102 



OLD WEST SURREY 



she ninety years of age, yet, when next I want to see her, 

 she had crone out and found some rushes to show me how it 

 was done. ' You peels away the rind from the peth, leaving 

 only a little strip of rind. And when the rushes is dry you 

 dips 'em through the grease, keeping 'em well under. And 



my mother she always laid hers to 

 dry in a bit of hollow bark. Mutton 

 fat's the best ; it dries hardest.' 



Rush-light holders were mostly 

 of the same pattern as to the way 

 the jaws held the rush, the chief 

 variation being in the case of the 

 spring holders, which were the latest 

 in date. In these the jaws were 

 horizontal. But the usual and older 

 pattern had the jaws upright, their 

 only difference being in the shape 

 and treatment of the free end of 

 the movable jaw and the shape of 

 the wooden block. The counter- 

 balance weight was formed either 

 into a knob or a curl. Occasionally 

 it had somewhat the shape of a 

 candle-socket. Later, when tallow dip- 

 candles came into use, the counter- 

 balance was made into an actual candle-socket. 



The rush-light was held as shown. When it was a 

 long one a piece of paper or rag was laid on the table to 

 keep it from being greased by the tail of the rush. ' We 

 set it on something so as not to mess about,' as my old 

 friend said. About an inch and a half at a time was pulled 

 up above the jaw of the holder. A rush-light fifteen inches 

 long would burn about half-an-hour. The frequent shifting 



Peeled Rushes for 

 Rush-Lights 



