VALUE OF ARABIC NUMERALS.
FEW people, probably, have any adequate idea of the great difficulties in which arithmetic would be involved were it not for the happy invention of the Arabic numerals. Here is a very simple little sum in addition put Roman fashion.
The reader will find it “a nice amusement,” as the model papa always tells his daughters, to work it out as it stands without having recourse to Arabic notation:
| MDCXLVIII |
| MCCXLV |
| DCCXXXIX |
| MDCCCLXXXIV |
None of these figures reach two thousand, and yet what a hopeless task to sum them up without an abacus! But that is, indeed, a small matter. Here are two better tests of the impossibility of arithmetic without Arabic notation:
Multiply (all in Roman figures) MDCCXLIV by DCLXXXIV, and divide MCCXLIII by XLV. Nothing could be simpler than these two sums, and yet it requires considerable intellect and very close attention to work them out on paper with the Roman symbols.—Cornhill Magazine.
BABY’S CORNER.
JOEY and Jamie are two little bits of boys.
They live in a nice house and play under a big tree.
One little boy is just as old as the other little boy.
When they stand up to see how high they are, Joey is no bigger than Jamie. They are twins.
They look as much alike as peas in a pod. Only Joey has big black eyes and Jamie has blue ones.
They have good times playing when they are good. Sometimes they are naughty. Joey is naughty most.
One day last summer they were playing by the little brook where the flowers grow. The water said “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” as it ran over the stones.
They were happy for a little while. They picked flowers and put their fat hands in the cool water.
But at last Joey began to pick up stones and throw them. One little white stone hit Jamie’s blue eye. It hurt him. He cried. Mamma came and took him on her lap and kissed his eye.
Then it felt better.
Joey sat in mamma’s lap a long time and ate some big red cherries. They were sweet and good.
SOME BIG RED CHERRIES.
Mamma was sorry that she had to punish poor naughty Joey. He had to be tied up in his little chair. He had no cherries. He cried very hard.
Joey will throw no more stones at his little brother.
Mrs. C. M. Livingston.
DISTRIBUTING THE CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
Volume 15, Number 9. Copyright, 1887, by D. Lothrop Company December 31, 1887.
THE PANSY.
IMAGE OF BUDDHA.—(See Lotus Lilies.)