. Spectacles for young eyes : Boston. stengine-company was organized, and an engineprocured in 1679. And that very year therewas a terrible fire in August. More than eightydwelling-houses were burnt, and seventy ware-houses, besides several vessels. And after allthis mischief was done, tlien the law was madeto prevent the erection of wooden buildings. I think it was quite time, I answered. So this old house, said James, was builtwith beams of solid oak, and was covered withrough plaster on the outside, and bits of brokenglass, used instead of pebbles, to make a roughsurface ; bits of old broke
. Spectacles for young eyes : Boston. stengine-company was organized, and an engineprocured in 1679. And that very year therewas a terrible fire in August. More than eightydwelling-houses were burnt, and seventy ware-houses, besides several vessels. And after allthis mischief was done, tlien the law was madeto prevent the erection of wooden buildings. I think it was quite time, I answered. So this old house, said James, was builtwith beams of solid oak, and was covered withrough plaster on the outside, and bits of brokenglass, used instead of pebbles, to make a roughsurface ; bits of old broken glass-bottles werethrown in, which stick in the cement and shinein the sun, and resist all the storms and decayof centuries. The figures 1680, which were thenimpressed in the mortar, are still legible. Theytold me there were shapes of flowers and of THE OLD HOUSE. 47 squares and diamonds there, but I never couldsee them ; perhaps the dust from the street -forso many years had filled up the crevices, thoughthe figures I saw * Well, now that j^ou have told me the wholestory of the Old House, I can go alone and see it,boys ; I will not detain you any longer. Theywere glad to be released, and scampered off asboys will, even in a city. So I walked along slowly, to find the OldHouse ; but when I came to the spot they haddescribed, there was no house to be seen, — onlyold beams and ruins. What is the matter ? I said. What havethey been about here ? 48 SPECTACLES. 0, there was an old building here that hasjust been taken down ; it was an old thing, andhad stood on the corner of North and MarketStreets many years. There was a clothing-storeunder it. Do you want anything in my line ? The man looked at me as if he thought a newjacket would improve me. But I had no courageto explain it all to him, and went away so disap-pointed ! But I found a correct picture of theOld House, as it stood, and I hope you will takean interest in seeing that, though you cannot seethe Old House,
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