20 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



Suck debased tribes of humanity will occasionally adapt to 

 their current circumstances the hole or crevice in which they 

 take up their residence, and which can scarcely be called a 

 home. No domestic associations hang around the habitation of 

 the earth -dweller. The cave in which he dwells, or rather, in 

 which he sleeps and shelters himself from inclement weather, 

 possesses none of the thousand little amenities which constitute 

 the home of man when even partially civilized. It is hallowed 

 by no domestic joys, sanctified by no domestic trials, and those 

 who take casual shelter therein know nothing of those "homely" 

 feelings which in ancient times made the hearth an inviolable 

 sanctuary, and which were outwardly symbolized by the Lares 

 and Penates that surrounded the sacred spot. The inhabitants 

 may adapt for the present, but they make no arrangements for 

 the morrow, and, indeed, their memories seem to be as forgetful 

 of the past and its lessons as their minds are incapable of fore- 

 thought for the future. 



They may possibly remove a stone which incommodes them 

 while they seek repose, if, indeed, they can not contrive to ar- 

 range themselves so as to save the trouble of removing it ; and 

 if the labor should not be severe, i. e. if the whole tribe need not 

 do more work in a day than an English workman will perform 

 in an hour, they may possibly enlarge or slightly alter their sub- 

 terranean home. 



Civilized man may, and does frequently, employ the rocky 

 cavern as his dwelling-place; but with this difference, that he 

 converts the rude cavern into a permanent home. Some of my 

 readers have probably seen those curious rock-houses in Derby- 

 shire, which have been hollowed out of the solid sandstone, and 

 present to the astonished traveler a view of windows and doors 

 cut into the face of the rock, and of a chimney just projecting out 

 of the level ground above. Local traditions report that this pe- 

 culiar construction was intended for the purpose of affording gra- 

 tuitous nourishment to the inhabitants, who were supposed to 

 feed on the hares, rabbits, lambs, and other creatures that stum- 

 bled over the chimney top and fell into the fire below. 



Except, however, that the walls of these houses are carved 

 from the living rock, instead of being built up by successive series 

 of stones or bricks, there is nothing in them which differs from 

 the ordinary dwellings raised by builders, so that in reality they 

 have little in common with the rock habitations of savage tribes. 



