The Perseverance had come in, and was landing fish at Isaac’s wharf. Ben told Charlie he was going to Wiscasset in her, to get some nails to put on the clapboards and shingles; but when he came back, he not only brought nails, but bricks, lime, glass, putty, and Uncle Sam Elwell, whom he set to building a chimney and fireplace in the farther end of the shed, where he had laid a plank floor.
Charlie was now thoroughly mystified, and his curiosity greatly excited. When Uncle Sam had laid the foundation, he proceeded to make a fireplace, and by the side of it built an arch, and set in it a kettle, which Ben had brought with him.
“Father,” asked Charlie, “what is the fireplace and the kettle for?”
“Well, it is very handy to have a fire; you often want to use such a place late in the fall.”
“I should have thought you would have made the wood-shed at this end, and put this place nearer the house; it would have been handier for mother.”
“Your mother will want to go into the wood-shed ten times where she will want to come in here once.”
“But what is the kettle for?”
“I’m sure I shouldn’t think you would ask such a question as that: wouldn’t it be very handy in the spring, when the sap was running very fast and driving us, to have a place where Sally could boil some on a pinch; and wouldn’t it be nice for heating water to scald a hog?”
“Yes, I suppose it would.”