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THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 173 
These rushes give a good clear light. Watch-lights (coated 
with tallow), it is true, shed a dismal one, “ darkness visible”; 
but then the wick of those have two ribs of the rind, or peel, 
to support the pith, while the wick of the dipped rush has but 
one. ‘The two ribs are intended to impede the progress of the 
flame, and make the candle last. 
In a pound of dry rushes, avoirdupois, which I caused to be 
weighed and numbered, we found upwards of one thousand 
six hundred individuals. Now suppose each of these burns, 
one with another, only half an hour, then a poor man will 
purchase eight hundred hours of light, a time exceeding thirty- 
three entire days, for three shillings. According to this account 
each rush, before dipping, costs one-thirty-third of a farthing, 
and one-eleventh afterwards. Thus a poor family will enjoy 
five and a half hours of comfortable light for a farthing. An 
experienced old housekeeper assures me that one pound and 
a half of rushes completely supplies his family the year round, 
since working people burn no candles in the long days, because 
they rise and go to bed by daylight. 
Little farmers use rushes much in the short days both morn- 
ing and evening, in the dairy and kitchen; but the very poor, 
who are always the worst economists, and therefore must con- 
tinue very poor, buy a halfpenny candle every evening, which 
in their blowing, open rooms, does not burn much more than 
two hours. Thus have they only two hours’ light for their 
money instead of eleven. 
While on the subject of rural economy, it may not be im- 
proper to mention a pretty implement of housewifery that we 
have seen nowhere else; that is, little neat besoms which our 
foresters make from the stalks of the great golden maidenhair, 
which they call silk-wood, and find plenty in the bogs. When 
this moss is well combed and dressed, and divested of its outer 
skin, it becomes of a beautiful bright-chestnut color; and, 
being soft and pliant, is very proper for the dusting of beds, 
