ELECTRONS 73 



of particles much finer than the smallest atom, was 

 proved. 



It seems also to be proved that the radiations 

 are due to the breaking up of atoms, and that 

 radium and other radio-active substances are under- 

 going spontaneous decomposition. It seems also 

 possible that all matter can be broken up into 

 identical particles by means of heat, electricity, sun- 

 light, etc., and that all over the universe the atoms 

 are slowly decaying. 



It is now commonly regarded as an established 

 fact that atoms are made up of infinitesimally small 

 corpuscles, and that, no matter what the kind of 

 atom, the particles are always exactly the same in 

 material and size. A diamond, a daisy, a star, a 

 man are all made of the same urstoff. 



" All things the world that fill, 

 Of but one stuff are spun." 



In the ancient, wild, hot, fire-mist days, all the 

 primordial particles were free : it was a case of 

 " liberty, equality, fraternity " — the first, last, and 

 only case ; but as the fire-mist cooled, the corpuscles 

 felt that it was not good to be alone, and so they 

 grouped themselves in the little systems known as 

 atoms, and these, again, formed associations called 

 molecules, and the molecules, again, formed gases, 

 and liquids, and solids — the great corporations we 

 know as suns and stars. In the hottest stars, such 



