"Shut in from all the world without
We sat the clean-winged hearth about:
Content to let the north wind roar
With baffled rage at pane and door.
While the red logs before us beat
The frost line back with tropic heat.

"What matter how the night behaved?
What matter how the north wind raved?
Blow high, blow low, not all its snow
Could quench our house firesŐ ruddy glow."

--Whittier.

The capacious stone fire-place with smoke flues of boards or sticks embedded in clay mortar, was a marked feature of the early homes. Such chimneys were sometimes burned without much injury to the house. The various appliances for kindling fires at the present time were then unknown.

It was therefore necessary to preserve fire from night until morning. This was done by protecting the glowing coals with ample covering of ashes. In case of failure to preserve the fire through the night, the only resort was to borrow from the nearest neighbor regardless of distance.