“Then there’s a kind of gray stone, with white streaks in it, but softer than granite.”
“That’s a bastard soapstone; that’ll do for a fireplace.”
“Well, can you do it?”
“Yes.”
“Will you?”
“Yes.”
“Enough said. Now, I’m bound Sally shall have an oven; and I’m going to take up my butt’ry floor to make it of.”
“You needn’t do that. I can make as good an oven of that stone as ever a woman baked bread in. It’ll crack some, but not half as bad as granite. It’ll hold heat wonderfully.”
“You beat all, Sam. I told Ben I knew you could build a chimney without a brick in it; but I never dreamt of your building an oven.”
“Who am I to have to tend me, and help handle these big stones?”