Chapter 3

           MeanwhileOldWhateleycontinuedtobuycattlewithoutmeasurablyincreasingthesizeofhisherd. Healsocuttimberandbegantorepairtheunusedpartsofhishouse—aspacious,peak-roofedaffairwhoserearendwasburiedentirelyintherockyhillside,andwhosethreeleast-ruinedground-floorroomshadalwaysbeensufficientforhimselfandhisdaughter. 

           Theremusthavebeenprodigiousreservesofstrengthintheoldmantoenablehimtoaccomplishsomuchhardlabour; andthoughhestillbabbleddementedlyattimes,hiscarpentryseemedtoshowtheeffectsofsoundcalculation. IthadalreadybegunassoonasWilburwasborn,whenoneofthemanytoolshedshadbeenputsuddenlyinorder,clapboarded,andfittedwithastoutfreshlock. Now,inrestoringtheabandonedupperstoreyofthehouse,hewasanolessthoroughcraftsman. Hismaniashoweditselfonlyinhistightboarding-upofallthewindowsinthereclaimedsection—thoughmanydeclaredthatitwasacrazythingtobotherwiththereclamationatall. 

           Lessinexplicablewashisfittingupofanotherdownstairsroomforhisnewgrandson—aroomwhichseveralcallerssaw,thoughnoonewaseveradmittedtotheclosely-boardedupperstorey. Thischamberhelinedwithtall,firmshelving,alongwhichhebegangraduallytoarrange,inapparentlycarefulorder,alltherottingancientbooksandpartsofbookswhichduringhisowndayhadbeenheapedpromiscuouslyinoddcornersofthevariousrooms. 

           ‘Imadesomeuseof’em,’hewouldsayashetriedtomendatornblack-letterpagewithpastepreparedontherustykitchenstove,‘buttheboy’sfittentomakebetteruseof’em. He’dorterhev’emaswellsoashekin,forthey’regoin’tobeallofhislarnin’.’