f appliances, the
simple flat-iron in the hands of a careless or absent-minded person
probably causes more fires than all the other more complicated
work-savers combined. For stage-struck Seventeen, then, moodily
pressing her pink organdy while mentally sweeping a triumphant course
through a crowded ballroom in a sophisticated black model from Paris;
or for dark-hued Martha who thumps out on a luckless shirt the damage
she plans to inflict on a certain Pullman porter when he shows up at
her back door again, provide an iron that cannot over-heat. With a
thermostat that turns current on and off, it and the ironing board can
remain forgotten for hours. The electric light company may benefit but
no fire will result.

Equip fireplaces with screens that fit. If the hearth has begun to
disintegrate from many fires, it is time to renew it as well as loose
mortar.

Mount stoves or Franklin fireplaces on metal-covered, asbestos-lined
bases.

Don't put a rug over the register of the pipeless furnace. It will
cause dangerous over-heating and the effect will be disastrous rather
than decorative.

Be sure no draperies are near open flames such as candles and portable
heaters.

If you have gas or keep any quantity of kerosene or gasoline, don't
examine containers by match or candlelight. Use an electric flashlight
and turn it on _before_ going near such explosives. These dangers may
seem obvious but it is astonishing how many times that faulty
mechanism known as the genus homo has been guilty of just such
follies.

If rubbish is burned on the grounds, use an incinerator. It keeps
loose papers from blowing around and starting an incipient blaze in
some cherished shrubbery or in the grass itself. I once lost a fine
row of small pine trees in such a manner. They would have provided an
ample screen from the main highway, had I exercised a little care with
my miniature bonfire.

Install portable fire extinguishers. They are inexpensive. One to each
floor with an extra one for kitchen and cellar is good fire insurance.
Be sure every member of the family knows how to use them. Nearly all
fires start in a small way and a shot or two of liquid from one of
these machines usually extinguishes any but the most stubborn blaze.

Sometimes, however, outside help is needed. So post the number of the
nearest fire department prominently near the telephone. Make sure
every one knows where to call, what to say, and how to give clear and
dist