A Memorable Lesson 



before their faces and dare not look except 

 through their fingers. My audience exults; 

 and I myself triumph. Ha, my friends, isn't 

 it grand, this chemistry ! 



All of us have red-letter days in our lives. 

 Some, the practical men, have been successful 

 in business; they have made money and hold 

 their heads high in consequence. Others, the 

 thinkers, have gained ideas; they have opened 

 a new account in the ledger of nature and they 

 silently taste the hallowed joys of truth. One 

 of my great days was that of my first ac- 

 quaintance with oxygen. On that day, when 

 my class was over and all the materials put 

 back in their place, I felt myself grow several 

 inches taller. An untrained workman, I had 

 shown, with complete success, that which was 

 unknown to me a couple of hours before. No 

 accident whatever, not even the least stain of 

 acid. 



It is, therefore, not so difficult nor so dan- 

 gerous as the pitiful finish of the Saint- 

 Martial lesson might have led me to believe. 

 With a vigilant eye and a little prudence, I 

 shall be able to continue. The prospect is 

 enchanting. 



And so, in due season, comes hydrogen, 

 carefully contemplated in my reading, seen 



445 



