after ed 's first day at the woolworths in coral river ( we furnished half our house with things from there-half on discount , the rest on credit-smells of wool and furniture polish ; so many objects crammed together in memory , jostling for space ) , i gathered handfuls of jacob 's ladder and leaves from the yard-burnt-edged and brittle , like ancient lace-and arranged them in the old stone hearth , which by then had been cold for twenty years .