ELECTRICAL LUXURY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1168, 1 November 1883, Page 3

ELECTRICAL LUXURY.

Every room in Mr Swan’s house (the well-known inventor of the incandescent light), down to the coal cellars, and the gate lamps, is lighted by electricity, and each light is so arranged that a person entering a room can light it up before going and darken it before leaving again. If a light is wanted at a writing desk it is obtained at once by touching the proper switch. A reading lamp by the bed-side is lighted in a similar way. Mr Swan’s drawing-room is furnished with three elegant brass chandeliers, each of which holds six incandescent lamps with blue glass cups, in addition to which there are six wall-bracket electric lamps with crystal reflectors behind. His diningroom is illuminated with similar chandeliers and brackets, and on the diningtable are two brass standard electric lamps, which can be placed where required and connected by means of bodkins running through the tablecloth into the table. The centre piece for this table is a large J apanese calabash, filled with roses, among which several incandescent lumps are hidden, There is also an artificial lemon tree, every one of whose fruit is a yellow incandescent lamp. The sewing machines and coffee mills in the house are driven by electricity ; the candles are lighted by the same agency, and Mr Swan even indulges in the luxury of lighting his cigar by means of on electrical contrivance. The Count of Monte Christo never thought of anything half so startling or novel.

‘ FATS Ell HUBBARDS '0 MATCH THE ‘MOTHER HUBBARDS.’

The other day, when old Saj, Solman announced his readiness to proceed in the direction of church, his wife appeared, wearing a Mother Hubbard dress. The old man intently regarded her for a few moments and asked :

‘Mary, what sort of a coat do you call that ?’

‘ It’s a Mother Hubbard, Jeems.’ ‘ Air you goin’ to wear it to church V ‘ Why certainly, Jeems. The Mother Hubbard is all the fashion now;

‘ Well, I’m glad to know it,’ the man replied. ‘ Just wait until I get ready, and we’ll go,’

The old man went out into the kitchen, took a couple of meal sacks, cut the bottoms out, and sewed the tops together, and put them on in imitation of pantaloons. When he returned his wife uttered a loud cry of astohishment, and exclaimed;

* Great Goodness, Jeems, what’s that ?’

‘ Father Hubbard,’ the old man replied. ‘You’re not a-goin’ to wear them sacks, are you ?’ ‘ I’ve got to be fashionable to keep up with you. I’ve got as much right to wear these meal bags as you have to go in that bran sack.’ ‘ I’ll take it off.’

‘ All right; off goes the Father Hubbard/ and turning away, he added to himself ; ‘ Only one way to beat a woman, and that is by agreein’ with her. Ef it hadn’t been fur the daddy Hubbard I’d a been in a mighty bad fix.’— Arkansas Traveller.