METALS 53 



different from those which enter into its composi- 

 tion. Thus, in melting together copper and a kind 

 of white metal called zinc, the same as the garden 

 watering pots are made of, they obtain brass, which 

 has not the red of copper, nor the white of zinc, but 

 the yellow of gold. The material of the candlesticks 

 is, then, made of copper and zinc together; in a word, 

 it is brass, and not gold, in spite of. its luster and 

 yellow color. Gold is yellow and glitters; but all 

 that is yellow and glitters is not gold. At the last 

 village fair they sold magnificent rings whose bril- 

 liancy deceived you. In gold, they would have cost 

 a fine sum. The merchant sold them for a sou. 

 They were brass. " 



"How can they tell gold from brass, since the 

 color and luster are almost the same?" asked Jules. 



"By the weight, chiefly. Gold is much heavier 

 than brass; it is indeed the heaviest metal in fre- 

 <|ii<'iit use. After it comes lead, then silver, copper, 

 iron, tin, and finally zinc, the lightest of all." 



"You told us that to melt copper," put in Emile, 

 "they needed a fire so intense, that the heat of a red- 

 hot stove would be nothing in comparison. All 

 metals do not resist like that, for I remember very 

 well in what a sorry way the first leaden soldiers you 

 gave me came to their end. Last winter, I had lined 

 them up on the luke-warm stove. Just when I was 

 not watching, the troop tottered, sank down, and ran 

 in little streams of melted lead. I had only time to 

 half a dozen grenadiers, and their feet were 

 missing." 



4 'And when Mother Ambroisine thoughtlessly put 



