Eons ago, when man first discovered fire, he wisely rigged up a hearth in his cave and cozily toasted his toes. He never let that fire go out and the hearth became the symbol of home.

A FIREPLACE DOMINATES ANY ROOM it occupies and its appearance tells what kind of person you are neat, lazy, indifferent, or sloppy. A cluttered mantel, accumulations of trash in the fireplace waiting for the touch of a lighted match, and facings grimed with smoke suggest a carelessly run home. Yet the "clean-winged hearth" of which the poet sang is not difficult to attain, and the best way to clean it is almost invariably the easiest. Basic care, of course, begins with the chimney.

FOR A CLEAR DRAFT, as a precaution against falling soot, and for safety from fire, your fireplace chimney should be cleaned regularly (fire wardens say once a year if you use it often) and kept in good repair. A high blaze on the hearth, plus a heavy incrustation of soot in the chimney, invites a fire that could destroy your home.

A BRICK FIREPLACE, when it needs more than dusting, can be scrubbed down with a brush, using warm water containing about an ounce of trisodium phosphate, Oakite, or washing soda per gallon. Rinse carefully. This should remove ordinary soil and soot. If the bricks look faded, the color can be freshened by brushing them over with a cold water paint of the desired tint. (Oil paints are likely to blister with the heat.) An old fashioned method of restoring color to the bricks is to wet them with hot water and rub them with another brick.

A STONE FIREPLACE requires only a good brushing now and then, but if the stones have become stained with soot here is the formula for a thorough cleanup. To four ounces of yellow laundry soap in a suitable kettle, add about one quart of hot water. Heat the water until the soap has been completely dissolved. Let it cool, and then add half a pound of powdered pumice and half a cup of household ammonia. Mix these ingredients thoroughly. With a stiff brush remove as much soot as possible from the stones, then apply a coating of the soap mixture with a paint brush. Let it remain for a good half hour, then clean it off with warm water and a stiff scrubbing brush. Rinse the stones thoroughly with warm water.

Get the care of your fireplace start from the chimney. If your have a brick fireplace, it can be dusted or scrubbed down with a brush. For a stone fireplace requires only good brushing, use laundry soap to remove the stains.