Why I do this

From “The Building of a House. A chapter in “Fraternity Papers”. Published by Edward H Elwell in 1888.

“There is a human interest in the biography of an old house . It is the story of generations which “ come like shadows , so depart ; ” of families which burgeoned and blossomed , and filled the old rooms with life and laughter , and grew up to maturity and strength , and spread wide their branches , and struck their roots deep into the soil , and seemed to hold possession forevermore , and then fell away limb by limb , and were shattered by the blasts of adversity , and sank into forgetfulness and sheer oblivion , and were succeeded by others who know them not , who in their turn flourished and decayed , and were alike forgotten”