St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-10-13
ABOUT SOAP.BUBBLES.

Probably there is not a reader of
Youug People who has not at some time
amused himself with pipe and bowl
of soap-suds. Few, however, know all
that bubble can afford in the way of
amusement at slight outlay. Does
my reader know how to make giant
bubble? has he learned how to employ
soap-bubbles as magic-lantern slides?
did he ever see them used as parlor or
naments? or is a soap ubblein harness
an everyday thing with him? If not,
he will find these uses of the bubble, de-
scribed in the present article, and l
would add that the experiments will
prove interesting and beautiful to old as
well as young.
We must first learn how to make the
giant bubble. This is the king of bub-
bles, the largest, the longest-lived, and
the most beautiful. If you can imagine
a bubble two or even three feet in di
ameter, with an existence measured by
hours instead of Sc conds, glowing with
colors five times as gorgeous as those
of the ordinary bubble, you have just
such one in your mind eye as you can
make for yourself by carefully follow
ing directions.
Procure two ounces of palm-oil o.
CASTLE soap: the former is preferable.
Cut it in pieces the size of a pea, and
place them in a bottle of clear glass
with pint of rain-water. Shake vio-.
1ently until the water has taken up as
much soap as it viii hold. You have
now what is called a saturated solution
of soap. Place it aside, and leave it
from twenty-four to thirty-six hours,
until it has settled, either perfectly
clear or OF very light pearl-color. If,
after thirtv-six hours, the solution still
remains c1ouded, pour off little of the
water and add more. This time it will
scarcely fail to settle as desired. Care
fully pour off. straining through flannel.
add half pint of pure glycerine, and
when the two have had time to mingle
thoroughly, you are ready oblow a 81
ant bubble.
To blow the very largest bubbles it is
necessary to have a larger pipe than
the clay pipe. commonly used. though
such a pipe will produce large bubbles.
A glass funnel two or three inches in
diameter, fitted with piece of rubber
tubing, produces enormous bubbles.
There is a. very ingenious appara-
ratus used, which admits of putting
the finger within the pipe itself. By this
means fresh-soap solution may be
smeared within the pipe, affording re-
newed nourishment to the bubble, and
enabling the experimental to blow it to
an incredible size. asnz
These bubbles are distinguished not
only for their size but for their beauty
and durability. / have known bubbles
made by this method to last two OF three
hours in the open air, and from twenty
four to thirty-six under glass, precau-
ton being taken that the air of the room
be pure, and that no rough touch destroy
their fragile lives. But now let us find
out how we may examine the bubble
with the greatest ease and to the best
advantage.
Procure piece of pine board about
three inches square. In the middle of
this fix piece of iron wire, free from
rust, twenty inches in length. At about
six inches distance from the board bend
the wire into circle, the plane of which
is parallel with that of the board, and
with diameter of five inches. Blow a
bubble of six or seven inches diameter,
and gently place it in the ring; it will
not break, and by fitting the pipe you
may free it from the bubble Thus
placed the bubble shows off the colors
to great advantage; for, as has been
said, the glycerine bubble will last for
hours, unlike the ordinary one, as frag-
lie as it is lovely. Three or four bub-
bles of various sizes, placed under glass
| on such standards, form a beautiful OBJ
ject for a drawing room, especially il
their colors are seen against back
ground of some black material.
Next as to employing soap-bubbles, or,
more correctly, soap films, as magic
lantern slides. Those who do not pos
sess magic lantern may try the expert
ment, though to less advantage, in the
following way: Dip the mouth of a
tumbler lightly in the soap solution,
raise it gently, and a soap film will re-
main stretched across the mouth. Hold
| the tumbler horizontally, and the same
beautiful effects of color may be seen
on the film as are thrown on the wall
when the magic lantern is used For a
magic lantern, go to work as follows:
Take a slip Of cardboard, the same
size of one of your slides, and in it cut
a circular hole, proportional in diameter
to the width Of the slide. Pour some OF