_THE FOG_.
"What is the fog, Mamma?"
"Sometimes the air is light And cannot bear up all the mists, And then 'tis foggy, quite;
But when air heavier grows, The fog is borne above, And floated off, the cloudy stuff,-- Just see it, graceful, move."
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THE RAIN.
"What makes the rain, Mamma?"
"The mists and vapors rise From land and stream and rolling sea, Up toward the distant skies; And there they form the clouds, Which, when they're watery, dear, Pour all the water down to earth, And rain afar or near."
_THE SNOW_.
"What makes the Snow, Mamma?"
"When very cold above, The mists are frozen high in air, And fall as snow, my love."
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"And Hail?" "Tis formed the same; Cold streams of air have come And frozen all the water-drops, And thus the hail-stones form.
"Now do not question more, Dear child, but run and play, I'll tell you of the Water, Fire, And Light, another day."
"Oh yes, and dear Mamma, Of Thunder, Lightning, too, For I shall want to know it all, So tell me, Mamma, do."
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_TRUTH_.
Do not let "Mother Truth" find a falsehood all over,-- Amongst all her children, no, never a lie; Stand for Truth, ye wee babies, for Truth, ye who're older, For Truth while you live, and for Truth till you die.
All ye myriads of children this little book talks to, Form now in each household a band for the Truth, Do not let even a "white lie," and still less a "whopper,"
Find a place in your hearts, nor your heads, nor your mouth.
You know God is Truth;--and as you are His children, You want to be like Him as near as you can; Speak the Truth, live the Truth, be the Truth with Him, And Heaven will have come, as Christ taught in his plan.
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{112}
_HI-DIDDLE, HO-DIDDLE_.
HI-DIDDLE, HO-DIDDLE, Pop-diddle-dee, This Earth of ours, on which we live, Is round as it can be.
Pray, then, what is a Mountain, valley, hill?
They are but like little warts, And pores, on orange-peel.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee,-- Our Earth is swinging in the air, As you can plainly see;-- {113} Pray, then, what keeps it Hanging up in space?
The Sun, my child, attracts the Earth And holds it in its place.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, A lovely Moon is shining for This Earth of ours, you see,-- Held in its cradle Ever since its birth, Because our globe attracted it, As the Sun attracts the Earth.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, What I mean by globe, child, You're wondering now, I see. {114} A globe or a ball, dear, Is what is round and true, And that is why I'm calling it, This Earth, a globe, to you.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, Instead of globe I might have said A _sphere_ for you and me; For all the same, in truth, Are sphere and globe and ball, And _hemi_'s half so half this Earth, A _hemisphere_, we call.
Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, 'T was once supposed the Earth stood still, While Sun went round it, free;-- But now we've learned it well, That 't is the Earth doth turn Upon its Axis, as it's called; And also round the Sun.
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Hi-diddle, ho-diddle, Pop-diddle-dee, Our Earth in turning round, How long may she be?
She turns on her axis In a day, and a night, But to go around the Sun Takes a year for the flight.
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_WHAT IS THE AXIS?_
Now you ask, "What is the Axis?"
With an apple I will show; Place your thumb upon the stem-place, And your finger at the blow;-- Now we'll just suppose the apple Has a stem that passes through, And this stem would be the Axis; Now we'll whirl the apple, true,
Holding fast 'twixt thumb and finger,-- That's the way the Earth goes round On its Axis, as we call it, Though no real stem is found. {117} And the two ends of the Axis Have been called the Poles, my dear; Yes, the North Pole and the South Pole, Where 'tis very cold and drear.
Now we'll hold a bigger apple At a distance, for the Sun; Tip the smaller one a little, And then slowly wheel it round All around the larger apple, And it represents the Earth Circling round the Sun that holds it, Ceaseless, in its yearly path.
Wondrous is the strong attraction Of the Sun which holds in place All the Planets in their turnings, All the Stars that see his face; But more wondrous far the power That created Sun and us, And that gave a form and being, To this mighty Universe.
"The Universe!" now you exclaim: "By the Universe, what do you mean?" {118} 'Tis the Sun and the Planets, and every thing known, That we call by this Universe name.
Now the "Planets," you ask, "What are Planets?" They're globes, Some larger, some smaller than Earth,-- Which are swinging in space, And are all held in place, By the God-power that first gave them birth.
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_HEAT AND COLD_.