'And to more than you yet know,' said her mother. 'I will read to you part of a letter your father received this morning from him : "There is also a very extraordinary fact, respecting the communicable colors in mother of pearl, which deserves to be mentioned. One set of these colors is produced by the right side of the grooves, and another set by the left side, and both of them are distinctly seen when the mother of pearl is polished; but when the polish is removed by rough grinding, one of the sets invariably disappears. The rough grinding, therefore, destroys the effect of one side of the grooves, without affecting the other." Lucy's mother then told her, that in consequence of Dr. Brewster's discovery of the cause of the colors in mother of pearl, another ingenious gentlemant produced the same appearance on glass, and on different metals, by simply cutting grooved lines on their surface. The lines are so fine,' she added, 'that without a microscope they are scarcely discernible, and the glass and the metal appear to retain their polish; yet they and the colors also may be communicated by an impression like those from the mother of pearl to the wax.' Her mother then showed her a gilt button, the lines on which had been struck by a steel die; and a bit of glass, on which they had Mr. Barton. been cut by a diamond, and from both she saw the prismatic colors reflected as beautifully as from mother of pearl. 'But, Harry!' exclaimed Lucy, 'all this time I have forgotten about Harry: how very nicely you turned my thoughts for me; and quite put out of my head what I could not drive away. Mother, this is all your doing: I wish it had been my own.' 'The best part of it is yours, my dear child,' said her mother, 'the wish to do right. The asking for advice and assistance was your own.' 'I wish I could manage my thoughts for myself in the same way,' said Lucy. That curious discovery entertained me so much, that I forgot every thing else. Mother, this is another advantage of having a taste for things of this sort; they help us to turn our mind from what you call foolish curiosity.' 'Yes, Lucy, they will often assist you in managing your own thoughts and your own mind,' said her mother. This is one of the great benefits which women derive from cultivating their understandings, and the best use they can make of a taste for literature and science.' 'Mother,' resumed Lucy, after some pause, 'I am very glad that you let me go on with Harry. I am sure it has been the cause of great pleasure to me. Even on the journey, it was so pleasant to be interested in the same things. But above all, during Harry's illness, it was the greatest happiness to feel that he liked to have me with him always, reading and talking to him, and being interested in the sorts of things which he liked best. Mother, I hope you do not think it has done me any harm? I hope you do not think that I have grown careless about other things?' 'Not in the least, my dear,' said her mother; 'on the contrary, I perceive that you have become more attentive to all which it is necessary for you to learn.' 'One other question, mother, and I shall be quite happy if you can answer it as I wish. I hope, that you do not think that I have grown conceited?' 'No, Lucy,' said her mother; 'I think it will be with you as I have observed it has been with others who are properly instructed —that the more they know, the less danger there is of their growing vain. They find out how infinitely much more there is to be learnt, even from the most common objects by which they are surrounded.' Yes, mother,' said Lucy; and I begin to feel the truth of what you have often said to me, that the more we learn of what are called the works of nature, and of the wonderful inside of our own minds, the better we must become, and the more pious. I am not sure whether pious is the right word, or religious; but you know what I mean.' I do, my dear,' said her mother; and as to the words, it is of little consequence what words you use to express this sentiment, if you feel it, as I hope and believe you do, sincerely and firmly. 'HERE he comes! O, mother! here is Harry and his kite,' cried Lucy, running to the window. With a face radiant with joy, he came bearing his kite in triumph. High she threw up the sash, and he sprang in, joy adding to his natural elasticity. Lucy! my dear Lucy! It does! It will do,' cried he. 'I would not tell you till I was sure it would succeed. O, mother! it does better than even my father expected. But come out! come out, Lucy! and see it. We will put it up again for you, for there is no joy without you and my mother. Let me tell you about my messenger.' Then eagerly he began to explain his kite and his messenger. But now, when Lucy saw Harry's kindness, it struck her how unjust she had been: she was ashamed of her past feelings, and looked at her mother with a consciousness, and a change of countenance, which Harry perceived. He became confused, though in the middle of a panegyric on his messenger, and after making some attempts to piece his story with-and so''and so,' he stopped, and putting into her hand a knot in the string, which he had been endeavoring to disentangle 'Untie this for me, will you, my dear?' His eye added, 'What is the said he. matter?' 'Nothing-nothing worth telling you, I mean,' answered Lucy. It was only that I was very, very unjust, and that I am exceedingly ashamed.' 6 That you were a little foolish, my dear, I will not deny,' said her mother; but you need not be so exceedingly ashamed, because you did your best to conquer your foolish feelings this is all that the best of us can do.' Lucy told her brother all that had passed in her mind. He regretted that she had been vexed; but was glad, he said, to know how it was, that he might avoid doing the same thing again and she assured him that it was all her own folly, and that she hoped never again to be so weak. 'There is your knot untied for you, brother,' she added, returning the disentangled string, and now all's right again.' 'Thank you; all is right,' repeated Harry. And all will be right, and will continue so between friends, who, in this manner, speak openly to each other of those little feelings, of which, perhaps, they are at the moment ashamed. This affair being cleared out of Lucy's head, there was some chance of her understanding Harry's contrivance, and she and her mother went out, and saw another exper iment of the kite, which succeeded even better than the first. The wind blew stronger; |