The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-03-13
The Fuel Supply.

Inero lB one pOlnG Id nOubeuolu ocou-
omy upon which the landlord and the
guest will never agree. It is on the
quantity of wood required to heat q
room. Now the landlord is firmly con-
vinced, and b, grounds his convictions
upon q long series of actual tests and
practical experiments, extending over q
term of years which date back to the
year he began to "keep tavern" that
two sticks Of wood, about two inches in
diameter and somewhat longer than a
match, will, if properly used, keep a
bright fire, swapping and roaring, in q
large stove all day, and then, If you
cover them up carefully when you re-
tire, they will smolder all night long,
and you will only have to open the
damper to have q nice warm room to
dress in the next morning. He knows
this, because, he tells the guest, he has
tried it, and does try it, very successful.
ly in his own room every night. L
never heard the guest dispute the land
lord, but i can't remember ever having
seenbin look convinced. When L order
FIRE. in myl-oom I usually have about
this kind of circirs,-,I say to the boy,
in commanding tones .. .... -. ...
"Bring up some wood" -
The boy looks amazed, goee away
slowly and Just before the fire goes H&eaa
out returns with two armfuls OF wood,
one stick in each arm. -
The sticks are short, but thin.
I seize them gladly and thrust them
both into the stove.
"Now then, I cry cheerfully, .bring
up some wood |" '.' q ~ .s33.s.5sls
The boy disappears, and I eatchr a
passing glimpse Of his white, sterrer1
stricken face as he nlides down the balIs-.
ters. In due time, comes to the room,
solemr tread, the landlord. There is
tronbls in his face.
"What do you want2' he asks, sus-
wood" 1 say, "wood wood NJ
cry is still for wood Fuel Combus'
tibles Infammable substances Vege.
table growth and development |! Woodr'
"Why," he asks, with a puzzled ex-
preston on his fice, "didn't the boy
bring you up some wood just now !"
eyes" I reply, truthfully. And it
sounds kind of oddly to me, but after
all, I am glad I told it under the circum-
stances.
Thelandlord looks wonderingly around
the room, glances behind the stove,
stoops down and peers under the bed.
swell, why," he says at last, In q
perple1ed tone OF countenance, "Where
is it" .-.. e.
"In the stove," say.
An expression of incredulous Devil.
derment spreads over his questioning
face. He asks, feeply and falteringly
ayes, but the rest Of it?" g.. 'o'r..
"In the stove, too," I say. ......
"Whati IT" the good man shouts,
call of it2" .,
And there aren't enough capitals and
exclamation points in the news room to
convey his emphasis and expressions to
the types. I regard his indescribable
amazement with pitiless composure. ~
a"An of it." say. - -
He doesn't believe me. He stoops
down before the stove, opens the door
and looks in. His worst fears are real
lied. With a hollow groan ne closes
the door and shuts the damper with such
an easy, quick, long practiced turn OF
the wrist that an inexperienced man can
never detect it, and rising to his feet
goes feebly down stairs, holding one
hand to his bewildered head, and the
other to his throbbing heart. By-and'
by he comes back into the room, with
the wan, silent face of specter. BE
bears two sticks of wood, somewhat
thinner than the ones the boy brought.
but, on the other hand, considerably
shorter. He shudders as he walks past
me, and lays them down in the bottom o!
the wood-bo1, and covers them up with
piece Of an old envelope to hide then
from my extravagant eyes. But seize
them from under his hands even while
he is hiding them, and not needing the
tremulous hand he reaches forth to stor
me, I thrust the sticks into the stove
and say, calmly and sternly:
"Send the boy up with some chunks.
The landlord presses his hands owe,
his eyes and goes reeling out into the
hall. BE says, in a ghastly whisper:
"Well, ef you can't crowd more wooc
into that stove than any man L evel
see."
And as he goes down stairs I can hea,
him sobbing, and telling the hall-boy:
they'll have to keep an eye on the crazy
man in No. 72 or he'll set the house OF
fire. - Bmdstte in Burlington Ha'Ok
eye.
Lukens' "Pith and Point"
An Indiana woman of eighty-eight ii
cutting her third set of teeth with al
little gnaws as possible.
If you can't be generous without
being garrulous, keep both you pockets
and your mouth closed.
An active mind is excellent medicine