The Fairy-Land of Science | Page 7

"chemical attraction' to help it,
and dragged the atoms of oxygen out of the water and joined them to
itself. In doing this it also caught part of the hydrogen, but only half,
and so the rest was left out in the cold. No, not in the cold! for the
potassium and oxygen made such a great heat in clashing together that
the rest of the hydrogen became very hot indeed, and sprang into the air
to find some other companion to make up for what it had lost. Here it
found some free oxygen floating about, and it seized upon it so
violently, that they made a burning flame, while the potassium with its
newly found oxygen and hydrogen sank down quietly into the water as
potash. And so you see we have got quite a new substance potash in the
basin; made with a great deal of fuss by chemical attraction drawing
different atoms together.
When you can really picture this power to yourself it will help you very

much to understand what you read and observe about nature.
Next, as plants grow around you on every side, and are of so much
importance in the world, you must also learn something of the names of
the different parts of a flower, so that you may understand those books
which explain how a plant grows and lives and forms its seeds. You
must also know the common names of the parts of an animal, and of
your own body, so that you may be interested in understanding the use
of the different organs; how you breathe, and how your blood flows;
how one animal walks, another flies, and another swims. Then you
must learn something of the various parts of the world, so that you may
know what is meant by a river, a plain, a valley, or a delta. All these
things are not difficult, you can learn them pleasantly from simple
books on physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, and physical
geography; and when you understand a few plain scientific terms, then
all by yourself, if you will open your eyes and ears, you may wander
happily in the fairy-land of science. Then wherever you go you will
find
"Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks Sermons in stones, and
good in everything."
And now we come to the last part of our subject. When you have
reached and entered the gates of science, how are you to use and enjoy
this new and beautiful land?
This is a very important question for you may make a twofold use of it.
If you are only ambitious to shine in the world, you may use it chiefly
to get prizes, to be at the top of your class, or to pass in examinations;
but if you also enjoy discovering its secrets, and desire to learn more
and more of nature and to revel in dreams of its beauty, then you will
study science for its own sake as well. Now it is a good thing to win
prizes and be at the top of your class, for it shows that you are
industrious; it is a good thing to pass well in examinations , for it show
that you are accurate; but if you study science for this reason only, do
not complain if you find it full, and dry, and hard to master. You may
learn a great deal that is useful, and nature will answer you truthfully if
you ask you questions accurately, but she will give you dry facts, just

such as you ask for. If you do not love her for herself she will never
take you to her heart.
This is the reason why so many complain that science is dry and
uninteresting. They forget that though it is necessary to learn accurately,
for so only we can arrive at truth, it is equally necessary to love
knowledge and make it lovely to those who learn, and to do this we
must get at the spirit which lies under the facts. What child which loves
its mother's face is content to know only that she has brown eyes, a
straight nose, a small mouth, and hair arranged in such and such a
manner? No, it knows that its mother has the sweetest smile of any
woman living; that her eyes are loving, her kiss is sweet, and that when
she looks grave, then something is wrong which must be put right. And
it is in this way that those who wish to enjoy the fairy-land of science
must love nature.
It is well to know that when a piece of potassium is thrown on water
the change which takes place is expressed by the formula K + H2O =
KHO + H. But it is