ABSTRACT
There is an excellent chance for some speculative showman – some British Barnum – to realise a moderate fortune by importing to this country, erecting and exhibiting, an American house. It is true that in England one generally has no trouble to keep cool: the trouble is ever to get warm. The parade, labour, skill, and paraphernalia required to maintain and manage an English fire are bewildering to a foreigner. There are the grate, and the ornamented fender, and the rug before the hearth; the steel shovel, tongs, and poker that are kept for beauty, not for use; and the steel poker, tongs, and shovel that are to be used. It is evident that the origin of the numerous labour-saving contrivances in America is the lack of good servants; but in London the inhabitants have been complaining for years of the lack of good servants, and are yet very slow to introduce servant saving machines.
