OF SELBORNE. 233 
only three minutes short of an hour; and a rush 
of still greater length has been known to burn one 
hour and a quarter. 
These rushes give a good clear light. Watch. 
lights (coated with tallow), it is true, shed a dismal 
one, “darkness visible ;” but then the wicks of 
those have two ribs of the rind or peel to support 
the pith, while the wick of the dipped rush has but 
one. ‘The two ribs are intended to impede the 
progress of the flame, and make the-candle last. 
In a pound of dry rushes avoirdupois, which I 
caused to be weighed and numbered, we found up- 
ward of one thousand six hundred individuals. 
Now suppose each of these burns, one with ano. 
ther, only half an hour, then a poor man will pur- 
chase eight hundred hours of light, a time exceed. 
ing thirty-three entire days, for three shillings. 
According to this account, each rush, before dip- 
ping, costs one thirty-third of a farthing, and one 
eleventh afterward. Thus a poor family will enjoy 
five and a half hours of comfortable light for a 
farthing. An experienced old housekeeper assures 
me that one pound and a half of rushes completely 
supplies his family the year round, since working 
people burn no candle in the long days, because 
they rise and go to bed by daylight. 
Little farmers use rushes much in the short days, 
both morning and evening, in the dairy and kitch- 
en; but the very poor, who are always the worst 
economists, and, therefore, must continue very 
poor, buy a halfpenny candle every evening, which, 
‘in their blowing, open rooms, does not burn much 
more than two hours. Thus have they only two 
hours’ light for their money instead of eleven. 
U2 
