CHAPTER I.
MORNING Early one winter morning, while Jonas was living upon the farm, in the employment of Oliver's father, he came groping down, just before daylight, into the great room.
The great room was, as its name indicated, quite large, occupying a considerable portion of the lower floor of the farmer's house.

There was a very spacious fireplace in one side, with a settle, which was a long seat, with a very high back, near it.

The room was used both for kitchen and parlor, and there was a great variety of furniture in different parts of it.

There were chairs and tables, a bookcase with a desk below, a loom in one corner by a window, and a spinning-wheel near it.

Then, there were a great many doors.