Now take the ordinary door furniture. For generations the English builder and householder has had to be content with the stereotyped, with all its aggravating propensities. First, the little screw (so small as to be scarcely perceptible to touch or to sight) shakes loose from its countersunk depression in the spindle, gets lost, and lets the knob go adrift; or next, the knob itself, formed of a bit of sheet brass, turns round on its shank and the door cannot be opened, or the shank, not having a sufficient bearing on the spindle, works loose, and the whole thing is out of repair. It is the same thing to-day as it was when it tormented my grandfather; for, of course, no improvement could be made until Uncle Sam sent us his cheap, strong, serviceable, and sensible "Mineral Knob." The English maker says: "But look at the many devices which we have invented for door furniture." Granted, and some of them very good, but none of them so good as this--for the money. Plenty of them well adapted for extraordinary use, but none of them cheap enough and strong enough to be placed in competition with this in fitting up the dwelling of the ordinary Englishman. The spindle and furniture of a lock is the portion which is liable to and receives the most rough usage. I have here an ordinary cheap set of china furniture of English make, which I dare not drop lest I should break it, but as you see, I dare throw its Yankee competitor the whole length of this room. The retail price of this English set is ninepence--the price of the American is less than sixpence. The English spindle is fitted with the usual little screw, the knob is loose, the roses are china, and liable to break with the least strain or blow. The American set, as you see, has a long shank; the form of the knob is a very oblate spheroid, giving a good grip and free play for the fingers between the knob and the door. The rose is japanned iron, and has small studs or teeth projecting on its inner side effectually preventing it from turning round with the spindle; the screw is strong, and is tapped through the spindle itself, insuring both security and perfect steadiness. Several small washers are supplied with each spindle, enabling the slack to be taken up perfectly, and at the same time preventing the spindle from sticking with any ordinary amount of friction.