e of turnip to resemble it, cut out a little piece
like a wick at the end, blackened it with ink, and put it
in the candlestick.

When Mr. Mason came in in the dark, he took a coal up with
the tongs and put it against the wick, and puffed and puffed,
until after a long and vexatious trial he discovered what
was the matter. He said nothing but waited for his chum to
come in, who went through the same trial. When they discovered
the hoax they framed an elaborate complaint in legal jargon
against the two roguish girls, and brought them to trial before
a young lawyer of their acquaintance. The young ladies were
found guilty and sentenced to pay as a fine a bowl of eggnog.

After getting his candle lighted, the boy takes dry kindling,
which has been gathered the night before, and starts a fire.
The next thing is to get some water. He is lucky if the water
in the old cast-iron kettle which hangs on the crane in the
fireplace be not frozen. As soon as the fire is started he
goes outdoors to thaw out the pump, if they have a wooden
pump. But that is all frozen up, and he has to get some hot
water from this kettle to pour down over the piston till he
can thaw it out. Sometimes he would have an old-fashioned
well, sunk too low in the ground for the frost to reach it,
and could get water with the old oaken bucket.

He brings in from out-of-doors a pail or two of water. If
there has been a snow-storm the night before he has to shovel
a path to the wood-shed, where he can get the day's supply
of wood from outside, and then from the doors of the house
out to the street. Meantime the woman whose duty it is to
get breakfast makes her appearance.

The wooden pump, which took the place of the old well in many
dooryards, was considered a great invention. We all looked
with huge respect upon Sanford Adams of Concord, who invented
it, and was known all over the country.

He was quite original in his way. The story used to be told
of him that he called at my father's house one day to get
some advice as to a matter of law. Father was at dinner
and went to the door himself. Mr. Adams stated his case in
a word or two as he stood on the door-step, to which father
gave him his answer, the whole conversation not lasting more
than two minutes.

He asked Mr. Hoar what he should pay, and father said, "Five
dollars." Mr. Adams paid it at once, and father said, "By
the way, there is a little trouble with my pump. It does
not