l known to be an
indispensable purifier of such places, materially helping to keep away
those kinds of vermin that prevent poultry from thriving. In fact, the
absence of lime was so general, that the hens could hardly pick up
enough to make egg-shells. Had they laid eggs without shells, the
circumstance would have mortified the hens as much as it would have
surprised the family. As it was, their only dependence was on the pile
of lime rubbish which was left every spring after whitewashing the
kitchen. The women who presided there did manage to fix up things once a
year. They thought lime was good to drive away ants and roaches, and so
they and the hens were the only parties on the premises who used it.

There were many other things about this farm-house that were quite as
much neglected,--more than it is worth while at present to mention,
unless it be the wood-pile. Though there were two men on the farm, and
several well-grown boys, yet the women could rarely prevail on any of
them to split a single stick of wood. The wood for the house caused
great trouble,--it was difficult to get it at all. Then when it did
come, it was crooked and knotty, much of it such as a woman could not
split. Yet whenever a stick or two was wanted, the females of the family
must run out into the shed to chop and split it. They never could get an
armful ahead, such was the strange neglect of one of the most
indispensable comforts of housekeeping. If the female head of the family
had only thought of letting the male portion go a few times without
their dinners, it is more than likely they would have brought them to
terms, and taught them that it was quite as much their duty to split the
wood as it was hers to cook their dinners. But she was a good, easy
creature, like most of the others. They had all been brought up in the
same neglectful way, just rubbing along from day to day, never getting
ahead, but everything getting ahead of them.

This farmer's name was Philip Spangler, and he was unlucky enough to
have a hundred acres in his farm. The word _unlucky_ is really a very
proper one; because it was unlucky for such a man as Philip that he
should have so much more land than he knew how to manage, and it was
equally unlucky for the land that it should have so poor a manager. The
man was perfectly sober, and in his own way was a very industrious one.
He worked hard himself, and made every one about him do the same. He was
what is known as a "sla