The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-07-20
MAGGIE's EXPERIMENTS.

from all over the room with her broom,
kept drifting back persistently when she
tried to sweep them out at the door.
why don't you try the other door,
Maggie?" asked her brother Jack, who
sat by the window.
THAT is just the queer part of ii, :"
said Margaret: "Itried the other door
first, and it is just as bad there. The
wind can't blow in exactly opposite di-
rections at once, can it?"
"May be it shifted while you were
sweeping the dirt across the room,"
said Jack.
"Well, that poald be funny" said
Margaret, "but I'll try it again. 1t will
be sort of nixperiment, l guess"
"a sort of what?" asked Jack.
ga nixperiment,' said Margaret. 81
listened to your fosophy-teacher the
other day, and Mr.. Baird said that
everything in science had to be-some-
thing by nixperiments."
Verified by experiments, said Jack,
laughing. Eyes, that's so; and now
we'll see if there's any philosophy about
this dirt"
So Margaret swept the dirt carefully
across the room again, while Jack
looked on.
''Therep' exclaimed Margaret; +" look
at thatr'
Jack did look, and had to confess that
it was too much for his philosophy.
Stop" said he, ..I'll see which way the
wind is really blowing" Margaret shut
the door and sat down to wait. The
poor little arms were quite tired by this
time, for Margaret was only ten years
old.
Its the stillest day we've had this
season. cried Jack, bursting in. ''The
weather-cock turns tail to the south, so
whatever wind there is comes from the
north. Let's try the south door again"
To the surprise of both Jack and
Margaret, the dirt, which had been so
perverse and contrary, went out this
time without making much trouble. sss',
"That's 1.-THE wind shifted, don't
you see, Maggie?n said Jack, with a
wise look. sThat's the way with sci
ence. Science believes nothing till it
has thoroughly proved it. That's what
experiments are for, and that's the
beauty of science"
''Open the draft, Jack, and put in
some more wood. What makes this
room so cold?" called their father from
a small adjoining room, which he used
as study. whats that you were say
ing about sciencea" he added, with a
quizzical look.
Jack, with n very grave and scientific
look, explained their experiment in nat
ural philosophy.
"Ahr' said his father, "the wind
shifted, did it? How many times?''
"Why, four times, father" said Mar
garet. ''Just as quick rs lightning
almost" she added, seeing her father
raise his eyebrows. Il swept the dust
from one door to the other Just rs quick
as could, but by the time got there,
the wind got there, too, and blew the
dirt back every time"
Suppose we try the experiment
again." said Mr.. Darnley.
30. I've swept all the dirt out now,"
said Margaret.
''Well, here are few feathers which
gave you the slip, little Pearlie," said
her father. 1--WE can try the expert
ment with them. Put in some more
wood and make the room pretty hot
"What for, father?" asked Jack.
cit is necessary to our experiment"
Jack put in the wood. This was
mysterious and interesting.
snow, Maggie said her father,
when the room was comfortably warm,
''sweep out these feathers"
(Which door, father?" asked Mar
garet.
.sIt makes no difference" said her
father.
''Shall 1 look at the weather-vane?"
said Jack.
cit is not necessary" said his father,
smiling.
Margaret tried again, but the feath-
ers all blew back, some entirely across
the room.
There they are, Maggie, close to the
south door," said Mr.. Darnley. ''Tll
shut this door, and you may sweep
them out at that one."
But Margaret had no better success
than before.
"Isn't it curious!' said Jack. s'There
must be witches at the door, blowing
the feathers back
ssThis is what ignorant and supersti-
tious people would have said years ago.
jack said his father, .'but science shall
teach us better than that"
Now" continued Mr.. Darnley,
''let us make two piles of the feathers
one near the south and the other near
the north door. Jack, get another
broom for this pile. Now, both sweep
in opposite directions at the same time
That will show us whether it is caused
by the shifting of the wind"
Jack and Maggie tried faithfully, but
the feathers went every way but out of
the doors, some of them even rising to-
ward the ceiling.
"It's the cold day." said Jack; "they
don't like to 60 OUT
Father, what is the reason, please?'
asked Margaret, earnestly.
'Hot air always rises" replied Mr..
Darnley.
"Why?" asked Margaret.
Because" answered her father,
shot air is lighter than cold. When it
rises, OF course cold air rushes in to fill
its place. When you open the door,
currents of cold air rush in at the bot
tom, while the hot air is escaping at
the top. Open the door, Jack, and try
to drive out feather above your head,
while Maggie tries one at the floor"
The children did so. and, while the
feather at the bottom blew in, the one
at the top floated out.
"But, father" said Maggie, "we
did sweep the dirt out at last. Why
was that?''
Because you had let the room grow
cold while you were trying your expert
ments," said her father, "and as the
temperature became more like that out