The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-02-04
A Wonderful Plaything.

A Wonderful Plaything.
"Dio," said Bella, 'sspeu hard water
with three letters"
" 1t can't be done," said the young
gentleman.
"That means you can't do it. Do you
give it up?"
"Of course I do"
"I-c-e alb ha p
"Pshaw p said Dio.
CHOW it is my turn" I said. "What
causes this change, and makes the water
become hard-or ice 2"
"Cold," said Die cit freezes
81 heard of wee little girl who said
the water stayed out in the cold and
went to Sleep Well, can you tell me
what the difference is between ice and
water 2"
"Why, ice is hard and cold," said
Bella
eff you will listen will give you a
little lesson, and if you will remember
the lesson [ will tell you little story.
There is power or force in nature which
causes the little particles of matter to
stick together. All bodies, everything
is composed of tiny particles, and you
know how they cling to each other, like
the atoms of fruit, or wood, or stone.
This force is called cohesion. Some
particles attract each other much more
strongly than others. Iron or lead cling
closer than wood, wood closer than fruit,
and the particles of fruit hold more
strongly together than water. The par
tlcles OF water attract each other but lit
tie and are easily separated. In many
instances heat destroys this cohesion.
You know fire will melt lead and make it
a liquid instead of soid-it partially
destroys the cohesion. And so heat will
separate the particles of water, and
makes them steam or vapor. When wa
ter is exposed to sufficient cold. it de-
stroys the heat in it and makes the par
ticles cling close together-and you
know the cohesive attraction of ice is
very strong-but the heat will separate
the particles and melt it back to water,
and still more heat will convert the water
into steam. Now, if you will remember
what this power in nature is, called CO.
hesion, it will deserve the story.
"The poet Cowper wrote: Great
kings have great playthings.' I will tell
you of one which Catherine, the Empress
of Russia, had to amuse her. She Or
dered splendid new palace built for her
and it was to be made in silence. Think
of it No sound of cutting stone; no
noise of saw or hammer no nails held it
in place and yet it stood WELCOMED and
firm. It was built of ice. The blocks of
clear ice were laid together, and then the
workmen dashed water on the places and
it froze them together hard and strong
They colored water blue and red and
green and many colors and froze it, and
with this they ornamented the palace
They carved many devices from the
colored ice, and made beautiful wreaths
of flowers and hung them around the icy
rooms. Ice flowers on walls of ice"
GA remarkable ice-house," said Dio.
eyes," said Bella, "quite nice
house."
When the gorgeous palace was
finished they furnished it.
"With mahogany and rosewood, vel
vet and satin 2"
"Oh, no there were ice chairs and ice
tables, ice fre-places and ice sofas, and
a beautiful ice throne that was fairly
dazzling. All was ice within and with
out. Then the Empress gave a great
ball in her playhouse. And at night
when they made fires on the icy hearth,
and lighted candles in the icy candle
sticks when they hung the icy lamps on
the icy walls, and the light shone on the
icy furniture and icy flowers, it was a
wonderful ald brilliant scene It was
all sparkling and dazzling like precious
stones, and the palace looked as though
it were made of millions of diamonds
But alb, 1t was stream, and soon would
glide into q stream again.
1T must have been perfectly elegant, %
said Bella.
1T must have been slightly shivery, ?"
said Dio.
" Well, an Empress can shiver as much
as she likes in her own playhouse.