The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

POKING TIIE TIRE.

Nothing can be more irritating than the feeble, incom-
plete way in which people poke their fires. I cannot bear
to look at them; But I don't know which is worse, the
indecisive "potter," or the ignorant, inartistic " smash "
which batters down the pregnant covering of caked coal into
black confusion, lotting the precious materials of a blaz
escape unignited up the chimney.
To stir a fire perfectly, requires the touch of a sculptor,
the eye of an architect, and the wrist of a dentist. I never
saw it done thoroughly well above a dozen times in my

life ; and although there are approximations more or less
distant, within the reach of ordinary men, do not suppose
that the process is a simple one, capable of being performed
in a single operation.
There is the tap, when the fire has eaten int) the heart
of a big upper boulder-coal, and its opening chinks require
but a slight shock to part, and let the imprisoned flame
spring forth. There is the lift, when the poker acts as a
lever to the crust, and lets the rich bosened fragments drop
into the red-hot cavern. There is the stir universal, when
the mass has been loft too long, and requires a thorough
mixing. There is the ventilating poke, when the roof of
the fabric has fallen heavily in, and the struggling flame
has hardly power enough to overcome the incumbent mass,
In this case the poker must be moved slowly, and left for a
minute between the bars after the movement has been made.
In contrast to all this is the procedure of a woman;
who is thus deflned by an Irish archbishop : " woman, a
creature who does not reason, and who pokes the fire from
the top."
Here again is a capital sketch of
7EIE DECISIVE NURSE.

" The decisive nurse is never peremptory, never loud.
She is distinct, it is true—there is nothing more aggravat-
ing to a sick person than a whisper, but she is not loud.
Though quiet, however, she never walks tip-toe ; she never
makes gestures ; all is open and above-board, She knows
no diplomacy or finesse, and of course her shoes never creak.
Her touch is steady and encouraging. She does not potter,
She never blows her nose in a subdued, provokingly imper-
fect, and considerate sort of way, but honestly, and in a
natural tone. She never looks at you sideways. You
never catch her watching. She never slams the door, of
course, but she never shuts it slowly, as if she were crack-
ing a nut in the hinge. She never talks behind it. She
never peeps. She pokes the fire skilfully, with firm judi-
cious penetration. She caresses one kind of patient with
genuine sympathy ; she talks to another as if he were wall.
She is never in a hurry. She is worth her weight in gold,

and has a healthy prejudice against physic, whioh, how.
ever, she knows at the right time how to conceal."

Among the other essays are some.very.discrimi-
native remarks of different temperaments, the
hesitating temper, £co., and altogether these holiday
papers present us with a charming variety of wise
and whimsical comments on matter of general
interest and importance,

THE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND POSTAGE
QUESTION.—Tho Lords Commissioners of her Ma.
jesty's Treasury have decided not to carry into effect at
present the alterations in the rates of postage on letters
addressed to the Australian colonies and to New Zealand,
by packet and by private ship, which were ordered to take
place on the Ist instant ; and a Treasury warrant has be
issued reimposing the old rates of postage of Gd the ez
letter, via Southampton ; 10d the os, letter, via Mar-
seilles ;Gd the ca. letter by private ship. These rates
must be paid in advance as heretofore.--By command of the
Postmaster-General,---General Poit-cface, 16th July, 1864.

GAME PEOSPECTS.--We are happy to say that
all our reports coincide in the pleasing conclusion that the
breeding season for all kinds of game has been the best we
have had for the last four years. About the Cumnocks,
Auchinleck, Fenwick, Kilbirnie, -West liilbride, &c., all
our reports concur that this will be the best season since
1850. The coveys run from four to ten, and will average
about seven, all well on the wing already and finely grown,
and, if the present fine weather continues, will keep a re-
spectable distance from the sportsman on the 12th. In
Wigtownshire our reports place the grouse in as favourable
a light as in the north-east of Ayrshire.—Ayr dclveritser.
The Empress Josephine, Napoleon's first wife,
is to have a statue in Paris, on the square before the Alma
Bridge.