The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-10-04
SOME QUEER LIGHTS.

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SO cloudy that none of the little stars
found even a crack to peep through,
and the wind whistled such a shaky
tune it made one SILVER to hear it. It
was no use trying. Bessie could not
see to sew minute longer, and Dolly
must wait until tomorrow for her new
dress.
May light the gas, mamma? It's
real dark. said Bessie, as she folded
away her work in her basket.
''Yes," said mamma. drawing her
rocking-ehair a little nearer to the blaz-
ing fire. .'Pull down the window
shades and shut the blinds, too, Bessie,
for it's. going to rain, | think, it's so
cloudy"
"How bright and nice it is" said
Bessie, as, after taking a final peep in
to the dark street, she lighted the last
jet and came back to her low chair by
the CRATE;
Yes" said mamma, 1.-THE gas is
very bright tonight. But few people
have as nice light in the evening as we
have"
"Why, Pm sure most everybody in
this place has, said Bessie, land lots
and lots of people in all cities"
"Yes, said mamma, 'sbut they are
few compared with the people who
have some other kind of light. Sup
pose, Bessie, that you and lived away
off in the Southern Pacific Ocean on the
island of Hawaii, where we could see
in the distance the great volcano of
Mauna Loa, what do You suppose we
IL no g., =. IL
"Why, | don't know, I'm sure" said
Bessie.
We should have to 60 out into the
forest" said mamma. ''and hunt
around until we came across a certain
tree that grows twenty or thirty, feet
high. This would be the candle-nut
tree. 1t has nuts as large as walnut,
and the native people of Hawaii crack
the nuts, and take the kernels and
string them on little strip of bamboo
until they think that their candle is
long enough. Then they light it and
let it burn.
Does it give a good ightP" asked
Bessie.
Every good, indeed" said mamma.
THE nuts are very, oily, and they burn
clearly. While they are burning they
give out sort of queer perfume that is
very pleasant
''Well, think I'd like to see them, =
said Bessie, ''but don't believe rdwant
to change lights with those people very
much.
"Well, Them said mamma, .sif YOU
were to go to see a little Esqui-
mau girl who dressed in skins, and
who lived away up north near the Arc
tic Ocean in great round house made
out of snow, you might have a worse
light than the candle-nuts gfve.''
''What would they have therep"
asked Bessie.
"Well, y said mamma, eff we were to
visit an Esquimau home, we should
first have to crawl through a narrow
hole until we came into round room a
little higher than papa, is. This room
might perhaps have a window in it
made by putting piece of ice into one
part of the snow house. In the middle
of the room we should find mound of
snow, and on it would be the Esqui-
maux lamp. This would be a round
stone dish partly filed with oil, and
along its edge. would be long wick
made of moss. In the middle of the
stone dish would be some whales blub-
Der to keep up the supply of oil II
we were Esqllimau. women we should
be expected to chew the blubber and
SO get oil for the lamp"
''That would be horrid, y said Bessie,
looking disguised, '.and don't believe
it would be such very good light, any
way"
q You would not like it very much. y
said mamma. s.for the lamps would be
smoky, and would soon spoil the pretty