,62 PHYSICAL SCIENCE 



be meant by the affections, say of the tables, chairs, fire- 

 irons, and the moods of the pots and pans ; but his physical 

 teacher soon makes all clear to his physical comprehension : 

 " You are, yourself, little child," says the teacher, "subject 

 to change of moods ; sometimes you appear with a smile on 

 your face, and sometimes, perhaps, with a face full of frowns 

 or tears ; sometimes, again, you feel vigorous and active, 

 sometimes dull and listless." 



The child has been already taught about oxygen and 

 hydrogen, and water and iron, and has been shown that 

 some things are compound, and can be split up into other 

 things, and that some things are simple and cannot be 

 so split up : but now the teacher begins to explain all about 

 the moods and affections of things, and commences his 

 exposition by a sort of argumentwn ad puerum. " You are 

 a thing," he seems to suggest, " and you have your moods 

 sometimes a smile is on your face, but sometimes your 

 face is quite full of frowns and tears." 



The apt little scholar will soon admit that he is a thing, 

 and then he will be convinced that things like himself have 

 affections and moods. When he looks about after his 

 lesson is over, he may perhaps be amused by the poker 

 smiling upon the tongs, while the face of the shovel is 

 melancholy and full of tears, or looks offended and angry. 

 The tabula rasa of the child, that has not been exposed to 

 the contaminating influences of Jack the Giant-killer, and 

 has been carefully protected from the pernicious excitement 

 of nonsensical fairy tales, will soon have impressed upon it 

 the truths of exact physical science. The little pupil will 

 be able to demonstrate most conclusively to himself, and 

 convince his little friends, that the chairs and tables some- 



