The blacksmith, however, paid no attention to
this, but with a hammer, which he held in his hand, he knocked it down
into its place, all around the rim; then he took up a brown pitcher
full of water, which was standing near, and began to pour the
water on, walking round and round the wheel as he did it, so as to
extinguish the flames in every part and cool the iron. When this
process was completed, Forester and Marco walked on.
"Let me see," said Forester, "where did I leave off, Marco, in my
account of the growth of a village? I was telling you about the
blacksmith's shop, I believe."
"Yes," said Marco.
"The next thing to the blacksmith's shop, in the history of a New
England village," said Forester, "is generally a store. You see the
farmers can not raise every thing they want. There are a great many
things which come from foreign countries, which they have to buy."
"Such as sugar and tea," said Marco.
"Yes," replied Forester, "only they make a great deal of sugar in
Vermont out of the sap of the maple-tree. We will go and see Mr.
Warner's sugar bush next spring. But there are a great many things
which the farmers must buy. One of the most important articles is
iron. Now when a man concludes to open a store, the best place that he
can have for his business is near the mills and the blacksmith's shop;
because the people have to come there on other business, and so that
is the most convenient place for them to visit his store.
