The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-21
MAGGIE'S EXPERIMENTS.

Di'S VI P"PCl' anu SlIIlS, anu cHpplnSS
OF cloth which she had been collecting
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 it,
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 a0ould 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 DISQUALIFICATION 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 IL see if there's any philosophy about
this dirt"
So Margaret swept the dirt carefully
across the room again, while Jack
looked on.
"Therer' exclaimed Margaret; " look
at that!'
Jack did look, and had to confess that
it was too much for his philosophy.
''Stop," said he, II II 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.
g It's 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. %-st,
"That's 1.-THE wind shifted, don't
you see, Maggie?" said Jack, with
wise look. 'Thats 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
small adjoining room, which he used
ing about science?" he added, with a
quizzical look.
Jack, with 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 as lightning
almost" she added, seeing her father
raise his eyebrows. 81 swept the dust
from one door to the other Just as 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. eve can try the expert
ment with them. Put in some more
wood and make the room pretty hot. y
"What for, father" asked Jack.
at is necessary to our experiment. y
Jack put in the wood. This was
mysterious and interesting.
''Now, Maggie" said her father,
when the room was comfortably warm
''sweep out these feathers"
ssNUbioh door fo tha,.o1i oel-aI Mor
garet.
sit makes no difference" said hel
father.
''Shall l look at the mediterranean
said Jack.
at 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 thu
south door, said Mr.. Darnley. ''rl
shut this door, and you may SWEEP
them out at that one"
But Margaret had no better success
| than before.
Isn't it curiousl" said Jack. ''Ther
must be witches at the door, BLOWN.
| the feathers back"
This 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
slet us make two piles of the feathers
one near the south and the other nea
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 cause,
by the shifting of the wind"
Jack and Maggie tried faithfully, bu
the feathers went every way but out @
the doors, some of them even rising to
ward the ceiling.
cts the cold day" said Jack; "the
don't like TO go out"
"Father, what is the reason, pleaseP'
asked Margaret, earnestly.
Hot air always rises,'' replied MI
Darnley.
"Nny?" asked Margaret.
Because" answered her father
shot air is lighter than cold. When
rises, of course cold air rushes in to fl
its place. When you open the dool
currents of cold air rush in at the bot
tom, while the hot air is escaping
the top. Open the door, Jack, and tt
IN drive ont n feather obovo vorr hoo