The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-07-30
Efficient Housekeeping
 By LAURA A. HERMAN.
WHAT ARE THE LIGHTING CON
 nVVEONS IN YOUR HOME?

,yo. 1one, ago I explained to a very ,-,,, bousekeeper, who asked me. the modern ideals of home llIuIrll- nation. I carefully pointed out I her the dangers of direct eiaIe 0 artificiaI light, and the benefits or the new indirect-lighting system. And she said, Thank you so much!
 But yesterday I dropped into neI new little home (she Is a orloe9 gnu found there the old-fashioned lights, with brilliant hanging dome Tn the dining room and exposed bulbs or semi-shaded bulbs throughout the resl of the house. 'I thought you were going to have diffused light instead of direct, glaring light?" I ventured. "Oh. yes," she replied, "1 did think it would be nice-but one cant nave everything that's ideal. Most or these lighting fixtures were wedding pres ents and the rest were already in the house when we bought it.
 What can one say to a viewpoint like that? As if the best were not for each and every one Of us! Fur thermore, an indirect system of light ing will save oculiStS' bills in the end so it's an economy.
 And I hope every one of you who are reading this article will take it seriousIv 70 and not merely throw down your newspaper with vague, .'Yes, an indirect lighting system would be nice, of coursel l nope you'll do something about it, II your lighting system is wrong.
 What is the ideal lighting system? Correct artificial lighting is that which is dfffused (that is. shed even 1y-like daylighD from a source that is entirely concealed from the eyes. If you have one of the old-fash1oned hanging electric domes over your dining room table (which has a clus- ter of bulbs within sight of the eyes if they look up at it) then the best thing you can do for few of us can afford to change fiXtures) is to stretch a piece of cream or amber-coIored SIX right across the bottom of the dome, otherwise the white table cloth, or the highly polished table, will catch the reflection and throw it upon into the eyes of the diners Or if your old fashioned dome has gas instead of electricity, then you can obtain ind1- rect light by concealing the gas-man- tel in one of the porcelain globes now on the market especially for this use.
 But-best of all-if you can afford your own, you can have one of the inverted bowls over your dining room table, which hide the cluster of bulbs and throw the light up to the white ceiling and the room is, thus lighted by reflection; this is the ideal diffused light.
 And now for thet living room. What kind of drop-Hght shall we have The ideal here Is the same as in the dining room-but on a smaller scale The most perfect arrangement is a droplight which has the electric bulh sunk in a cup of china or metal so as to hide the bulb entirely from sight and over it Is a whtte-lined shade which reflects the light and sends il down upon the table. Take care that the table surface Is covered with . cloth. for a shiny surface will throw a glare up into the eyes. If you can not have one of these drop-Hght: which has the bulb-corcea1ing cup then at least have it's shade come wei down so as to cover the bulb.
 The need for indirect lighting Il this: The iris of the eye opens wid' fin very dim light and close down II very bright Highland this constan "see-sawfng" which must take plac when there is 6 very bright spot O light near. from which the gaze mus travel to darker places about tn room. results in eyc-strain. wilici may later develop into blindness, also results in headaches, and genera nervousness for which many of u can find no reason, The mother O tSchooi children, particularly, ehouIt look into ttts question.