This little experiment has not been thus minutely told for philosophers, but for children; however trivial the subject, it is useful to teach children early to try experiments. Even the weighing and calculating in this experiment, amused them, and gave some ideas of the exactness necessary to prove any fact.
(Dec. 1st, 1795.) S—— (8 years old) in reading Gay's fable of "the painter who pleased every body and nobody," was delighted to hear that the painter put his pallet upon his thumb, because S—— had seen a little pallet of his sister A——'s, which she used to put on her thumb. S—— had been much amused by this, and he was very fond of this sister, who had been absent for some time. Association makes slight circumstances agreeable to children; if we do not know these associations, we are surprised at their expressions of delight. It is useful to trace them. (Vide Chap. on Imagination.)
S—— seemed puzzled when he read that the painter "dipped his pencil, talked of Greece." "Why did he talk of Greece?" said S—— with a look of astonishment. Upon inquiry, it was found that S—— mistook the word Greece for Grease!
It was explained to him, that Grecian statues and Grecian figures are generally thought to be particularly graceful and well executed; that, therefore, painters attend to them.
(Dec. 1st, 1795.) After dinner to-day, S—— was looking at a little black toothpick-case of his father's; his father asked him if he knew what it was made of.
The children guessed different things; wood, horn, bone, paper, pasteboard, glue.
Mr. ——. "Instead of examining the toothpick-case, S——, you hold it in your hand, and turn your eyes away from it, that you may think the better. Now, when I want to find out any thing about a particular object, I keep my eye fixed upon it. Observe the texture of that toothpick-case, if you want to know the materials of which it is made; look at the edges, feel it."
S——. "May I smell it?"
Mr. ——. "Oh yes. You may use all your senses."