Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-12-20
AN icELANo.c FARMHOUSE.

The buildings of a farm usually are
under one roof and stand in a row, with
their gable ends facing the court. they
are peculiarly constructed; economy of
timber and the exigencies of the CHI
mate furnish, however, key to their
architecture. Ordinarily they are but
one story in height. They are framed
Of wood, and their gables also are
wooden; their sides and backs, which
usually slope to the ground, are COM
monty of lava and turf; the roof always
is matched with turf, which quickly
grows together and forms a con sinuous
covering. through which wet and cold
scarcely can penetrate. Seen from
distance group of farm buildings
bears the appearance OF an Irregular
heighten the illusion, sheep are calmly
grazing. The farmhouse proper con-
sists of two or three gables; next it is
the byre for the winter shelter of the
cows, if the farmer is sufficiently we'll
TODD to possess any. and next the
smithy with its forge and anvil; the
Icelander in his isolation Is thrown
upon his own resources. and is obliged
still to exercise. upon occasion, II call
ing that has descended to him from
the immemorial past. Entering the
house through the low doorway in one
of the gables, you find yourself IN a
long straight passage, through which,
even in broad daylight. you must COM
monty grope your way. The floor is
sometimes of boards, sometimes of
earth; on each side doors open into the
adjoining buildings, separated from
each other only by wooden partitions
Usually the door on one side leads in
to the common living-room of the
house, which occupies the whole of the
building in which it is situated. A
quaint and picturesque interior meets
your eye. 1t is long, low room,
lighted at either end by square win
dow. Above. the beams are visible,
and have been made the place of de-
post for an indescribable variety of
household articles. Along one side
stands the low stationary bed which
serves also as lounging place by day;
some square wooden chests are ranged
along the opposite side, at the end.
particularly in winter, several women
are carding and spinning wool. This
common room always Indicates the
thrift or poverty of the farmer. Some
times it is scrupulously neat and or
derby, and its furniture is good and
substantial, if not costly. Frequently,
however, everything about the place
is of the most primitive kind, and COM
fort, convenience. and cleanliness are
unknown. The bed looks as if it were
never made up; and dirt, fieas, chill
dren, and dogs are distributed in
equal. though inordinate, proportions.
IT you enter the door on the opposite
side of the hallway, You find smaller
room, usually furnished with chairs
and a table, and sometimes with bed.
This. iD the larger houses, is the spare
room of the house, and, after the vari-
Gus saddles and Sunday garments
placed here for safe keeping have been
removed, it is assigned to the chance
guest. If, instead of turning to the
right or to the left, you continue your
way along the passage to the end. you
arrive at the kitchen, which usually is
in a separate building. Its floor is of
earth. In fireplace fiickers an un-
certain fire of peat, and over it hangs
an iron pot from a crane. Everything
is dark and smoke begrimed, for much
of the smoke does not escape through
the open chimney, and the only light
is from the fire. Perhaps an old wo-
man with her black garments and her
tasseled hufa bends over the kettle and
stirs its contents. The unsteady light
gives it all a weird appearance, and
you wonder if the crone is not mutter-
ing an incarnation. 1t is such an in
terror as Gerard Douw would have
loved to paint.
Small as is the kitchen fire, it is often
the only one in the house, for fuel in
some parts of the island is exceedingly
scarce, and must be used with the
strictest economy for cooking purposes
alone. 1t is customary to close the
houses when the cold winter weather
comes on, for then the atmosphere be-
comes at least warmer than the outside
air. if not quite so we'll adapted for
breathing purposes. The houses of
the clergy often are better than those
described, in that they have more
rooms, or better Accommodations; some
times. however, they are worse, or the
guest chamber already has been allot-
ed, and in that case you retire to the
neighboring church. William II. Car
pe7ster, in atlantic.