ELECTRIC LIGHT. 



489 



makes ladies' dresses that are really beautiful by day look dull 

 and almost ugly by night. 



It is wonderful to see how the Electric Light kills all other 

 lights. The brightest gas becomes dull, and its shadow is 

 thrown on the wall which it formerly illuminated, and the 

 most delicate tints of silks and satins suddenly display them- 

 selves in the blinding whiteness of the Electric Light. 



At present it is too costly to be brought into common use, 

 but its intensity is so great that serious ideas have been formed 

 of dispensing with street lamps altogether, and illuminating 

 towns with a few electric lamps placed at a considerable height, 

 and having their beams reflected downwards. 



London is thought to be a specially fit subject for this mode 



of lighting, as the electric beams can pierce the fogs which 

 the gas-lamp only augments, and give the traveller some hope 

 of finding his way through the most familiar streets. 



In the illustration the right-hand figure represents" the 

 Electric Light as at present in use. The upper portion of the 

 left-hand side represents the forked lightning, whose dazzling 

 whiteness is so familiar to us, even in the noon of a summer's day. 



Below are shown the Fire-fly of warm climates, and the 

 Glow-worm, which, in our comparatively cool country, cheers 

 the summer evenings with its pale lamp. As to the source of 



