THE OPEN FIRE.

Western Star, 31 March 1911, Page 4

THE OPEN FIRE.

A fire is a delightful thing, a companion and an inspiration. If my room were kept warm hy some wretched modern contrivance of water-pipes or heated air, would it be the same to me as that beautiful core of glowing fuel, which, if I sit and gaze into it, becomes a world of wonders ? Let science warm the heaven-forsaken inhabitants of flats and hotels as effectually and economically as it may ? if the choice were forced upon mo, I had rather sit, like an Italian, wrapped in my mantle, softly stirring with a key the silvergrey surface of l the brazier’s charcoal. They tell me we are burning all our coal, and with wicked wastefulness. I am sorry for it, but I cannot on that account make chccm less perhaps the last winter of my life. There may be waste on domestic hearths, but the wickedness is elsewhere—too blatant to call for indication. Use commonscnso, by all means, in the construction of grates that more than halt the heat of the kindly coal should bo blown up the chimney is desired by no one ; but hold by the open fire as you hold by whatever else is best in the land.