PLAIN HINTS ABOUT CANDLES.—Candles improve by keeping a few months. Those made in winter are the best. The most economical, as well as the most convenient plan, is to purchase them by the box, keeping them always in a cool dry place. If wax candles become discoloured or soiled, they may be restored by rubbing them over with a clean flannel slightly dipped in spirits of wine. Candles are sometimes difficult to light. They will ignite instantly if, when preparing them for the evening, you dip the top in spirits of wine, shortly before they are wanted. Light them always with a match, and do not hold them to the fire, as that will cause the tops to melt and drip. Always hold the match to the side of the wick, and not over the top. If you find the candles too small for the candlesticks, always wrap a small piece of white paper round the bottom end, not allowing the paper to appear above the socket. Cut the wicks to a convenient length for lighting (nearly close); for if the wick is too long at the top, it will be very difficult to ignite, and will also bend down, and set the candle to running. Glass receivers, for the droppings of candles, are very convenient, as well as ornamental. The pieces of candles that are left each evening, should be placed in a tin box kept for that purpose, and used for bed-lights. CHIMNEYS ON FIRE may be readily extinguished in several ways, without having recourse to throwing water down them from the top, by which much damage is frequently done to the furniture in the rooms. One of the simplest methods is, to scatter a handful of flour of sulphur over the dullest part of the burning coals, the mephitic vapours arising from which will not support combustion, and consequently extinguish the flames. Another method is to shut the doors and windows, and to stop up the bottom of the chimney with a piece of wet carpet or blanket, throwing a little water or flour of sulphur, or salt, on the fire immediately before doing so. By this means the draught is stopped, and the burning soot must be extinguished for want of air. If the chimney be stopped at top, instead of the bottom, the whole of the smoke must, of course, be driven into the apartment. If every fire-place were provided with a damper or shutter, of sheet-iron or tin-plate, sufficiently large to choke it thoroughly, fires in chimneys would become of little consequence, as it would only be necessary to apply this damper to put them out.