Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-30
Tho 10y Il Inc Open flro.

| A house without an open fire In these
cool autuinnhl dhys in like day with
out sunshine-cold, bleak and melati-
choly. A CHEEKY leg fire will counter
balance. by it's sense of brightness and
diffused homo comfort, the inevitable
| feeling Of sadness and unrest produced
| by the season--particularly when the
| weather is dull and gray, and the lead :
en-. sullen looking Sky, with it's heavy
clouds, low-lying over the brown fields
and meadows. produces sense Of de-
preston that It is almost Impossible to
resist When it is considered how
much cheer and comfort may be had
for the small cost Of q little blaze Of
wood, 1t Is curious what prejudice
many estimable housekeepers have
against lighting what they consider
unnecessary fires in the autumn.
There is no need to start in with
the dirt and mess OF fires before one
has to- says the economical housekeep-
er, not rejecting that 1t may be worth
more than medicine to mind and BODY
When came in here" said a man,
on entering the cheerful living-room Of
pleasant country house on bleak,
gray autumn day. and finding the
young people gathered around a blaz-
ing fire roasting chcstnuts and pop
ping corn II felt SIS if could commit
suicide. | was so blue. Blu; how life
does not seem so dreary. after an" 1t
was an exaggerated speech, but it con-
tanned more than a grain of sense
1t is astonishing how stupid many
people are about what seems such a
very simple affair ms making n fire.
Wood fires must he mixed" like the
New England woman's pudding, with
brains or with common-sense, which
is its equivalent. The paper should be
torn in large pieces and crumpled to
give free circulation of air, and the
wood must he laid deity and lightly
Here Is an infallible recipe for making
q wood fire: Lay three sticks across
the andirons an inch apart. The front
and back stick should be three times as
large as any others used for the fire.
Across the small centre stick lay "A row
Of crumplcd pieces of paper. the ends
hanging down through the opening on
either side of the stick, so that they
may easily be reached with match
from below. Across the papers length
wise lay a row Of klndiing wood. and
across these. in reversed order, small
sticks of hard wood. and above these
another layer of sticks laid lengthwise.
In all these layers space must be left
Tor the draught. On the top place two
or three more sticks diagonaliy. when
all is done wash off the hearth so that
ii may be bright and shining, and the
IRE is ready for lighting.
To coax a refractory fire. or to make
the best Of smoky chimney is an art I'm
itself. Sometimes a sulky fire needs
only little shaking, like a naughty
child. TO start into blaze and good
humor: sometimes the def turning of
log win produce the desired result.
FLAMES love To lick overan unburnt sur
face. and oftentimes the sharp edge of
stick Of wood with it's spiintered grain
will light. when it hangs fire. If the
stick is laid on flat.
smoky fireplace may be made
quite a respectable member Of society
by building what is called a Mexican
iire-that is, with the ends of the logs
pointing upward. not unlike an Indian
wigwam. A log is a natural conductor
of smoke. as any one may see by no
ticing how quickly, even in well-he
haved chimney. the room will fill with
smoke il a stick falls with the end
pointing outward; and one long stick,
however slender. running UP above the
apex of the "wigwam,' will carry the
smoke up, nolens volens it being real
ly amusing to see how il sometimes
hesitates at the point. as if unwilling
10 ''f0llpV the leab,,f,