Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-06-26
GhiIdren's 9tpartmeut.
(original...
NATTER.

Every cnllQ, ten years oIu, Has eItner useu
or heard the word "matter" used, and also
has an idea of its meaning. Notwithstanding
the fact that the word is so frequently used
and so generally understood, it is not very
easy to give definition Of matter that is free
from all objections. This is often the case.
There are some words that everybody under
stands what they. mean and yet no one can
define them without using great many words
which, strictly speaking, do not define, but
only describe them. If any one doubts this,
let him, without dictionary, attempt to give
a good and satisfactory definition Of the cop
ulative conjunction and. Matter may be
defined to be that of which the sensible uni
verse is composed. Anything which is dis
cernible by any one of the five senses, is mat
ter If we can see, hear, taste, smell or feel
anything, it is matter.
We know nothing of matter only by its
properties. What it is in itself, aside from its
properties, we cannot know. We have no
means of analyzing the essence of anything
1t makes no difference what we undertake to
examine, we invariably arrive at point
where our investigation has to stop. Water
is matter. It is composed of two invisible
gases-oxygen and hydrogen. Ifasked what
water is, we might reply that it is oxygen and
hydrogen combined in accordance with nat
ural law; but if asked what oxygen or ny.
drogen is, we are obliged to confess that all
we know about either is from their properties
Of the essence of either, we know and can
know nothing. y NJ -
The properties Of matter are many. : Some
of these properties belong alike to all matter.
Thus, it is property of all matter thatit oc'
cupies space. It is also property Of all
matter that it is impenetrable. That is, no
two bodies can occupy the same space at the
same time. Ifyou drop stone into glass
filled with any liquid, a sufficient quantity of
the liquid will be displaced to give room for
the stone. Whenever property belongs
alike to all matter, this property is called a
general property. There are other properties
which belong to particular bodies Of matter.
Some bodies are very hard, and others are
very soft. Some bodies differ from each other
in their color. Gold is yellow, and silver is
white. The one is called the yellow metal,
and the other the white metal. Whenever.a
property belongs to particular body and not
to all bodies, this property is called specific
property. {
The properties of matter in general are
many. The most important properties are
magnitude, shape, divisibility, impenetrabili!
ty and indestructability., All matter posses
ses some one or all Of these properties. The
property Of occupying space belongs alike to
all matter hence, we say that all matter has
magnitude. All matter may be divided. A
grain of musk can be divided into ten thous-
and invisible portions. In theory there is no
limit to the division of matter. We can con.
ceive of a grain Of wheat being dividedinto ten
thousand particles. We can also conceive Of
each one of these ten thousand particles being
divided into ten thousand smaller particles.
We can conceive of this process Of division
being continued indefinitely. 1t is impossible
to put into practice what we are able to con-
ceive to be possible. This property of being
divided is called divisibikty.
All matter is indestructible. By this is
meant, that by no process with which we are
acquainted, can matter, or any portion of it, be
blotted out of existence. Matter may be
changed, and in reality, is constantly under
going changes but change is not destruction.
There is not particle more, nor a particle
less of matter now, than there was when God
finished the work of creation, nearly six
thousand yearsago.a :
The changes which matter undergoes are of
two kinds. The one is called physical
change, and the other is called chemical
change. Both of these are constantly taking
place in every portion Of creation. When a
piece of iron ore is taken out of the ground
and fashioned into a plow, or hoe, or any USE
full instrument, the ore has undergone physi-
cal change. Notwithstanding this change,
the peculiar properties Of the original ore re-
main the same. When bar of iron is fash.
ioned by the mechanic into gun barrel, or
into scythe blade, or into watch spring, a
physical change has been effected. A chemi-
cal change is different from physical change,
in that, while it does not anihilate the matter
of which any. substance is composed, it des-
troys its original properties. The chemical
changes produced on matter are sometimes
very wonderful. Innocent and inofensive
simples are often so changed as to become
deadly poisons; and poisonous or inoAensve
simples are so changed, as to form both a
luxury and an essential Of life. The oxygen
and nitrogen Of the air, which we constantly
breathe, may be so changed as to form nitric
acid. Chlorine is an offensive poison, but
when chemically combined with the metal
sodium, it forms common salt. We might
notice this peculiarity in the nature of things
When we desire to describe matter, we al
ways use an adjective; but when we desire to
describe mind, we use participle. Thus we
say of matter, it is hard or soft, light or heavy.
When we describe the operations or proper:
ties of the mind, we do not say that it is hard
or soft, light or heavy; but we say it is a
thinking, feeling and willing substance. The
properties of matter are discernible by the
senses, but the properties of the mind are not.
A HINDOO STORY.
A tiger, prowling in the forest, was attracted
by beautiful calf. 1t proved to be bait,
IL L.. c.,oJ h;nooolf fropnod in a