CHAPTER IX.
THE HOME REBUILT.
The Rector of Epworth was not a man to do things by halves, and, even if he had been, the repair or rebuilding of a parsonage is a matter that comes under the notice of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and must be done in what they consider a suitable style. Queen Anne's reign was an era when red brick was generally used for all new buildings of any pretensions, if we may go by the quaint, substantial houses that in many English cities date from her time.
The foundations of the old abode were dug up, and bricks were used for the walls instead of the former lath and plaster. The house was probably not more commodious than its predecessor, it would have been a work of supererogation to have made it so; but the old parsonage, with its five bays, had contained ample accommodation for a large family, and the new one was quite equal to it. There were three stories; that is to say, dining-room, parlour, study, and domestic offices on the ground floor, bed-rooms above, and a large garret or loft over all. The house still stands, and when a few months ago its walls were stripped for
