The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-16
MAGGIE'S EXPERIMENTS.

1IttlG
.ey, in despair, as she stood, broom in
hand, at the north door. The dust, and
bits of paper, and string, and clippings
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,
Maggiesn 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 d.
rections at once, can it?''
MAY be it shifted while you were
sweeping the dirt across the room, y
said Jack.
Well, that aooald be funny" said
Margaret, ''but I'lltry it again. It will
be sort of nixperiment, guess.
"a sort of what?" asked Jack.
"a nixperiment, said Margaret. '.T
listened to your foSophy-teacher the
other day, and Mr.. Baird said that
everything in science had to be-some-
thing by Experiments
Verified BY experiments, = said Jack,
laughing. Eyes, that's so; and now
we'fl see i there's any philosophy about
this dirt p
So Margaret swept the dirt carefully
across the room again, while Jack
looked on.
.'ThereP' exclaimed Margaret; :. look
at that!''
Jack did look, and had to confess that
it was too much for his philosophy.
.Stop,n said he, s.I'lI 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.
s'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
peverse and contrary, went out this
time without making much trouble
THAT'S it-the wind shifted, cont
you see, MaggieP' said Jack, with a
wise look. That's the way with sci
ence. Science believes nothing till it
has thoroughly proved it. That 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. What that you were say
ing about science?n he added, with a
quizzical look.
Jack, with a very grave and scientific
look. explained their experiment in nat
ural philosophy.
"Ahr said his father, ''the wind
shifted, did it? How many timesP''
Why. four times, father" said Mar
garet. "Just as quick as lightning
almost she added, seeing her father
raise his eyebrows. g / swept the dust
from one door to the other just as quick
as | could, but by the time I got there,
the wind got there, too, and blew the
dirt back every time"
Suppose we try the experiment
again, said Mr.. Darnley.
20, I've swept all the dirt out now, p
Salu Margaret. q
We'll, here are few feathers which
gave you the slip, little Pearlie, 2 said
her father. ave can try the expert
ment with them Put in some more
wood and make the room pretty hot. ;,
what for, father?" asked Jack.
lit is necessary to our experiment. =
Jack put in the wood. This was
mysterious and interesting.
Now, Maggie said her father,
''sweep out these feathers
Which door, father?n asked Mar
garet.
'It makes no difference said her
father
.'Shan / look at the Mediterranean
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. I
There they are, Maggie, close to the
south door, = said Mr.. Darnley. .1'll
shut this door, and you may sweep
them out at that one"
But Margaret had no better success
than before.
stIsn' it curiousr' said Jack. ssThere
must be witches at the door, blowing
the feathers back"
This is what ignorant and supersti-
tious people would have said years ago,
Jack, said his father, s'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 near
the north door. Jack, get another
broom for this pile. BOW, 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; "thcy
don't like TO go out. !"
Father, what is the reasoa, pleaseP'
asked Margaret, earnestly.
Hot all. always rises, replied Me.
Darnley.
"WhyP' asked Margaret.
Because answered her father,
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