ived together, in many huts, which made a village or town. Of course
they all were more or less nearly related to one another, and all called
the old man father. He was their head and chief--their king, and his
word, his commands, were their only laws. He was assisted and advised by
the oldest and wisest among the men, who met regularly to discuss the
family's affairs, and formed a sort of senate or council of elders. When
great things had to be talked over and settled, things which interested
everybody alike, the whole family was called together, and had a
mass-meeting after working hours.

The family knew nothing of the great round world but their own farm. In
fact, they did not care whether there was any world outside of their
mountains, because they had no need of any. All they wanted, for food,
clothing, or shelter, they found or raised on their own land. They had
pure running water to drink and to fish in; woods to hunt in and cut
down for fuel and building timber; meadows for the flocks and herds
which gave them milk and flesh, hides and wool; broad fields stretched
under the sun, green with the tender sprouting crops or golden with the
ripening harvest.

The family had no idea how long they and their forefathers before them
had owned and lived upon the farm. If they ever thought of it at all,
they probably thought they had been there always. Really, it must have
been a very, very long time--they were so thoroughly settled, so well
acquainted with the land and everything on it; then they were so
numerous and knew so much. It must have taken a tremendous length of
time to learn all about farming and dairy work, about building, and
weaving, and making things,--to have found out so much about the stars,
the coming and going of the moon, the years and months which it
makes,--to have so many set customs, and a religion with prayers and
worship,--and lastly, to have invented writing and no end of useful
arts, requiring skill and long practice.

There came a time when it was no longer a family, but a great many
families, which could not go on living so close together. So they began
to build separate homesteads, all around the old home, but farther and
farther away from it. They went on living exactly in the same way, only
each new homestead had its own head. The tie of blood was strong and the
separated families kept it sacred, even if they quarrelled now and then,
as neighbors and relatives will at times.

At last