CHEMICAL HISTORY OP A CANDLE 93 



tags at the ends to keep the wax from covering the cotton 

 in those places. These are carried to a heater, where the 

 wax is melted. As you see, the frames can turn round ; and, 

 as they turn, a man takes a vessel of wax and pours it first 

 down one, and then the next, and the next, and so on. When 

 he has gone once round, if it is sufficiently cool, he gives the 

 first a second coat, and so on until they are all of the required 

 thickness. When they have been thus clothed, or fed, or 

 made up to that thickness, they are taken off and placed else- 

 where. I have here, by the kindness of Mr. Field, several 

 specimens of these candles. Here is one only half finished. 

 They are then taken down and well rolled upon a fine stone 

 slab, and the conical top is moulded by properly shaped tubes, 

 and the bottoms cut off and trimmed. This is done so beau- 

 tifully that they can make candles in this way weighing 

 exactly four or six to the pound, or any number they please. 



We must not, however, take up more time about the mere 

 manufacture, but go a little farther into the matter. I have 

 not yet referred you to luxuries in candles (for there is such 

 a thing as luxury in candles). See how beautifully these 

 are colored ; you see here mauve, magenta, and all the chemi- 

 cal colors recently introduced, applied to candles. You 

 observe, also, different forms employed. Here is a fluted 

 pillar most beautifully shaped; and I have also here some 

 candles sent me by Mr. Pearsall, which are ornamented with 

 designs upon them, so that, as they burn, you have, as it 

 were, a glowing sun above, and a bouquet of flowers be- 

 neath. All, however, that is fine and beautiful is not useful. 

 These fluted candles, pretty as they are, are bad candles; 

 they are bad because of their external shape. Nevertheless, 

 I show you these specimens, sent to me from kind friends on 

 all sides, that you may see what is done and what may be 

 done in this or that direction ; although, as I have said, when 

 we come to these refinements, we are obliged to sacrifice a 

 little in utility. 



Now as to the light of the candle. We will light one or 

 two, and set them at work in the performance of their proper 

 functions. You observe a candle is a very different thing 

 from a lamp. With a lamp you take a little oil, fill your ves- 

 sel, put in a little moss or some cotton prepared by artificial 



