“Well, I never thought of that before.”
“Of course, you haven’t; I expect you’ll have the happiness of finding that out. I tell you, Hannah and I take lots of comfort Sabbath nights, when we ain’t tired, talking over all we’ve been through together. And then sometimes I get the Bible, and read them are varses, where it says, ‘She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands; she will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.’ I can’t help giving her a kiss, and saying, ‘Well, wife, I never should’ve got through it if’t hadn’t been for you.’”
This last sally of the noble old philosopher of the woods completely silenced Ben, who promised he’d never harbor another doubt in respect to the matter.
“There’s another thing, Benjamin; don’t try to slick it over any, but make it full as bad as ’tis. If she expects the worst, and then finds it a great deal better’n she expected, ’twill make her more contented. There’s a great deal in the first feeling and the first look of a thing, especially to a woman.”
The next day Ben and Joe were employed in hauling stone for the chimney, and making clay mortar. Uncle Isaac cut a red oak, and hewed out a mantel-bar, to form the top of the fireplace; it was twelve feet in length, and no less than nine inches square, as it was to support a great weight of stone. Though of wood, it was so far from the fire, on account of the great height and depth of the fireplace, that it could not well burn; besides, it was always the custom, whenever they had a great fire, to wet the mantel-bar the last thing before going to bed.
He then cut a hole through the floor, in what was to be the front entry, to pour potatoes through into the cellar (because the cellar was under the south part of the house), and made a door to cover it.
The house would seem to my readers but a poor place to live in. There were but four windows below, and these being put on the corners, to admit of making others between them when they should be able, gave to the house a funny look. The house consisted of but two rooms below, separated by a rough board partition, in which were two doors of rough boards, hung by wooden hinges. The chamber was reached by a ladder; the boards of the floors were rough, and full of splinters, just as they came from the saw. Against the wall in the north-west corner, with shelves and closets nicely planed, were some dressers to hold dishes. In the cellar was a square arch of stone, into which Uncle Isaac put shelves, and to which he made doors. He then made a cross-legged table, all in one leaf, and a settle to place before the fire, with a back higher than the top of a person’s head, to keep off the draughts of air that went up the great chimney.
They went off Saturday, well satisfied with what they had accomplished.