A NEW ENGLAND WOODPILE 



there was no forecasting provision for 

 winter. The nearest green tree was cut, 

 and hauled, full length, to the door, and 

 with it the nearest dry one was cut to 

 match the span of the wide fireplace ; 

 and when these were gone, another raid 

 was made upon the woods ; and so from 

 hand to mouth the fire was fed. It was 

 not uncommon to draw the huge back- 

 logs on to the hearth with a horse, and 

 sometimes a yoke of oxen were so em- 

 ployed. Think of a door wide enough 

 for this : half of the side of a house to 

 barricade against the savage Indians and 

 savage cold ! It was the next remove 

 from a camp-fire. There was further 

 likeness to it in the tales that were told 

 beside it, of hunting and pioneer hard- 

 ships, of wild beasts and Indian forays, 

 while the eager listeners drew to a closer 

 circle on the hearth, and the awed children 

 cast covert scared backward glances at 

 the crouching and leaping shadows that 

 thronged on the walls, and the great 

 samp-kettle bubbled and seethed on its 

 trammel, and the forgotten johnny-cake 

 scorched on its tilted board. 



As conveniently near the shed as pos- 

 241 



