I have seen
Alice rub several across the sand-paper, before she could set one on
fire.
_Mother._ That is true, and the reason of this is, that the matches are
not all well made. Now, if I should take several pieces of hard wood and
tie them together, and dip their ends into the spirits of turpentine,
what would happen, if the ends of some of the pieces did not touch the
spirits of turpentine, because I had not tied them together with their
points all even?
_Daughter._ Why, mother, some of them would take fire easily, because
the points had the spirits of turpentine on them; while those which did
not touch the spirits could not be lighted so easily.
_Mother._ So it is, my dear, with the matches. They are all dipped into
the substance which takes fire so easily; but some of the ends do not
reach the substance, and do not become coated with it, and therefore
they will not light more easily than the pine wood of which they are
made.
LESSON XVIII.
_The same subject, concluded._
_Daughter._ Well, mother, I understand, now, how the match is set on
fire.
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