The Ethics of the Dust | Page 3

for the relief of their dullness, I never mean to take
more,--the relation of composed metaphor as of actual dream, pp. 27
and 171. I assumed, it is true, that in these places the supposed dream
would be easily seen to be an invention; but must not any more, even
under so transparent disguise, pretend to any share in the real powers of
Vision possessed by great poets and true painters.
BRANTWOOD:
10th October, 1877.

PREFACE.
The following lectures were really given, in substance, at a girls' school
(far in the country); which, in the course of various experiments on the
possibility of introducing some better practice of drawing into the
modern scheme of female education, I visited frequently enough to
enable the children to regard me as a friend. The Lectures always fell
more or less into the form of fragmentary answers to questions; and
they are allowed to retain that form, as, on the whole, likely to be more
interesting than the symmetries of a continuous treatise. Many children
(for the school was large) took part, at different times, in the
conversations; but I have endeavored, without confusedly multiplying
the number of imaginary speakers, to represent, as far as I could, the
general tone of comment and inquiry among young people.
[Footnote: I do not mean, in saying "imaginary," that I have not
permitted to myself, in several instances, the affectionate discourtesy of
some reminiscence of personal character; for which I must hope to be
forgiven by my old pupils and their friends, as I could not otherwise
have written the book at all. But only two sentences in all the dialogues,
and the anecdote of "Dotty," are literally "historical."]
It will be at once seen that these Lectures were not intended for an
introduction to mineralogy. Their purpose was merely to awaken in the
minds of young girls, who were ready to work earnestly and
systematically, a vital interest in the subject of their study. No science

can be learned in play; but it is often possible, in play, to bring good
fruit out of past labor, or show sufficient reasons for the labor of the
future.
The narrowness of this aim does not, indeed, justify the absence of all
reference to many important principles of structure, and many of the
most interesting orders of minerals; but I felt it impossible to go far into
detail without illustrations; and if readers find this book useful, I may,
perhaps, endeavor to supplement it by illustrated notes of the more
interesting phenomena in separate groups of familiar minerals;--flints
of the chalk;--agates of the basalts;--and the fantastic and exquisitely
beautiful varieties of the vein-ores of the two commonest metals, lead
and iron. But I have always found that the less we speak of our
intentions, the more chance there is of our realizing them; and this poor
little book will sufficiently have done its work, for the present, if it
engages any of its young readers in study which may enable them to
despise it for its shortcomings.
DENMARK HILL: Christmas, 1865.

LECTURE 1.
THE VALLEY OF DIAMONDS
A very idle talk, by the dining-room fire, after raisin-and-almond time.
OLD LECTURER; FLORRIE, ISABEL, MAY, LILY, and SIBYL.
OLD LECTURER (L.). Come here, Isabel, and tell me what the make-
believe was, this afternoon.
ISABEL (arranging herself very primly on the foot-stool). Such a
dreadful one! Florrie and I were lost in the Valley of Diamonds.
L. What! Sindbad's, which nobody could get out of? ISABEL. Yes; but
Florrie and I got out of it.
L. So I see. At least, I see you did; but are you sure Florrie did?
ISABEL. Quite sure.
FLORRIE (putting her head round from behind L.'s sofa-cushion).
Quite sure. (Disappears again.)
L. I think I could be made to feel surer about it.
(FLORRIE reappears, gives L. a kiss, and again exit.)
L. I suppose it's all right; but how did you manage it?
ISABEL. Well, you know, the eagle that took up Sindbad was very
large--very, very large--the largest of all the eagles.

L. How large were the others?
ISABEL. I don't quite know--they were so far off. But this one was, oh,
so big! and it had great wings, as wide as--twice over the ceiling. So,
when it was picking up Sindbad, Florrie and I thought it wouldn't know
if we got on its back too: so I got up first, and then I pulled up Florrie,
and we put our arms round its neck, and away it flew.
L. But why did you want to get out of the valley? and why haven't you
brought me some diamonds?
ISABEL. It was because of the serpents. I couldn't pick up even the
least little bit of a diamond, I was so frightened.
L.