Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-08-15
Prom the New York independent.
Modern COnTeniences and First Class
III uses,
BY REV. HENRY WARD BEBCHBR,

people who live IN first class houses, with all
modern improvements, must OF course be
much pulled up, and that they become quite
grand in their own eyes. 1t is true, some
times, that fine houses have proud people in
them. But we suspect the same OF very poor
tenements. We can imagine pride SO re-
luetant of discipline, and so indoelle, as to
survive in spite of the experience OF nrst-
class house.
When we moved into eapacious brown
stone dwelling, our better nature, with great
simplicity, whispered-"Beware Of tempta-
ton" And, with an ignorance quite as sim
pie, we supposed that che thieves OF grace
would be found lurking in large rooms, al
ambush behind cornees reproduced from old
Rome, or in stately appearances! How little
did we suspect that these were harmless, and
that very different elements were to moth our
patience.
But let little preliminary exultation of
a new man in new place be forgiven, ye who
are now established Remember your own
household fervor on first setting up, while we
recount our economic Joy, and antlcipauons
of modern convenienees that would take away
all human care, and speed life upon down.
hill path, where 1t was to be easier to move
than to stand still Everything 'oaS admira.
BILE! The attic had within it tank SO large
it ran the serviceable pipes to every part of
the dwelling. Each chamber had its invisi-
Die water maid in the wall, ready to spring
the foods upon you at any moment by the
mere turn of your hand; then the bath room,
with tub, douche, shower, and indeed vari-
Gus and universal Sc uirt-up, down, and pro"
miscuous. The kitchen, too--the tubs with
water waiting to leap into them, the long cyl
inder by the side of the fire, as if the range
had its baby wrapped up, and set perpendic
ular in the corner to nurse. But, greatest of
all admirations, was the furnace This, too,
was Entertained with the attic tank-for it
was hot water furnace. For time this
was our peculiar pride. The water flowed
down into system Of coled tubes, which
were connected with the boiler surrounding
the furnace fire. The idea was, when the
water got as hot as it could well bear, that it
should frisk out OF one end OF the boiler into
the pipes, and round thu ough the whole sys-
tenn, aud come back into the other end cooled
off Thus complete arterial system was es-
tablshed-the boiler being the heart, the wa
ter the blood, the pipes at the hot end the ar
teries, and the return pipes at the cool end the
veins the whole incIosed in brick cham
Der, from which the air warmed by this liquid
heat was given off to the dwelling. 1t was
day of great glory when we thought the
chill in the air required fire in the furnace
The fact was, we wanted to play with our pet,
and were half vexed with the old conserva-
tive thermometer, that it would not come
dawn and admit that it was cold enough for
fire. However, we do not recollect ever after
wards to have been so eager.
In the first place, we never could raise
| enough heat to change the air in the house
more than from cold to chill. We piled in the
coal, and watched the thermometer; ran
down for coal again, and ran back to watch
the thermometer. We brought home COAL
exchanged glances over the bill with the con.
sulting partner, and made silent estimates Of
the expenses of the whole winter, if this was
bat the beginning. But there was the old
red dragon in the cellar devou1ing coal re.
morselessly, with his long iron tail, folded
and coiled, in the furnace chamber without
heat Illus, tor series of weeks, we fired
OH the furnace in the cellar at the thermome-
ter IN the parlor, and never hit. But we did
| accomplish other things. Once the fire was
drivea SO hard that steam began to form and
rumble and blow off, very innoeently q but
the girls did not know that, and took to their
heels for lear OF beng blown up. When the
cause was discovered, the remedy was not
easy, for the furnace bottom was immovable,
and the fire could uot be let down. But one
camp, and threw bucket OF water INTO the
fire. This produced several effects; it nut
out the ire, it also put out SO much gas, and
steam, and ashes, that the maiden was quite
put out also. And more than all, it cracked
the boiler. But this we did not know till
some time afterwards. There were a few
days OF comparative rest, The weather was
mild out OF doors, and cold within 1t was
soon reported that one OF the pipes was stop.
ped up in the chamber. for the water wouId
not flow. The plumber was sent for, He
was already well acquainted with the way TO
the house. He brought upon himself laugh
of ridicule by suggesting that the water had
given out in the tank Water given oulp
We turned inwardly pale behind the outward
red CT laughing We thought we had
pocket-ocean up stairs. Up we marched
climbed up the sides, and peered down to the
dirty bottom OF an empty tank Alas, the
whole house was symmetrically connected
Everything depended upon this tank; the
furnace III the cellar the range in the kitchen.
the laundry department. all the washing an.
paratus of the chambers, the convenient chi.
ma closet sink, where things were tn y no
washed without going down stairs. the entry
closets, and almost everything else. excent
the door bell, were made to 90 nv wa,ar
and now the universal motive power WA
gone
A new system Of conveniences was now
developed. We stationed an Irish engine AZ
the force pump to throw up water into the
tank from the street cistern. Blessings be on
that cistern in the street No man knew how
deep that was. Like the pond in every vii.
lage, nobody had ever found bottom. And az
we limped along tor few days. Meanwhile
the furnace having been examined. the sec,et
of all this trouble was detected, The life.
blood of the house had been oozing and Aow.
ing away through this furnace How much
would it cost to repair It'll More money than
hot air furnace would cost, and half more
than that So we determined to clear ONT
the pet. Alas, (again,) how we iondled the
favorite at first, and how contemporary we
kicked il at last 1t is said that no one is
whole mani we have partial gifts. In our
own case. the gift of buying was literally be.
slowed, but the talent for selling was either
withheld or lay an undeyeloped embryo.
How to sell the old furnace and to get new
one V4~
There is a great physiological experience
there. We aroused ourselves, gave several
days 70 contemplation, laid aside all other
cares, ran from furnace to furnace, saw six or
eight patterns, each one OF which was better
than all the others, and all of which wtr, able
to evolve vast quantities of neat, with an i'm
agnary amount OF fuel. But fortune. that
had SO long prosecuted us, did not presume to
destroy us yet, and, as a cat with a rat. let us
out Of its paws for moments ease In other
words, we arranged with Messrs, Richardson
q. n. fbat,