The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-05-08
Johnny Burns Himself without Fire.
BY ADAM sTwN.

"Isn't it bright" he said, after
working awhile. "Just like gold"
He rubbed away again for a mo-
ment as hard as he could, then-to
brush off some chalk dust that cIung
to the button, for I had told him to
chalk the cloth to make it brighten
the button quicker-he put the brass
to the back Of his hand.
"Oh!" he cried, dropping the
jbutton.
What's the matter?"
"It's hot"
'Hot!" echoed Mary, laying down
her book. How can it be hot?
Il don't know" said johnny, "but
| it burnt me-"
'Nonsense!" replied Mary, pick
ing up the button. It's as cold as
anything"
at is cold now, maybe" Johnny
admitted. "But it was hot-lgarm,
anyway"
"What a silly boy! You just i'm
agined it."
Il didn't" retorted Johnny.
Seeing that they were likely 10 do
as great many older people have
done, dispute about o matter that
neither understood, I took the but-
ton and rubbed it smartly on my
coat sleeve, and put it to Mary's
cheek.
"There!" exclaimed Johnny, as
Mary cried "Oh!" and put her hand
to her face.
81 shouldn't have thought your
arm could make it so warm" she
said.
rubbed the button on the table
cloth and placed it once more against
her cheek saying, st couldn't have
been my arm that warmed it this
time"
"Of course not, observed Johnny,
Ipatronizingly.
"What did warm it?" Mary asked,
her interest fully awakened.
That's a good puzzle for you two
to work al" I said. Don't rub the
button on the vanished furniture
or on the marble table, for it might
scratch them; but you can try any
thing else"
They worked at the puzzle long
time and still were puzzled.
"Maybe the heat comes from our
| fingers" Mary suggested at last"
thrust a stick through the eye Of
the button so that it could be held
without touching the hand, rubbed
it moment on the carpet, and it
was as hot as ever.
81 guess it is just the rubbing"
said Johnny.
ga very good guess indeed, for
that is precisely where the heat
comes FROM" I replied. "Ho1o it
comes is not so easy to explain to
those of your age. The simple fact
that heat comes from rubbing is
enough, perhaps, for you to know
about it now. We say that rubbing
makes friction, and friction devel-
Iops heat. When you are older I'll
TRY to make it all clear to you"
81 thought heat always came from
| fire." said Mary, cor else from the
sun"
"Sun heat is fire heat too, it is be-
llieved," 1 replied; "but there are
still other sources of heat-our bod
lies, for instance. We keep warm
when out of the sunshine and away
from the fire."
81 didn't think of that" said Ma
Try.
"Do you remember the day the
masons were pouring water on
pile of quicklime to make mortar
for the new house over the way?
The lime Kissed and cracked, send
| ing up great clouds of steam. /
have a piece OF quicklime here, and
see! when l pour water on it how it
drinks up the water and groYs hot.
l saw wagon loaded with lime set
on fire once by shower of rain"
'Fred told me about that and ]
didn't believe him. Who'd expect
fire from water?"
sect me small piece Of ice, and
Pll show you how even that may
kindle a fire"
While Mary was getting the ice, I
took from my cabinet a small vial
with a metal bead at the bottom.
'Is it lead?" asked Johnny, when
I showed it to him.
at is potassium" I said, "and
Pm going to set a little piece of it
afre with the ice Mary has brought.
There!"
"Isn't it Splendid" cried Mary,
as the metal flashed into fame.
"You can do anything, can't you"
said Johnny, admiringly. His con
Gdence in my ability is something
frightful. Really, if 1 were to tell
him / could set the moon afre, l
think he'd believe me-
"No, Johnny" there are very few
things that can do, as you will dis
cover in time. But now, while we
are talking of heat, let me show you
another way OF warming things.
Please fetch me a fat-iron Mary,
while Johnny brings my little ham
mer. Thank you! Now watch me
while I pound this piece of lead, and
put your finger on it when / stop.
Now"
"Does the pounding heat it? >"
"It does. l have seen a black
smith take piece of cold iron and
hammer it on an anvil with cold
hammer, until it was hot enough to
set wood afre."
"Whore did the heat come from|
"From the blscksmith's arm, but
in such a roundabout way that l
should only puzzle yon if tried to
describe it. You have seen that
lheat does come from fire, from the
sun, from our bodies, from rubbing,
from pounding, and from mixing
things such as quicklime and water;
ho,U it comes in either case you will
learn bye-and-bye, when you are
Older.
"But we have got long way from
Johnny's button. Can you think Of
any other time you have seen things
heated by rubbing2"
awe rub our hands when they are
lcold," Mary said, seeing Fred go
through those motions, having just
lcome in from out doors.