WINTER MEETING. 327 



the Mississippi for ocean commerce. Or, again, the inventor observes 

 the moving winds, and, by means of sails, harnesses them to his boat, 

 and behold the line of sail vessels from the rudest craft to the mighti- 

 est sail ship. Again, man desires a force other than human muscle, 

 beasts of burden, moving waters or winds — a versatile and tireless 

 force. The great Watts perceives that the same force that lifts the tea- 

 kettle lid, if multiplied, will lift a steam hammer or the ore from the 

 mine. George Stephenson sees that the same force that turns a wheel 

 in mining or forging, will turn a locomotive driving-wheel on an iron 

 track. Man needs clothing, and the inventor, through the process of 

 spinning, weaving, sewing and dyeing, transforms the animal and 

 vegetable fibers into fabrics to supply his needs. Arkwright and Har- 

 greaves analyze spinning .into the two processes of drawing out and 

 twisting; secure the one by two sets of rollers revolving at irregular 

 rates, and the other by spindles ; man, by use of tanning, makes the 

 hides of animals practically impervious to water; availing himself of 

 the microscopic barbs of wool, felts it into hats. Man needs food. 

 The chemist burns a few stalks of corn, of wheat, or tobacco, and by 

 analyizing the ash, ascertains what minerals each plant takes from the 

 soil, thus enabling him to fertilize intelligently ; makes the cotton plant 

 yield up all its utilities — fiber, oil, cottoneen (artificial lard.), oil-cake, 

 fertilizers. 



Every day in professional and business occupation, in shop, in 

 home, on farm, training in observation, and thought based upon obser- 

 vation, is brought into requisition. Day by day, month by month, year 

 hy year, the farmer is called upon to observe, compare, infer, decide, 

 act. To attain the highest success, he must not only select the seed, 

 stock and soil with reference to intrinsic or absolute excellence, but 

 with reference to adaptation, the one to the other — the seed and stock 

 to the soil, the seed to the stock, the seed and stock to the market. 

 Again, machinery and laborers must be selected with regard to their 

 relation to the occupation. As he sows and reaps and garners, he 

 must regard the sunshine, the rain and the winds. The merchant 

 should know his customer; the lawyer, his client and jury ; the physi- 

 cian, his patient ; the teacher, his pupil. Every step in the duties of 

 the housewife calls for observation, thought, adaptation — not only in 

 the selection of groceries and dry-goods, but in their adaptation, through 

 cooking and sewing, to the needs of the household. No woman who 

 has been taught rationally should make her table a Saharan desert of 

 sameness. Only a trained and loving wife knows the permutations of 

 the art of cooking — the changes to be rung in on the same meat and 

 ibread and fruit — the wonderful variety in the midst of limited pur- 



