202 



The Country House 



over-tired eyes of present-day existence may be favoured as much as possible. 

 Besides this, the effect of a room and its contents under conditions of subdued 

 light is far superior to the other extreme. 



For houses in districts not supplied with gas or electricity, the lamp is the 

 usual medium used. This can well be replaced by the candle in many cases, as at 

 the dinner table, where ordinarily it is excellent. It is a beautiful light, and soft 

 for the eyes, its principal objection being in the constant care it requires. A 

 candle is now made with a hollow core which receives the melted wax, thus 

 removing the objection so many may at once advance. Several varieties of 

 branch candlesticks can be procured, notably the seven-branched Jewish pattern, 

 which, if well reproduced, is excellent. 



The lamp, even if desired to give considerable light, should be covered by a 

 shade opaque enough to subdue as much of the room as is practical. The use 

 of stained glass for shades has given some very beautiful results. Whatever 

 shade be used on a light it should not be combustible; ballet skirts are not appro- 

 priate, and, even if used artistically, are too dangerous to be risked. It is a 

 question as to whether the increased power of the oil light is a step in the right 

 direction. There certainly is a limit to its usefulness, and it is possible, too, that 

 that limit may have been exceeded. 



There are those who denounce gas and electricity for the country house, but 

 this seems too sweeping a condemnation. Of the two, gas, though the weaker 



light, is harder to control artistically. 

 With the mantle light of lower power, 

 and the ground and perhaps tinted 

 chimney, it is possible to get some fairly 

 decent results, although for the overhead 

 light a semi-opaque shield should be 

 placed at the bottom to protect the room 

 from light passing through below the 

 chimney. Electric-lighting appliances for 

 gas are useful and labour-saving aux- 

 iliaries, and, being run by a batter}', 

 their expense is practically nothing. Only 

 the best insulated copper wire should 

 be used for wiring. 



It is by all means advisable to pipe 

 and wire a house for gas and electricity, 

 even if there be but a passing possibility 

 of ever using it. In some remote local- 

 ities the latter is more likely to come 

 than the former. 



The electric light, although quite 

 powerful and glaring, is readily sub- 

 dued. Using a low-power lamp with 

 an enclosing bulb of fairly thick semi- 

 A hanging eieetrk lantern opaque glass, which can be tinted if 



