Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-07-25
LAMPS.
.wben twilight IL hitting
Then take up the Knitting"

Few nowadays indulge In such con-
tinuous industry as the above old-time
couplet, that Was impressed upon each
chlld's mind forty years ago, indicates.
Yet, after the usual Idle twilight hour
of to-day, there should come the hours
for sewing. reading or study, and those
hours should be we'll lighted.
People who board are at the mercy OF
others, unless they take the bull by the
horns and elect TO provide their own OIL
and care for their own lamp. In this
way they know whether they are burn
ing a.tral-oil, or coal-oil Of thlrd-rate
quality. Even II their lsndlady declares
that third-rste oil II astral, they know
when Il Il not. But suppose the land
lady does furnish astrsl-oil, who ever
saw clearinghouse servant that would
al a lamp 80 long az she could hear
swish of oil when she shook II In the
mornings SO every other thing. Ones
light goes out at half-past eight In the
evening, and Il always happens to be
Bridget's night out, too, 80 there Il no
one TO call upon to oil IL. Then, too,
the boarding house girl does not give a
new wick so long as the old one VIII
reach the oil az she oils the lamp; so
after an hour or two Of light, again one
finds himself or herself where Moses
Was on a similar occasion. Therefore,
Il does seem as II boarders who had
TWENTY-FIVE cents week to be spared
would spare themselves not little an
noyance by caring for their own study
lamp.
In private families IL IL hard to find
servant competent 10 take the care OF
the lamps; even II she does the work.
the mistress must bear the care and
daily know that the lamps are properly
fed and trimmed.
Once a week the bowl OF the lamp
should be washed inside with = strong
suds, to rid II OF the sediment that the
clearest oil leaves. Daily the wicks
should be turned up and all the burned
part scraped Of with short knife. The
corners should be cut Of bias; for this
scissors must be used, but TO wipe
thoroughly with rag or bit Of paper
aud then run short knife across even
with the wick-tube gives better satlsfac-
ton than scissoring across. Few per-
sons will cut wick evenly with scis-
sors. The top Of every lamp should be
boiled In sal-soda at least every four
weeks.
The practice Of using q wick As long
a. It's length will suffice IL very penu-
rious and light-darkening habit, unless
one will cleanse II by boiling II out with
the lamp tops. A wick, as well as its
tubes, becomes foul and smells when
lighted II used too long. Lamps filed
too full, and therefore oily on the out
side, will smell badly as the bowl gets
heated from the lighted wick. wicks
are 20 cheap that few will bother to
boil them out and free them from the
sediment that adheres; but where econ.
omy demands that they be used until
their length II burned away, they should
be frequently cleansed.
IL IL mistaken idea OF economy or
comfort to save time by only filling and
cleansing lamps when the oil Is exhaust
ell. II IL foolish to expect a raw Irish
girl to have either the skill or the judy
ment to keep q duplex burner or
Rochester In good condition. IL the
mistress can cleanse and fill and put
new wicks In her lamps, then, II she
tries to teach her servant how to do II,
N she never falls a single day to glance
at each lamp to see II II has been done.
probably her ''lights" will be clear and
shining lights, and not remind one OF
that light ''as seen through glass
darkly."