The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-01-17
r. Wool tire.

Tie WOOL Fire.
There isn't tile arc nd this fireplace
that has picture to be compared, for
brilliancy, with the sparkling play OF
fireworks upon the andirons. framed in
so harmoniously by the dull terra-cotta
color of the inclosing brick-work. "a
Happy are they who. having old APP
PIE trees on their grounds, can utilize
the dead limbs in this charming fashion.
1t is fascinating employment to pile the
twigs and twisted branches in such fan
tastic shapes that the whole. fired up.
presents n fairy liseness to the groins
and arches and fretted woodwork of
some old temple, outlined in rosy lines
of color. Just before it falls-parapet
and bartiLan-a scintillating, glowing
heap. up N the bed of ashes, which, un-
moleSted, soon commences 10 d aw its
Gu tain of cremation in gray gathers
a-cund the edges
The fire light is n wonderful necro-
mancer. In the enchantment of its
light and shade paterfamilias. stretched
ut ease in his great reclining-chair, with
his slippered fee. on the fender, looks
like gay Young man again, as he tells
how on his faIhe's farm he and his
hroihers Used to fill the great fireplace
in the old dining-raom with pine
stump, and surround it with hardwood
chips and rolls of tirch bark, and then
watch the grand illumination with boy
ish delight. He looks across the hearth
rug TO the low rocker. from which the
m1iher is smiling at him, her face, in
the fiickering, mystical light, looking
fresh and fair as that of the young girl
who is leaning her head against her
fathers knee, and watching, with
dreamy eyes, the dancing sprites of
flame.
A neighbor comes in. "Sure," he
saws, lone couldn't have the blues here.
Did ever tell you about our famous
fires last year. the first of the summer
season, when Ellen and / went into the
country to board for our healthp A
good many days were cold and wet, and
intensely disagreeable. Ellen had to
walk the floor to keep warm, or lie all
covered up with wraps on the lounge.
Stoves had been banjshed from every
room except the summer kitchen, at the
extreme end of the house. Not fire.
place in the blilding; but in rambling
around l found at no great distance a
small, old-faShioned, uupainted cottage,
unoccupied save for storage. This
house was paradise for fire. places
one in every roOm-and l rented one
of the farmer, selecting what had been
used IS the parlor. There was still some
green paper on the wallis and L had
permission to use all the wood 1 could
cut, or pick up and prepare for myself
The next rainy day we had perfect
carnival of blaze, and defed the wealth
er to longer affect our spirits. In the
evening the farmer came over to see us.
You wouldn't believe, now, a fire
would feel so good this time o year
why, it June, said he.
"'Just as much needed now as in
January responded.
80 Wal, dunno but tits. Ennyway,
| I've alters ben sorry didn't build IN a
fireplace inter the new house; but
Dianthy sed she'd had enough OF fire
| places in her day, and that they was
awful dirty places, and hard to keep
| clean; and for her part, she wanted air
tights and soap-stones- And sowe had
'em; but thev amt near so comfortin' :
and the farmer looked sadly into the
| fire.
.'sThey're right in style nowadays.
| All the new houses have them,' said
Ellen.
".Yer don't say SOL Wal. they do
take mighty peart lot of wood, and
stoves is more economical
..But why should you study econo-
my with all your woodland, and more
timber than you can possibly exhaust
in your day?
Hard to cut-hard to cut, and
wages SO high-don't pay to hire-reck-
on We never sawed and split many cords
yerselfI and the farmer looked rather
| pityingly on my hands.
"Well. did cut and prepare good
deal of wood while we were there, and
left quite a load for the farmers wife 70
use in kindling her fires. She said she
shou d remember me for it, and she
never would have believed / was SC
clever"
Ibid you experiment with the differ
ent kinds of wood, and which burned
the best?" inquired parterfamilias.
Everything we saw, from pine
cones to the tough and inscrutable elm
but like oak. red-heart oak, the best. "
mot so good as hickory, sir, or the
white oak, that burns straight on
without any quips and gu rks, in splen
did style" Then followed a brisk dis
cusSion; and beeches, birches, poplars,
alders, hemlocks. naples. willows an6
tough old buttonwood passed in quicl
review. and their combustibles were
praised or condemned. In the midst o
it all some one exclaimed that the fire
was out
The ashes were hastily raked open
more apple-tree limbs put on, and the
bellows applied. A thin, blue smoke
curled upward. growing darker ant
more dense, like thunder cloud be or
the lurid lightning leaps out. Th'
music of voices ceased. A hiss like th'
stroke of a bell; the curtain of smoke
rolled upward; the flames burst merEil,
out, cracking and swapping in live
ly. performance, sending rays of in
fiorescence out into the room. Tn
spectators applaud and conversation i