breaths ascended from the 

 pews, and the pulpit seemed to be occupied by 

 a high-pressure engine. 



Such was the condition of things in the year 

 1820 or thereabouts, when some audacious in- 

 novators proposed the introduction of stoves 

 with long ranges of pipe for heating the house. 

 The war was fiercely waged, but fortunately it 

 did not result in another secession. At last 

 the stove party was victorious. Old " Uncle 

 Ned Foster " was foremost in the opposition. 

 He threatened to '^ sign off," but finally he 

 concluded to remain loyal and sit it out. So 

 on the first Sunday after the stoves had been 

 introduced, the old gentleman occupied his 

 pew as usual, the stove-pipe being directly over 

 him. There he sat with no very saint-like ex- 

 pression throughout the sermon, a red ban- 

 danna handkerchief spread over his head, and 

 his face corresponding to it in color. A gen- 

 eral smile circulated through the house, the 

 minister himself catching the infection, for 

 almost everybody excepting Uncle Ned was 



