_ You told me, mother, that some things require a very little
heat to set them on fire, and that other things require a great deal. I
suppose that there was not heat enough to set them on fire; and if there
had been, they would not burn, because they are made of iron.
_Mother._ You are partly right, my dear, and partly wrong. They would
not burn, because there was not heat enough in the fire to burn them.
But there are very few things, and in fact it may be doubted whether
there is anything, which will not burn, when sufficient heat is applied.
But let us return to the fire: you say the heat does not come from the
windows nor from the chimney, and you say, also, that the wood and the
coal are both cold. Now, where can the heat come from?
_Daughter._ I am sure I cannot tell, mother; will you please to tell me?
_Mother._ You recollect that I told you that the rubbing of the match on
the sand-paper produces a little heat, which caused the match to burn.
The match was then applied to the shavings, and, as it was burning, gave
out heat enough to set the shavings on fire; the shavings produced heat
enough to set the pine wood, or kindling, on fire, and then the pine
wood, or kindling, produced more heat, and set the wood and coal on
fire.
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