Melville Herman
«I and my chimney»

It need hardly be said, that the walls of my house are entirely free from fireplaces. These all congregate in the middle-in the one grand central chimney, upon all four sides of which are hearths-two tiers of hearths-so that when, in the various chambers, my family and guests are warming themselves of a cold winter's night, just before retiring, then, though at the time they may not be thinking so, all their faces mutually look towards each other, yea, all their feet point to one centre; and, when they go to sleep in their beds, they all sleep round one warm chimney, like so many Iroquois Indians, in the woods, round their one heap of embers. And just as the Indians' fire serves, not only to keep them comfortable, but also to keep off wolves, and other savage monsters, so my chimney, by its obvious smoke at top, keeps off prowling burglars from the towns-for what burglar or murderer would dare break into an abode from whose chimney issues such a continual smoke-betokening that if the inmates are not stirring, at least fires are, and in case of an alarm, candles may readily be lighted, to say nothing of muskets.

But stately as is the chimney-yea, grand high altar as it is, right worthy for the celebration of high mass before the Pope of Rome, and all his cardinals-yet what is there perfect in this world? Caius Julius Caesar, had he not been so inordinately great, they say that Brutus, Cassius, Antony, and the rest, had been greater. My chimney, were it not