Mr. Seymour informed them, they would hereafter find that the steady ascent of the kite into the air entirely depended upon such accuracy. “Have you not seen, Tom,” asked he, “a kite rise sideways, or plunge, as it is called?”
Tom said he had often experienced that difficulty at school, but that he had attributed it to some defect in the tail.
“An error in the construction of the tail may, certainly, be occasionally the cause of such an accident, but it is more generally referable to an improper position of the loop: if the kite plunges, you may conclude that this loop is placed too high; and should it whirl round in the air, you may infer that it is too low.”
During this conversation Mr. Twaddleton entered the apartment; Tom was anxious to show him his newly-constructed kite, and, while the party were asking him numerous questions, Mr. Seymour observed, that the vicar would be more profitably employed in making bobs for the string of the tail, than in finding answers for their string of questions.
Mrs. Seymour, and her daughters, with Tom and the vicar, were, accordingly, placed round the table, for the purpose of carrying this project into effect, by a suitable division of labour. It was arranged that Mrs. Seymour should cut the paper, the vicar fold it, and Mr. Seymour tie it on the string.
“How long ought the tail to be?” asked Tom.
“And of what shape should the papers be cut?” enquired Louisa.
“And at what distances are they to be placed from each other on the string?” said Mrs. Seymour.
“I will answer all your queries,” replied the father, “by giving you a dissertation upon this part of our machine.”
“We shall now have an harangue,” exclaimed the vicar, “as long as the tail itself; but pray proceed.”