280 RURAL ARCHITECTURE. 



of hot iron, and becomes loaded with all the vapor of arsenic and 

 sulphur, which that metal, highly heated, constantly gives off ! 



If in the heart of large cities where there is a large population 

 crowded together, with scanty means of subsistence one saw a few 

 persons driven by necessity into warming their small apartments by 

 little close stoves of iron, liable to be heated red-hot, and thereby to 

 absolutely destroy the purity of the air, one would not be so much 

 astonished at the result, because it is so difficult to preserve the poor- 

 est class from suffering, in some way or other, in great cities. But 

 it is by no means only in the houses of those who have slender 

 means of subsistence, that this is 'the case. It is safe to say that 

 nine-tenths of all the houses in the northern States, whether belong- 

 ing to rich or poor, are entirely unventilated, and heated at the pres- 

 ent moment by close stoves ! 



It is absolutely a matter of preference on the part of thousands, 

 with whom the trifling difference between one mode of heating and 

 another is of no account. Even in the midst of the country, where 

 there is still wood in abundance, the farmer will sell that wood and 

 buy coal, so that he may have a little demon alias a black, cheer- 

 less cfose stove in the place of that genuine, hospitable, wholesome 

 friend and comforter, an open wood fireplace. 



And in order not to leave one unconverted soul in the wilder- 

 ness, the stove inventors have lately brought out "a new article," for 

 forest countries, where coal is not to be had either for love or barter an 

 " air-tight stove for burning wood." The seductive, convenient, mon- 

 strous thing ! " It consumes one-fifth of the fuel which was needed 

 by the open chimney is so neat and clean, makes no dust, and 

 gives no trouble." All quite true, dear, considerate housewife all 

 quite true ; but that very stove causes your husband to pay twice 

 its savings to the family doctor before two winters are past, and gives 

 you thrice as much trouble in nursing the sick in your family, as 

 you formerly spent in taking care of the fire in your chimney cor- 

 ner, besides depriving you of the most delightful of all household 

 occupations. 



Our countrymen generally have a vast deal of national pride, 

 and national sensitiveness, and we honor them for it. It is the warp 

 and woof, out of which the stuff of national improvement is woven, 



