ON THE STUDY OF PHYSICS 317 



propositions in the book, or of trying their strength at 

 others not to be found there. Never in a single instance 

 was the book chosen. I was ever ready to assist when 

 help was needful, but my offers of assistance were habit- 

 ually declined. The boys had tasted the sweets of intel- 

 lectual conquest and demanded victories of their own. 

 Their diagrams were scratched on the walls, cut into the 

 beams upon the playground, and numberless other illus- 

 trations were afforded of the living interest they took in 

 the subject. For my own part, as far as experience in 

 teaching goes, I was a mere fledgling knowing nothing 

 of the rules of pedagogics, as the Germans name it; but 

 adhering to the spirit indicated at the commencement of 

 this discourse, and endeavoring to make geometry a means 

 rather than a branch of education. The experiment was 

 successful, and some of the most delightful hours of my 

 existence have been spent in marking the vigorous and 

 cheerful expansion of mental power, when appealed to in 

 the manner here described. 



Our pleasure was enhanced when we applied our math- 

 ematical knowledge to the solution of physical problems. 

 Many objects of hourly contact had thus a new interest 

 and significance imparted to them. The swing, the see- 

 saw, the tension of the giant-stride ropes, the fall and 

 rebound of the football, the advantage of a small boy 

 over a large one when turning short, particularly in slip- 

 pery weather; all became subjects of investigation. A 

 lady stands before a looking-glass of her own height; it 

 was required to know how much of the glass was really 

 useful to her? We learned with pleasure the economic 

 fact that she might dispense with the lower half and see 

 her whole figure notwithstanding. It was also pleasant 



