Rettich's Improved Mitrailleuse Lamp.

RETTICH'S IMPROVED MITRAILLEUSE LAMP .

For some years the Mitrailleuse lamp has been partially introduced into use in this country , but until lately without giving entire satisfaction . Mr . Itettich , of : t 5 , Gerrard-street . Soho , has , however , now overcome all the difficulties conned ed with it , and his improved lamp is certainly a wonderfully good one . It has not only given great satisfaction in private establishments ; but is also used in street-lighling , and notably at Wimbledon , where it said to be highly approved of . At the request of Mr . liettich , wc havo lately tested it against the Duplex

and the Silber , with the following results , the trimming of each being entrusted to a servant of rather more than average powers of management . We have preferred this course , because it is useless to test a lamp at its very best , if that perfection can only be only be obtained by means not likely to bo found in tho service of an ordinary establishment , The result is , as might be expected , that the candle-power exhibited by each is somewhat bolow that said to he obtained hy thc respective patentees of the three lamps : — Mitrailleuse , Ditto ,

10 wick . 12 wick . Duplex . Silber . Candle-light 50 ... HO ... 22 ... It Oil consumed per hour 1 ozs . ... 2 ! ozs . ... 3 ozs . ... 2 ozs . Maximum-light maintained in average ) „ , „ , , , , container during .. j Ghrs * * ' G * * * * ' ' "' ' * In each case tho oil used was Strauge ' s Al , whicb is equal to any in the market . The "Mitrailleuse keeps its maximum light almost till the last drop of oil is burnt ,

the Duplex and Silber lights being considerably reduced after two-thirds are consumed . The Mitrailleuse bears gusts of air by far the best , and can be carried about with comparatively little smoking . As to the wicks , there is less daily consumption in the Mitrailleuse lamp , because it will really give its best light without trimming , whereas its rivals require the use of the scissors daily ; but , owing to the peculiar construction of the Mitrailleuse , there are really only about three spare inches of wick to burn away . For the above reason much less skill

is required to trim it . If burned for the usual time ( four to six hours ) new wicks must be introduced about every three mouths . There is another great advantage in this lamp , namely , thafc ifc may be burned low without any offensive smell , and with a considerable saving of oil , extending very nearly to one-half ; whereas we all know the unpleasant result of turning down a Duplex or Silber . In supply , ing new wicks eare should be taken to turn the holder up as high as possible , and to introduce them from below . When this precaution is taken the IG wicks can be inserted by a practised hand in two and a half minutes , and the 12 in a

proportionate time . The wicks are of cotton , plaited in a cord-like form , and each of tho series of IS or 12 is inserted in an open tube , the whole being raised or lowered by ono rack and pinion in tho centre . When new wicks nre inserted , they should be adjusted as nearly as may be by the fingers ; then dip the projecting part in oil , light it , and let ifc burn in the chimney opening for a few minutes , for the smell to pass up the chimney , when the whole will bc left on a level with the brass plate through which they project . After this no trouble is required , as tho daily rubbing leaves all of the same length .

According to our judgment , the 10 wick lamp gives too strong a light for domestic purposes ; but it is admirably adapted for churches and other public buildings . The cost of this strong light , of course , varies with the price of the oil , which is sold as low as 81 d . a gallon and ns high as 2 s . At the former price the cost will be one-fifth of a penny per horn- ; but fche light will not no so good as with best oil , which may be obtained for lad . or lCd . a gallon , raising the cost per horn- in proportion . —Tlie FieUI .

Shopping.

Shopping .

There am various domestic departments in the ordinary household in the which molehills grow with lightning speed to the size of mountains , and cyclones arise from teacups wilh a rapidity which would startle were ifc not of such common occurrence . Father ' s pet collie dog bites Mother ' s darling ' s finger , aud tl ; .-tt excellent and philoprogenitive woman at once orders the wngger of a deceptive and

mercenary fail to be destroyed . Mother a beloved cat , during aw inquisitive survey of Father ' s study , kicks over tho ink-pot on a valuable treatise , apd Father retaliates by lifting the exploratory feline out of the window , by the point of her tail . There are tears and recriminations of the button * - that ai-e shed iu showers by the husband ' s shirts , boots , and gloves ; t > . ° . e * " ' e tlle sneers *) f tlie practical arithmetician when he has deinons-fc-.-wveu that the butcher ' s book has been added up all

wrong . Tl * - '" - -tV'C 'fro the wife ' s complaints when the jinsh ' aud never can find more than aW *? -WPt : i > J ' -- "S inoraiitg ; alui ' i ' s " utterly ignorant of the locality wherein he has deposited his sleeve-links and small change . Then the servants and their virtues and vices two an nil-enduring . source of bickermont . For instance , here is a specimen dialogue ;—

llic : " Why on earth , Maria , don't you sack that cook ? The joint was disgracefully underdone , and I ' m sure she's a thief . Besides which , she won ' t keep down in the kitchen , and tlie sight of her is enough to frighten the children into fits . "

Shopping.

SHE : " What nonsense . She may make a mistake now aud then ; but she's a most respectable woman , and camo here with an excellent character from the Rector ' s wife . I have given Elizabeth , tho housemaid , notice . " HR : " Given Eliz —! Why , that nice , clean , pretty girl going ! It was quite a credit to the house for that girl to open tlie door . "

SIIK : "Alfred ( majeslieal / ii ) , 1 keep a servant to make herself useful in household duties . If you wish to pay a girl fifteen pounds a year and her board— -and her appetite is wonderful—simply for the pleasure of knowing fhpt she is kissed in tho hall by your bachelor friends , I , for oue , decline to he partner to such extravagant immorality . " And so on , and so forth .

limb of nil the competitive wrangles which tend io embitter—only temporarily , of course—the relations of conjugal lifo , the most subtly spiteful is the strife as to which of the married is the better and cheaper purchaser of certain articles , and the contest on each point on each succeeding day renders to-morrow ' s squabbles of a moro violent description ; in brief , their relative merits in tbe pursuit of shopping . Say . perhaps , thafc the husband wishes to make a peace-offering to his wife ,

and returns homo with what he fondly imagines to bo a dainty and acceptable present . 11 K : " . My dear , guess what I've brought homo for you . " Nurc : "Oh ! I haven ' t time to guess ; I want to finish baby ' s frock . Don ' t bother ine , please . " lln : " Hut , really , I ' ve got you two dozen lovely little hem-stitched

handkerchiefs . " SIIK : "Goodness take the man ! Why , I ' ve got more handkerchiefs than 1 know what to do with already . " Iiv .: " Ah ! but you'll like these , and they were so cheap . " SIIK : " Let's seo them . ( Finger * them ih' ^ rerinturihi . ) Well , I suppose I must make them come iu useful . ( Arlfitll , /)—I suppose you got them on

credit ? " IIE : ( Triitmjilunitlti ) " No , I paid ready money . " SIIK : ( Htealthilii ) " How much ?" IIK : ( Jlliixhintilij ) " Twelve and six a dozen . What do you think of that ? " SIIK : " Wha—a—at ! A shilling and a half-penny a piece for rubbish that 1 know where to buy for threepence three farthings . No wonder I am alwavs short

of housekeeping money . ( U ' ee / 's . ) Mem—She would havo been just as angry if he had taken credit for them . Result— -Dinner spoilt . lie vows to buy no more presents . Or , how often does this happen ?—SIIK : Dearest , I ' ve got you such a nice present for Christmas . Von know you said that you would turn economical and give up cigars ; here is a lovoly creamwhite meerschaum pipe . Thero . ' "

IfK : " I won't be found dead with the caddish thing in my pocket . Resides . it ' s got two cracks in it aud a flaw , and this mouth-piece , isn ' t amber , but glass . How much did you givo for it ? SllB : ( Friijhlened ) "Fifteen shillings and sixpence . " 11 B : ( Imperitmsbj ) " Maria , that would havo bought me two decent seven and sixpenny dress shirts and a nice cigar , none of which articles can J afford . Let us drop the subject . " Result—Christina * a / m' * oi « niwkeni of mirth .

To go into domestic particulars , the male when marketing for food is in manv ways a pitiable object , lie is doubtless overcharged in every direction , and especially where tliere is a shopwoman aud not a shopman is perfectly unable to haggle or assert himself in any way . "Are these fish fresh ? " ho asks in his innocence . "Oh ! yes , sir , " she instantly replies . " Look how bright these stripes and spots are . "

Next day lie comes again , aud says triumphantly , " These can't be fresh ; the stripes aud spots are quite dull . " •' Oh ! yes they be , " says tho ready Mrs . Sapphiia . " You can ' t make no rule , you see . " Then he takes home stale ( Ish , and waxeth extremely bilious accordi'lS ' y-

However , as a rule ho gets well served , for the simple reason that he has not the inclination to haggle and bargain , nnd tho tradesman knows that as loii" us he is well fed he will come back and bow his neck once more beneath the foot of extortion . And so it is that for tho male tho butcher seeks out his primest cuts , scours the town in search of kidneys , outlets , and sweetbreads , and wo are not at

all certain whether it be not better to be overcharged than to undergo tlie pitched battle which usually ends in miiter / amilins triumphantly appearing with the cheapest and nastiest article in the shop , and establishing a grudge in the mind of the shopkeeper , which he constantly wreaks on the family , iu the irritating form of what Dickens aptly described as " those parts of the animal of which in life he had least reason to be proud . "

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