nts corresponds a certain thickness of
the substance forming the bubble; in fact, he shewed, in general, that
all transparent substances, when reduced to a certain degree of
tenuity, would reflect these colours. Near the highest point of the
bubble, just before it bursts, is always observed a spot which
reflects no colour and appears black. Newton shewed that the thickness
of the bubble at this black point was the 2,500,000th part of an inch!
Now, as the bubble at this point possesses the properties of water as
essentially as does the Atlantic Ocean, it follows that the ultimate
molecules forming water must have less dimensions than this
thickness.--_Lardner's Handbook._

ENGLISH PLOUGHING.

The following, written from England, is going the round of the papers,
and is as true as the gospel, in my opinion. I have seen better
ploughing here with a pair of oxen than in the old country with five
horses; but Johnny won't learn. 'Lord! only look at five great,
elephant-looking beasts in one plough, with one great lummokin fellow
to hold the handle, and another to carry the whip, and a boy to lead,
whose boots have more iron on them than the horses' hoofs have, all
crawling as if going to a funeral! What sort of a way is that to do
work? It makes me mad to look at 'em. If there is any airthly clumsy
fashion of doin' a thing, that's the way they are always sure to git
here. They're a benighted, obstinate, bull-headed people the English,
that's the fact, and always was.' Well done, Jonathan--quite
true!--_From a private Letter from Boston._

JOHN BUNYAN AND MINCE-PIES.

In No. 417 of this Journal it is chronicled that John Bunyan scrupled
to eat mince-pies, because of the superstitious character popularly
attached to them; but it would appear from an anecdote sent to us by a
correspondent, that if this was true at all of the author of the
_Pilgrim's Progress_, he must have received new light upon the
subject at a later period of life. When he was imprisoned for
preaching--so says the anecdote--in Bedford jail, a superstitious
lady, thinking to entrap him, sent a servant to request his acceptance
of a Christmas pie; whereupon Banyan replied: 'Tell your mistress that
I accept her present thankfully, for I have learned to distinguish
between a mince-pie and superstition.'

FOREST-TEACHINGS.

There was travelling in the wild-wood
Once, a child of song;
And he marked the forest-monarchs