The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-26

1 ODAY'S pampered child of for lO tune may sing the praises of
 steam heat and thank Provi- dence that he did not live in the days of the open fireplace. but where will you find more happy memories than are clustered around that old-fashioned hearth--you who have tasted rural joys in your youth and have not lost a rev. erence for things of the past? Poets have been inspired by the simple con1- forts of that hearth where peace and plenty reigned; orators have waxed elo- quent in their reference to it; painters have transferred it's cheerful light to canvas and writers of books have pie tured 1t in words that glowed as did the embers of its winter fires. Try to im- agine a ''happy family grouped about one of those abominable, sputtering steam radiators; try to climb the heights of imagery with such theme and see how fiat the result. Take steam heat for comfort and for convenience. but your true poet scorns such earthly con- alterations, and when the muses whis- per a song of home and the fireside his fancy conjures up again that little com- pany gathered about the open hearth of his youth.
 Here in the old days good cheer and godlness consorted well together; here the red light of blazing logs was reflected in kindly faces, true and honest. They were not the faces of the great or the opulent always. but the faces of men and women who did not live in vain. Here springing youth basked in the glow on a cold winter morning. while the roar ing sputterlng tongues of flame bid de- fiance to the turmoil of the elements without and consoled him who had re- luctantly risen from his bed. The great open fireplace watched the joys and sor- rows of the family, and whether the room was bright with joy or darEened by grief its warmth was always gener- ous. In summer 1t became a storehouse. a corner for flowers or else served In the humble capacity of trash barrel; but in winter, when the frost began to nip and the winter winds whistled prelude about the caves, the big fireplace came i to it's own again and once more radiated good cheer.
 At night after the day had closed dark l.. with lowering clouds and wind that 1 swept over the snow-covered fields with i impetuous pace, what joy to assemble again before the ruddy hearth for an evening of simple pleasure! The flames mounted higa ir the chimney, but there was no need of economy for generous l store of wood had been brought in by .the boys" Outside the world was cold I and white and desolate. Only the aimle1s l wind was stirring. Both man and best had sought shelte-, but within there was hap pinees-a happiness such as you will never know again-in the glow that streamed out from the old fireplace at | home.
 If there were no mirrors in the world | what a decrease there would be in the | worlds stock of vanity. Mirrors were the invention of the devil and were first placed | in womans hands. It could have been none
 other than his satanic majesty who | taught Eve to study her face mirrored l cI a glassy surface of a pool. and since I then the looking glass has, continued to | |; mirrors would only fiatter person instead of telling the pitiless truth, mat l ters would not be so bad. Rare popularity awaits the genius who can perfect a looking glass that will make ugly man. kind appear beautiful and beauty more lovely still. In the meantime 1t is very discouraging for a homely man to look into a mirror while the plight of the homely woman is worse.
 Chattanooga seems very anxious to | have a peace jubilee celebrated 'in her midst" in 1915 to mark the fiftieth an nj -ersary of the closing of the civil war. | While the move has been discouraged in some quarters, there is no reason why l Chattanooga should not have show in 1916 if she feels able to indulge in the luxury of jubilee, a fair or a semi-cen- tennial. The question is not whether the country can stand fair at Chattanooga,
 but whether Chattanooga can survive such extravagance
 The shoe manufacturers of the coun- try have announced that the women of the next generation will have larger feet than my lady of today. Yet this promise of the future is not one to cause mysteries for it will be the result of shoe reforms that will bestow lasting bene- fits. Still, the woman of tomorrow will not have what is called a "big' foot. Her pedal extremeties will merely be a trife better developed and trifie larger, but the objection of size will be vastly discounted by the increased comfort of | wearing "common-sense'' shoes. Low heels and thick. fiat soies are in vogue All that remains to revolutionize women's $ footwear Is for Dame Fashion to say that the safe and sane shoe is hereafter to be ''the thing
 Almost at the same time that Dr. Har- per announced that he would endeavor to help science cure his complaint by
 all exercise of his will power, came the L- .