Evening star., 1932-12-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES 4. TRACEWELL.

The fireplace comes into It's own
these days.
The finest types of central heating, as
wonderful as they are to those who re-
member the drum-stove era, do not
oust it.
The wood fire has a place of its own,
not only in interior decoration, but in
itself and for ITSELF
Not even coal in the same fireplace
will quite make the unconscious i'm
preston Of burning logs, casting their
nickering shadows around a room.
The f1rebrick, and the f1ue, and the
chimney, and the flreside set, and the
andirons, and the fuel basket. and the
other parts and implements have their
reasons for being, and their proper
places and functions.
burning fireplace which makes it a real
fireplace, after all
There Is something basic about wood.
1t was the standard fuel Of mankind
In the early days, those unforgettable
days SO long ago yet so vividly burned
into the minds and hearts Of humanity.
Too long ago for man to remember.
save in books, those distant days still
linger In the very flbers Of the race.
There Is no escaping them.
If any one thinks he can escape them,
We propose little experiment, as fol-
lows:
Go into a bath room, and turn on the
water, and begin to wash ones face.
Then let some other member of the
family, all unknown to you, silently ap-
pear just behind you, and suddenly
speak.
II the experiment has been carried
out so that you, the victim, have not
been able to hear or see the approach
Of the other, owing to a lowered head
and the sound of running water, you
will give tremendous jump and be half
scared out of your wits for second.
Then some small anger will surge
over you, as you see the innocent one
who has caused your fright, and you
realize how, momentarily you were no
better of than the sheerest animal
caught mapping in the forest,
Yes, the primitive days Of mankind,
scared into the flesh by trial and tribu-
lation. before the days Of writing and
reading, leave strange testimonials to
themselves in every human being.
These traces. caught here and there
and now and then, from the night and
the very day itself, bid us pause in too
bland claims for the tribe of man. We
are one with all that lives and breathes
So much is shown in our very fire
places, which, burning properly, please
us, interest us, faScinate us tSome more
than others, of course), but which, out
Of control, cause us to leap to the tele-
phone in panic.
Happily fire in the chimney Is not
commonplace. Mostly the modern fire.
place burns very properly in the decent
way it should.
And just as there are radio nuts"
and tennis fans" so there are fireplace
enthusiasts
A great many persons. both men and
women, and perhaps few children,
get exceptional pleasure out Of wood
burning fireplace
Every implement used in connection
with it Is something to please them,
especially If it be in keeping with the
fireplace as a whole, and, 1t might be
added. without any desire to make
pun, as a hole, too.
A fireplace is essentially a hole In
which wood Is burned The chimney
creates the draft which keeps the fuel
burning, and which dSposes OF the
surplus heat and the smoke, as well as
the flying sparks.
One OF the unreWarded geniuseS OF
the race was the ancient who discov-
cred the principle of the chimney. Per-
haps it was not a discovery, but
gradual growth, recognition OF the