Chatterbox, 1905.
E-text prepared by Susan Skinner, Juliet Sutherland, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)
PRESSWORK BY COLONIAL PRESS: C. H. SIMONDS & CO. BOSTON, U.S.A.
1905.
Why Should We Wait Till To-morrow?
It rose at once to the ceiling.
n the chimney corner of a cottage in Avignon, a man sat one day watching the smoke as it rose in changing clouds from the smouldering embers to the sooty cavern above, and if those who did not know him had supposed from his attitude that he was a most idle person, they would have been very far from the truth.
It was in the days when the combined fleets of Europe were thundering with cannon on the rocky walls of Gibraltar, in the hope of driving the English out, and, the long effort having proved in vain, Joseph Montgolfier, of whom we have spoken, fell to wondering, as he sat by the fire, how the great task could be accomplished.
'If the soldiers and sailors could only fly,' he thought, 'there would be no difficulty.' He looked at a picture of the Rock lying on the table beside him, and saw many places on its summit very suitable for such flying foes to settle on. 'But, ah! who could give them wings?' He turned to the fireplace, and his eyes fell once more on the column of smoke, silently, silently rising; and yet not so silently as the world might think, for though he had not yet quite understood its meaning, Joseph Montgolfier had been striving for some time past to learn the lesson which he felt sure it was to teach him at last. And to-day the secret came out. Thoughts so active as his did not take long to get from Gibraltar back to the smoke, and they had not been there many minutes when Montgolfier jumped from his seat, and, throwing open the door of the room, called to his landlady. A great idea had occurred to him, and, to carry it out, he required some light, silky material, called taffeta. This the good landlady quickly supplied, and when she entered the room some time later, she found her lodger holding the taffeta, which he had formed into a bag, over the fire. As the smoke filled it, it certainly showed an inclination to rise, but once out of reach of the warmest glow it toppled over and collapsed on the floor.
Various
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POETRY.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
COLOURED PLATES.
Chatterbox.
I.—THE TWO BROTHERS OF ANNONAY AND THEIR PAPER BALLOON.
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
I.—IN THE PILLORY.
I.—ON CAVERNS IN GENERAL.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
I.—STINGS AND LANCETS.
1.—Geographical Acrostic.
2.—Arithmograph.
II.—SIGNOR ROSSIGNOL'S PERFORMING BIRDS.
CHAPTER V.
FOOTNOTES:
I.—'THE WATCHERS ON THE LONGSHIPS.'
II.—SOME WEAPONS OF OFFENCE.
CHAPTER VI.
II.—FINGAL'S CAVE, STAFFA.
CHAPTER VII.
3.—Pied Cities.
4.—Geographical Enigma.
CHAPTER VIII.
II.—M. CHARLES AND HIS PARIS BALLOON.
A German version of an old story.
I.
A True Anecdote.
CHAPTER IX.
III.—HOW BUTTERFLIES, FLIES, AND SNAILS FEED.
A Fable.
II.
III.—THE MAMMOTH CAVE.
CHAPTER X.
III.
CHAPTER XI.
5.—Arithmograph.
III.—PROFESSOR CHARLES' FIRST VOYAGE.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
III.—HOW BUTTERFLIES, FLIES, AND SNAILS FEED.
IV.—THE GROTTOES OF HAN IN THE ARDENNES.
CHAPTER XIV.
A True Anecdote.
CHAPTER XV.
A Fable.
6.—Doublets.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVII.
V.—THE ROCK TEMPLES OF INDIA.
III.—THE SIMPLON ROAD.
CHAPTER XVIII.
IV.—HOW INSECTS SEE.
IV.—THE FIRST CATASTROPHE.
CHAPTER XIX.
IV.—THE STORY OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.
FOOTNOTE:
8.—Rhymed Metagram.
A Hindu Fable.
II.—THE DEERSLAYER.
CHAPTER XX.
A True Anecdote.
V.—HOW INSECTS FLY.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER I.
V.—THE FIRST ASCENT IN ENGLAND.
9.—Transpositions.
FOOTNOTES:
Last Night.
This Morning.
VI.—THE ROCK TEMPLES OF AJUNTA AND ELLORA.
Some True Anecdotes of Wonderful Feats.
CHAPTER II.
I.
Founded on Fact.
V.—LORD MASSEREENE'S IMPRISONMENT.
VI.—HOW INSECTS WALK.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
VI.—THE GIANT AND ITS ADVENTURES.
VII.—THE CLIFF-DWELLERS OF NORTH AMERICA.
10.—Oblique Puzzle.
11.—Charade.
VII.—HOW INSECTS BREATHE
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
VII.—BALLOONS AT THE SIEGE OF PARIS IN 1870.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
VIII.—HOW INSECTS MAKE MUSIC.
12.—Curtailments.
13.—Conical Puzzle.
VIII.—THE HIGHEST FLIGHT—SEPTEMBER 5, 1862.
CHAPTER IX.
FOOTNOTES:
CHAPTER X.
At Home.
Out Visiting.
IX.—THE EARS AND NOSES OF INSECTS.
CHAPTER XI.
14.—Decapitations.
VIII.—THE CAVERNS OF LURAY.
IX.—HERR ANDRÉE AND HIS BALLOON.
FOOTNOTES:
CHAPTER XII.
X.—HOW INSECTS MAKE SILK.
CHAPTER XIII.
IX.—THE GROTTO OF LA BALME.
VI.—THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR, OCT. 21, 1805.
A True Story.
CHAPTER XIV.
X.—THE CLIFF-DWELLERS OF NORTH AMERICA.
CHAPTER XV.
15.—Ladder Puzzle.
CHAPTER XVI.
X.—PARACHUTES.
CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
XI.—CATERPILLARS AND THEIR ENEMIES.
A True Story.
XI.—THE GROTTOES OF ADELSBERG
XI.—CATERPILLARS AND THEIR ENEMIES.
CHAPTER XIX.
XI.—MODERN AERONAUTS AND THEIR AIR-SHIPS.
16.—Anagrams: Names of Famous Monarchs.
CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XXI.
VII.—REPTON, THE CONVICT.
CHAPTER XXII.
XII.—HOW INSECTS GROW.
A True Story.
A True Anecdote.
XII.—SOME WONDERS OF THE SKY.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XXV.
Transcriber's Notes.