{"id":"01KG8AK9DJHZGTGN4VH2BDXXKA","cid":"bafkreiarnhzyobxum353umzqa5lkvh6u3hrrqwbepodd3jj7qnlxlb3ddm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2491,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:56.336Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 6","source_file":"01KG89J1C1N72JCD0ZBGTBX0EX","start_line":2454,"text":"inferior subject.\"\r\n\r\nIn fact, I would permit no gibes to be cast at either myself or my\r\nchimney; and never again did my visitor refer to it in my hearing,\r\nwithout coupling some compliment with the mention. It well deserves a\r\nrespectful consideration. There it stands, solitary and alone--not a\r\ncouncil--of ten flues, but, like his sacred majesty of Russia, a unit\r\nof an autocrat.\r\n\r\nEven to me, its dimensions, at times, seem incredible. It does not look\r\nso big--no, not even in the cellar. By the mere eye, its magnitude can\r\nbe but imperfectly comprehended, because only one side can be received\r\nat one time; and said side can only present twelve feet, linear\r\nmeasure. But then, each other side also is twelve feet long; and the\r\nwhole obviously forms a square and twelve times twelve is one hundred\r\nand forty-four. And so, an adequate conception of the magnitude of\r\nthis chimney is only to be got at by a sort of process in the higher\r\nmathematics by a method somewhat akin to those whereby the surprising\r\ndistances of fixed stars are computed.\r\n\r\nIt need hardly be said, that the walls of my house are entirely free\r\nfrom fireplaces. These all congregate in the middle--in the one grand\r\ncentral chimney, upon all four sides of which are hearths--two tiers of\r\nhearths--so that when, in the various chambers, my family and guests\r\nare warming themselves of a cold winter's night, just before retiring,\r\nthen, though at the time they may not be thinking so, all their faces\r\nmutually look towards each other, yea, all their feet point to one\r\ncentre; and, when they go to sleep in their beds, they all sleep round\r\none warm chimney, like so many Iroquois Indians, in the woods, round\r\ntheir one heap of embers. And just as the Indians' fire serves, not\r\nonly to keep them comfortable, but also to keep off wolves, and other\r\nsavage monsters, so my chimney, by its obvious smoke at top, keeps off\r\nprowling burglars from the towns--for what burglar or murderer would\r\ndare break into an abode from whose chimney issues such a continual\r\nsmoke--betokening that if the inmates are not stirring, at least fires\r\nare, and in case of an alarm, candles may readily be lighted, to say\r\nnothing of muskets.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 6"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJJJM9B1B6R0AVRGKYSED","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1C1N72JCD0ZBGTBX0EX","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AK9DRS1HZ0NQHHAB0G50M","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AK9DPYMA7XS0W4M0S6EM0","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:59.410Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:06.889Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}