draw. Will you just look at it?" So Mr. Adams went
around the corner of the shed, moved the handle of the pump,
and put his hand down and fixed a little spigot which was
in the side, which had got loose, and the pump worked perfectly.
Father said, "Thank you, sir." To which Adams replied: "It
will be five dollars, Mr. Hoar," and father gave him back
the same bill he had just taken.

I am afraid the sympathy of the people who told the story
was with the pump-maker and not with the lawyer.

The great kitchen fireplace presented a very cheerful appearance
compared with the black range or stove of to-day. It was
from six to eight or ten feet wide, with a great chimney.
In many houses you could stand on the hearth and look up the
chimney and see the stars on a winter night. Across the fireplace
hung an iron crane, which swung on a hinge or pivot, from
which hung a large number of what were called pothooks and
trammels. From these were suspended the great kettles and
little kettles and the griddles and pots and boilers for the
cooking processes.

The roasting was done in a big "tin kitchen," which stood
before the fire, in which meats or poultry were held by a
large iron spit, which pierced them and which could be revolved
to present one side after the other to the blaze. Sometimes
there was a little clockwork which turned the spit automatically,
but usually it was turned round from time to time by the cook.
As you know, they used to have in England little dogs called
turnspits, trained to turn a wheel for this purpose. A little
door in the rear of this tin kitchen gave access for basting
the meat. In the large trough at the bottom the gravy was
caught.

No boy of that day will think there is any flavor like that
of roast turkey and chicken or of the doughnuts and pancakes
or griddle-cakes which were cooked by these open fires.

By the side of the fireplace, with a flue entering the chimney,
was a great brick oven, big enough to bake all the bread
needed by a large family for a week or ten days. The oven
was heated by a brisk fire made of birch or maple or some
very rapidly burning wood. When the coals were taken out,
the bread was put in, and the oven was shut with two iron
doors. The baking-day was commonly Saturday.

When the bread was taken out Saturday afternoon it was usual
to put in a large pot of beans for the Sunday dinner. They
were left there all night and the oven was opened in the morning