The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-11-30
A3OCT STOVES.

4 Stove, madam, il an abomination
-paIpabIe invention Of the enemy. Not
for its Gods. bronchial diseases. or cpn-
sumptions alone. There are other cl.ar
gcs against them. They have driven DAT
tie light and warmth Of the olden fine
diSpcnsaton, and inaugurated one Of
gloom. They nre unsoc;al.
Dark and forbdding, and breathing out
parchod AMI cacryating heat, they sui
3cnIy sentinel the sanetuaries they have
usurped. The old fire pIaco was f,tiag
emblem Of the old friendships. and hos
/ pitaIities, and honest greetings, it cngend
cred and witDessod-open, genial, glow
! ing. There was broad smile crept out
! from under its ample fore stick and kind
! lei upward, and its erbcrs winkad and
! nodded how-are you, rs the lights and
shades chased each other over the Gmbers
to the CHEEKY singing Of tie sap which
| dubbed out on the ends the axe had cleft
/ And the flames, after dancing and leap
! ing over the walls with the shadows,
peepod mernly under the mantle, and
vanished up the chimney. Tie dog and
the cat, ever more happy in that good
old light, md the children piled the Jack
knife on choice bits of pine or with
| trcachcrous strings and crAmbs attached,
drew the cricket from his covert between
| the stones. And when the winter storm
beat against the pancs, it was peasant to
hear the Ginning Of the old fashioned, l
say-rngng above the storm, and hear
merry yo:ces ut the door, anl see friends
in clcaks, hoods, and ovcreoat$, burst in
with the bIiAding gust aad stamp their
way to tho hearth, and shake off the drift
my snow by the melting warmth. The
boys, they had boys in those aays,l
were ordered to pile on more wood, and
the cracking flames kept g!oelnl time to
the uns;inted waeging of every tongue
| A visit from such friends, was worth the
while They were Of solid flesh and
blood and earnest heart. I! cir hands
had the grip of vice. The woman Of
that day had not been al transferred into
| Hatties, and Netties, and Jcnnics, and q
thousand ether babyish, confectionery
terms 10 hide the good old Saxon, but we
had Aunt Marys, Margarets, Pollvs and
Rebeccas-Itell you, sir, there acere no.
men an those days.
As Twas saying, tho fire WIS built i'll
the ''sparc room," but all through the
evening, the honest spoken, healthy, sub
stantiaI mothers would slip quietly back
into the kitchen where the turkey was
| bastinc before the fire, and stai.ding in
the corner, look into tho trusty blaze,
which told no secrets, and have right
down good chat of various matters.
Perhaps the visit was from a company
of boys and grls-not gentlemen and Ia
dios-a plump load, buriel under robes,
and sweeping up to the door with shout
which startled all of us to the window
The swaying light was held alott by our
"cals" and the monster load helped out,
each leaning so trustingly on arms which
had crept around like a holding tie for the
safety of one who might be cold, or who
might fall out by the way while the bells
shot round the corner to the barn, the
hoods and cloaks were removed, and
cheeks with q lovclier bloom than could
be charged to the weather, opening like
roses to the freight. Then the tide Of
talk AMI feeling swelled from score of
tongues and hearts, until the house rang
again with the souE's. The pie-pump-
kin and apple, you must understand
and sweet cakes were passed, the old folks
slipped quietly cut and away to bed, and
then
W ell, what is the uso Of getting gar
lous of these things, to u person who new
er saw generous old farm house or a
! fire place. Ii does US good, however, 70