THE WORLD'S LUMBER ROOM. 



CHAPTER I. 



DUST HO ! 



The Dustman's Cart Different Ways of looking at its Contents Dust in 

 our Houses What it is and Where it Comes From Dust in Air and 

 Water Volcanic Dust Meteoric Dust Floating Dust A World 

 without Dust. 



THE dustman's cart ! Probably ninety-nine persons 

 out of every hundred, if questioned as to its 

 contents, would declare off-hand that it held nothing but 

 rubbish rags, bones, bits of glass and crockery, oyster- 

 shells, paper, cabbage-stalks, ashes, broken things, and what 

 was of no use to any one. 



But the hundredth would look at it with different eyes, 

 and give a different answer. 



" It is rubbish to you," he might say, " because it is 

 ' matter out of place ' : but only follow it to the dust con- 

 tractor's yard, and see how many people get their living 

 out of this rubbish. A good-sized heap of dust has been 

 known to be worth ^4,000 or even ^"5,000." 



And if he were a poet or a scientist, he might go on 

 to assure you that the unsavoury-looking cart was "brimful 

 of possibilities, more wonderful than are dreamt of in 

 fairy land." 

 B 



