The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-01-23
MINU?ENEss OF ATOMS.

I
laid upon eaci other to produce the thick-
ness OF an lnh; yet those leaves are peY-
/ feet, or without holes-so that one of them
lald upon aF surface, as in gliding, gives
the appearance of solid gold. They are so
thin, that, II Srmed into book, 1900 would
occupy the spec of a single leaf of common
paper; and n octave volume of an inch
thick would lave as many pages as the
books OF wll-stocked ordinary library of
l5OO Volumeswith 400 pages in each. Still
thinner than bis is the coating of gold upon
the SILVER VIE of what is called gold lace,
and we are ut sure that such coating is not
OF only one tom thick. Platinum and sill
yer can be diwn into wire much finer than
human hair A grain of blue vitriol, or car
mine, VII uage q gallon of water, so that in
every drop the color may be perceived. A
grain OF musk will scent room for twenty
years, and will hav' lost little of its weight.
The carrion crow SHELLS its food many miles
off. A burning tape uncovered for single
instant, during who it does not lose one
thousandtb of a grai, would fill with light
sphere OF four mile in diameter, SO as to
be visible IN every pat of it. The thread of
the sllkworm is SO snail that many of them
are twisted together b form our finest sew
ing thread but that IF the spider is smaller
still, tor two drachmspf it, by weight. would
reach four hundred niles In the milt of a
goldfish, or in water inghich certain vegeta-
bles have beeninfusedihe microscope discoy-
ers anlmalcules, ofwhih many thousands to-
gether do not equal inbulk grain of sand
and yet nature with asingular prodigality,
mas supplied many of lhese with organs as
complex as those of he whale, or the ele-
phant; and their bodits consist of the same
substance, or ultimatebtoms, as that of man
himself In single pund of such matter.
there are more living creatures than of nu-
man beings on the face of this globe. What
a Scene has the microscope opened to the
admiration of the philosophic inquirer
w alter, mercury, sulphur, or in general any
substance, whtn sufficiently heated, rises as
invisible vaporor gas; that is, it is reduced
to the aerltormgtate. Great heat, therefore.
would cause tie whole of the material uni
verse to disappear, and the most solid bodies
to become as Invisible and impalpable as the
air we breath. Few have contemplated
an annlhllatlonof the world more complete
than this.
PARENTAL IIEs. We believe that the
slight regard il which truth is held amonq
mankind, is principally owing to the lies
which are told to children by their parents
during the first few years of their lives.
Then IS the time that permanent Impress
IONS may be as we'll made as at any later
period. 1t. is then, probably that what is
called the latural propensity of child is
untoded. Many persons who have an alb
horrence Of lying, whip their children if
they detect hem in it, yet make no scruple
OF telling md acting to them the most
atrocious tasehoods. There are few pa
rents who d not do this in greater or less
. degree, though doubtless without dreaming
that they are guilty of criminal deception.
With many the whole business of manag
ing their Children is peice of mere arti-
flee and triCk. They are cheated in their
amusements cheated in their food, cheated
in their dress. Lies are told them to do
any thing flat is disagreeable. If child
Is to take plysic, the mother tells him she
has something good for him to drink: if
reluctant she says she will send for doc
tor to cut of his ears, or pull his teeth. at
( that she viii go away and leave him, and a
( thousand things of the same kind, each of
/ which may deceive once and answer the
present purpose, but will invariably fail af:-
towards. Parents are too apt to endeavor
to paclty their children by making promises
which they never intend to perform. If
j they wish, for instance, to take away some
eatable which they fear will be injurious,
they reconcile them by the promise of a
ride, or walk, or something else which
will please them, but without any intention
of gratifying them. This is living, down
right lying. People think nothing of break
ing their promises to children, if the per-
Torrance Of it be not perfectly convenient.
But they are the last persons to whom
promises should be broken, because they
cannot comprehend the reason, if there be
one, why they are not kept. Such promis-
es should be scrupulously redeemed, though
at great inconvenience, and even when
inadvertently made. For the child's moral
habits is of infinitely more consequence
i than any such inconvenience can be to the
parent. S. Literary Gazette.
MARCH OF INTELLECT, A gentleman of
landed property in the county of S. being
lately on the outside of stage coach, had
sworn several oaths, within few minutes
after taking his seat. Addressing Minis
ter, stranger to him, he remarked, awe
hear, sir, great deal about the march of
ntellect:' are You, sir, believer in the
march OF intellect? believe these S. clod
hoppers know nothing of the march ofintel-
ect." The minister replied, "Ihave OBJ