The first use of fire for heating or cooking purposes by primitive man marked a long step toward civilization. In historical times, the discovery that coal could be used instead of wood was less revolutionary in its effects, but it meant a great advance in efficiency. The unpublished manuscript of a history of the coal stove has been presented to the Society by Miss Helen E. Keep, the daughter of its author. It reveals unexpected elements of the picturesque in the evolution of this highly practical invention.