Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-16

1ary IL eprang suddenly toward the conn.,
then dropped of as suddenly.
THAT'S queer" said Johnny.
excited the comb again and held Il near
the back Of my hand, calling Johnny's atten-
tion TO the fact that all the fine hairs stood up
when the comb came near them.
"When YOU hold the comb near your
cheek, !" said, "the downy hairs stand up
like that, and tho feeling Is just like that OF
breath Of air."
"Theu IL isn't wind that comes from the
comb"
"No, II is not wind"
"Maybe the comb is magnet" suggested |
Johnny, seeing its attraction for light hairs,
dust and the like, MS held IL over them.
took small magnet from my table-drawer
and held it near the feathers and hair. 1t
did not stir them, no matter how much l
rubbed it. 1t picked up needle though,
very quickly. Then 1 rubbed the comb,
and though 1t attracted the feathers il had no
effect on the needle.
sis that like n magnet PSI asked.
"No," said Johnny.
when the needle springs to the magnet
II sticks there but when the hair or down
| optAhBo W NitC OOuiu ~ hhSS away ebsih
stantly."
at is very queer" said Johnny.
TRY this horn comb" said 1.
johnny tried it, but comb his hair as much
as he might, the horn would not draw any
thing. Then he tried shell comb. and an
ivory comb, neither of them acting as the
rubber comb did.
II don't understand it at ALL said John
ny.
Nobody docs fully" said I; "but if you
keep trying you may learn good deal about
it in time"
Then we went to breakfast. 1t was sever
al days before the subject was brought up
again. "I've been watching long time, F."
said Johnny that evening, 81 began to think
it would never happen again, but it's first
rate day to-day"
"Have you found out anything newi"
asked.
"Not much" said Johnny. 81 tried Hump
ty and the comb cracked like everything.
What makes it do thstp"
81 think wen have to study that to-
night" replied. "Where's Humpty?"
I'm the kitchen. Shall / call himP"
"Ii you please; bring pussy, too"
Johnny was soon back with Humpty and
Neb--that's pussy. Then we went into the
library and put out the lights.
"How can we sec what the comb doesP'
asked Johnny.
"Some things can be seen in the dark"
replied. Then 1 drew the comb briskly
through Johnny's hair making it snap and
sparkle beautifully. "See." said, bringing
the teeth of the comb opposite my knuekle,
"this is what makes the swapping"
GLOW prettyw Johnny cried us the tiny
sparks few from the comb to my knuckle
what is it?n
Lightning" said 1.
Lightning In my hair?"
Certainly" said l. LET me comb on
some more"
Johnny was almost afraid of himself whe
l brought another lot of sparks from his head
Folks had better look out when I'm
around" said the little fellow, pompously
"Mary says l make more noise than thun
der-storm sometimes; guess its the light
ming in me. Somebodyn get hit yet"
mot very severely let us hope" said
laughing. Suppose we try Humpty. May
be he's lightning-bug, too"
Sure enough, when we passed the com
through his shaggy coat the sparks flew fine
ly. So they did when we rubbed him witt
the hand.
LETS try Neb," said Johnny; "there he
by under the Sofa 1 can see his eyes"
l But Neb had no notion of being rubbed III
as wrong way. As soon as the sparks began
NJ show his patience gave out and he went O
nv with a rush.
81 guess Neb's lightning goes 10 his ey,
Mt and his claws" SAID Johnny.
After that we tried the sheepskin ru
Ike Mary's muff, and several other things of Il
sort, getting sparks from all of them.
les Everything seems to have lightning In it.
said Johnny.
tie Apparently" said /, "but you can't m al
ats it show in everything alike; anyway not
tn rubbing. Try the chair back, the table, Il
lily sofa, and such things. Generally when tw
so things are rubbed together the lightning
ry- electricity, as is commonly called-escap,
"; quickly. When it can't do that. it account
it'll lates-as it does in rubber comb-and go,
of with a snap when it gets chance. WhC
.sk a clouds contains more electricity than
can hold. some of it jumps to another clou
al or to the earth, making a flash Of lightnin
on The thunder is prodigious snap and Il
nb echoes of it. Are your slippers quite dry
II think So" said Johnny, wonderil
ag- what that had to do with lightning.
81 think the furnace has been on 10
h it enough to make the carpet quite dry, too.
ing said, turning just glimmer of lghto on. q
it is, you can make little thunderstorm
his yourself easily"
; ''HowP" Johnny asked eagerly
",Just skip around the room few tim
without taking your feet from the CT
pet"
ere Johnny spun around like waterloo
for minute or two; then l stopped him a
,d.n told him to reach out his foreinger. VIII
ed he did so, reached my forefnger to his, a
as the points came together snapl went
,6t; spark between them, whereat Johnny erie
"Oh!" and put his finger to his mouth.
NIB Ibid it burn you?"
r to mo-" said Johnny "but 1t scared me- =
~ He WAS not so badly scared. however,
said he wanted to try it again and again, Will
turned up the light and went on with my rel
,me ing. By-and-by Humpty came out from
der the sofa to see what was going on, &
Johnny sent spark into his nose. 1t did
NH hurt him any, though it surprised him no
little.
mid Wouldn't IL DO fun" said Johnny,
give Mary q shOckP"
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