rates, may be prepared in the following manner:--

[Illustration: STOVE BRUSHES.]

[Illustration: HOUSEMAID'S BOX.]

2295. INGREDIENTS.--1 lb. of common asphaltum, 1/2 pint of linseed oil,
1 quart of oil of turpentine.

_Mode._--Melt the asphaltum, and add gradually to it the other two
ingredients. Apply this with a small painter's brush, and leave it to
become perfectly dry. The grate will need no other cleaning, but will
merely require dusting every day, and occasionally brushing with a dry
black-lead brush. This is, of course, when no fires are used. When they
are required, the bars, cheeks, and back of the grate will need
black-leading in the usual manner.

2296. _Fire-lighting,_ however simple, is an operation requiring
some skill; a fire is readily made by laying a few cinders at
the bottom in open order; over this a few pieces of paper, and
over that again eight or ten pieces of dry wood; over the wood,
a course of moderate-sized pieces of coal, taking care to leave
hollow spaces between for air at the centre; and taking care to
lay the whole well back in the grate, so that the smoke may go
up the chimney, and not into the room. This done, fire the paper
with a match from below, and, if properly laid, it will soon
burn up; the stream of flame from the wood and paper soon
communicating to the coals and cinders, provided there is plenty
of air at the centre.

2297. A new method of lighting a fire is sometimes practised
with advantage, the fire lighting from the top and burning down,
in place of being lighted and burning up from below. This is
arranged by laying the coals at the bottom, mixed with a few
good-sized cinders, and the wood at the top, with another layer
of coals and some paper over it; the paper is lighted in the
usual way, and soon burns down to a good fire, with some economy
of fuel, as is said.

2298. Bright grates require unceasing attention to keep them in perfect
order. A day should never pass without the housemaid rubbing with a dry
leather the polished parts of a grate, as also the fender and
fire-irons. A careful and attentive housemaid should have no occasion
ever to use emery-paper for any part but the bars, which, of course,
become blackened by the fire. (Some mistresses, to save labour, have a
double set of bars, one set bright for the summer, and another black set
to use when fires are in requisition.)