184 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
carrieg up some unburned charcoal dust which gives a 
dark color to I he smoke. Chemistry tells why so much 
heat is given out while the carbon is uniting with the oxy¬ 
gen, but perhaps you can not understand that nowk The 
invisible carbonic acid, (made of the carbon of wood, and 
oxygen of the air) floats off and is gradually absorbed by 
the leaves and roots of trees and plants, and the carbon 
again forms new wood. These changes are very interest¬ 
ing, and we shall learn of many more, equally wo'nderful. 
The whole world'is full of these changes, this destruc¬ 
tion of old compounds, and the formation of new ones; 
the breaking up of the new compounds again, and the for¬ 
mation of others. All visible changes going on—such as 
the growth of plants and of our bodies, the burning of 
fuel, the separation of iron ore (which is an iron rust, or 
oxide of iron) into pure iron and oxygen, the manufac¬ 
ture of soda out of salt, the change of flour to bread, the 
change of bread and meat and other food into blood, and 
the changing of blood into lean flesh and fat and bones 
and hair, etc., the changing of hay and grass into the 
cow’s blood, and the changing of her blood into pure s wee* 
milk, the burning and disappearance of the oil or fluid in 
the lamp, the changing of old cotton rags into pure sweet 
sugar, and ten thousand other changes of form and sub¬ 
stance—all these are directly due to the destruction of one 
kind of compound bodies, and the formation of new com¬ 
pound bodies out of the elements thus set at liberty. 
As we have already told you, there are but few ele¬ 
ments, but they are united in an infinite number of ways 
to produce the multitude of things we see. Yet they do 
not get mixed up at hap-hazard. These elements are 
governed by certain laws. They have certain likes and 
dislikes among themselves, and they follow their stronger 
account of these likes and dislikes, (their affinities as the 
chemist calls them,) that they are constantly changing. 
Now, two or more cling together in one compound 
body ; now one of them flies off to something it likes bet¬ 
ter, and there is a breaking up of old groups (compounds,) 
and the formation of new ones entirely different; and so 
the changes go on. The chemist studies out these at¬ 
tachments among the elements (that is, their affinities), and 
the circumstances which favor the breaking up of groups, 
and the production of new ones, and he is thus able to 
control the elements themselves, and cause them to do 
his bidding. He knows, for example, that soda has some 
liking for the volatile carbonic acid gas, and that it holds 
it fast, making the compound called cooking soda. But he 
also knows that the soda likes vinegar better than it does 
carbonic acid. So he puts some soda ihto a tumbler of 
water, and pours in a little vinegar. The soda at once 
; quits its partner carbonic acid, and goes to the vinegar, 
making a new compound. Then, the carbonic acid, being 
left alone, comes bubbling up through the water, as if in 
a rage, and flies off in its own proper gas or air-like form, 
and flies away in search of something else to join hands 
with. If there chanced to be on the tumbler some freshly 
burned lime, the carbonic acid would join it, and then we 
should have a new compound, a real white chalk. 
Chemistry is, indeed, a wonderful study—full of interest, 
and of great usefulness to every body, and we advise every 
one of our young readers, at least, to learn all they can 
about it. We will, as we have lime and room, try to give 
an occasional easy and interesting lesson. Please read 
over and over again, very carefully, these two lessons 
I already given, and try to understand and remembei)Jtjiem. 
“ Now a lay Me— ” 
Surely this lovely picture needs no 
words of explanation or description. 
It tells its own simple story of piety 
and divine grace in the heart. “ Our 
Father which art in Heaven,” hows 
his ear to hear the low sweet voice of 
the prayer by which the child, in of¬ 
fering its own petitions, bears the 
mother’s heart heavenward in holy 
aspiration. Ruskin, the great art critic, 
writing of the original, at one time on 
exhibition at the Royal Academy, di¬ 
rects attention to “ The little bare feet 
kept from the cold stone by the gar¬ 
ment folded under them, bared of 
their rough grey stockings, as rever¬ 
ently and surely in God’s presence as 
if the poor cottage floor were the rock 
of Sinai; the close cap over the sweet, 
pointed, playful waving hair which the 
field-winds have tossed and tumbled 
as they do the long meadow grass iu 
May, and yet have not unsmoothed one 
wave of its silken balm, nor vexed 
with rude entangling one fair thread 
of all that her God numbers day by 
day. The dear, bowed patient face 
and hands folded, and the mother’s 
love that clasps them close iu a solemn 
awe, lest they should part or move be¬ 
fore her Father’s blessing had been 
given in fullness. Return to it, and 
still return. It should be the last pic¬ 
ture you look at in all the year; carry¬ 
ing the memory of it with you far 
away through the silence of thatched 
villages and the voices of the blos¬ 
soming fields.” Sweet will be their 
slumber, and refreshing as dew from 
heaven to the ever greatful meadows; 
and under the influence of this simple 
confidence in God, of such guileless 
hearts, their souls will grow in all 
grace and loveliness, as the meadows 
respond to the dews, and rains, and 
sunshine.—We trust there is not one 
of our dear young readers, who lives a 
prayerless life; not one Avho walks 
upon this beautiful flower-clad earth 
without often lifting the heart in 
thankfulness to the Giver of all good; 
not one that rises in the morning 
without kneeling to express gratitude 
for protection and crave divine aid for 
the right performance of the duties 
of the day ; not one who lies down at night without ask¬ 
ing forgiveness for sins and follies, and for the guardian 
care of the ever-watchful Eye during the night. It is not 
childish to pray ; it is noble, it is manly, it is Christ-iike. 
Read the Chapters on Chemistry.— They will re¬ 
quire some study and thought, but this should not be an 
objection. That which costs us nothing, is generally worth 
little or nothing.—The subject will grow more and more 
interesting, if you understand it all as we go along. 
Valuable Recipes.— For preserving the complexion, 
temperance ; for whitening the hands, honesty; to remove 
stains, repentance; to improve the sight, observation; to 
improve the voice, civility; to keep away moths, industry. 
Blessed is that man or woman that can let drop all the 
I burs and thistles, instead of picking them up and fasten¬ 
ing them on to the next passenger. Would we only let 
the vexing and malicious sayings die, how fast the lacer¬ 
ated and scandal-ridden world would get healed and 
tranquilized. Dr. Huntington. 
A good man, who has seen much of the world, and is 
not tired of it, says: “ The grand essentials to happiness 
in this life are: something to do, something to love, and 
something to hope for.” 
Many a man has missed being a great man, by splitting 
into two middling ones. Concentrate your energies in 
one direction if you would make a figure in the world. 
If a man cheats you, fiease dealing with him ; if he is 
abusive, quit his company; if he slanders you, always 
take good care to live so that nobody w ill believe him. 
Fame is like an eel—hard to catch, and harder to hold. 
