A long time ago I read, I don't remember where, about Walter Pater injuction "to burn
with a hard, gem-like flame". At the time, it reminded me of Bu;sen burner used in
chemistry, which when first lit has a large pale flame, until the air intake is opened,
and the oxygen mixes with the gas gives a much smaller, far hotter flame, with
a bright blue cone in the center. I took it for granted that this was the source of
his quotation. But now I think such a gas burner was not available in his life time,
or experience since it seems unlikely that he ever studied chemistry.

QUOTATION:
To burn always with this hard, gemlike flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in
life.
ATTRIBUTION:
Walter Pater (1839–1894), British essayist, critic. Studies in the History of the
Renaissance, “Conclusion,” (1873).

Referring to “the focus where the greatest number of vital forces unite in their purest
energy.”

Comments, please.

You can get very hot, small blue flames from source as simple as hard wood (oak)charcoal. Some years ago, a neighbor (uphill)cut down a beautiful, hugh oak--(the roots were cracking the foundation of his house, but..)

We got all the wood (a 5 year supply, but we didn't make fires often).

One cold holiday, we did make a fire, and there was plenty of wood left in the grate at the end of the evening.. so we doused the fire with water, and covered it with a fire proof blanket, closed the damper (and the glass doors on the fireplace) and went to bed.

the next day, we had chunks of charcoal.

our next fire, which we started with the charcoal, was really hot..the iron grate in the fireplace became white hot, and was soft enough to deform.

many homes and fireplaces in england were designed to burn charcoal (and were easily retro-fitted to burn sea coal) not logs, or wood.

charcoal fires give you gem like blue flames. (as does good hard anthracite coal, in a well layed fire!)