Strict, strong Stephen Stringer snared slickly six sickly, silky snakes.
To Balance a Pencil on its Point.
Dig the blade of a half open penknife into a pencil, a little above the point, and to open or close the blade, little by little, till you find that the balance is obtained. The combination of pencil and penknife thus placing itself in equilibrio is an illustration of a familiar law of mechanics; the centre of gravity of the combination falls below the point of support (the finger, edge of the table, or the like), and thus stable equilibrium is obtained.
By varying the degree of opening of the penknife, you impart corresponding degrees of inclination to the pencil. When the centre of gravity of the two combined falls in the same line as the axis of the pencil, the latter will assume a perpendicular position.
My Grandfather’s Trunk.
A great game for young folks of a winter evening. The company being seated in a circle, somebody begins by saying, for instance:
No. 1. “I pack my grandfather’s trunk with a pair of spectacles.”
No. 2. “I pack my grandfather’s trunk with a pair of spectacles and a silk hat.”
No. 3. “I pack my grandfather’s trunk with a pair of spectacles, a silk hat and a dime novel.” And so on, each person repeating all the articles already mentioned, beside adding a new one.