l be something of the sort. I
remember back in my four-hundred-and-fifty-second year finding one of
my father's farm wagons on the top of the hill back of the cow
pasture. I wheeled it to the edge of the descent, and was much
delighted to see it go speeding down to the base of the hill,
gathering momentum at every turn of the wheels, and ending up by
hitting the back door of Uncle Zibb's cottage with such force that it
came out of the front parlor window before stopping. This seemed to
indicate that under certain circumstances a wheeled vehicle could be
made to go without a horse, but in what precise way it can be brought
about the limitations of my mechanical training prevent me from
determi ... I was watching the heated vapor rising from our tea-kettle
the other night, and was much diverted to notice that it made a
whistling sort of sound as it emerged from the nozzle of the pot. It
ran from B sharp to high C, and was loud enough to be heard on the
other side of the room. It has occurred to me that there may be in
this some hidden principle that will some day enable man to make this
vapor do his work for him, especially along musical lines. Surely if
this misty substance can make a tea-kettle squeak, why should it not,
if multiplied in volume and run through a trombone, afford us a
capable substitute for Bill Watkins, who plays second base on our
Village Band?

AS TO PROPHECIES

If our Prophets would only confine themselves to probabilities I am
inclined to think we should take more stock in the things they
foretell. I am impelled to the making of this reflection by the
presence in our town of an Astrologer who is setting all the women by
the ears by prophesying a day when they will not have to do their own
housework, and will thrive in many lines of endeavor now open solely
to men. He is an interesting old fellow, in spite of the foolishness
of his predictions; but when he tells the women's clubs that in some
far off century women will be found writing novels, and adorning
themselves with rich fabrics, and surrounded by a class of paid
toilers who will do nothing but minister to their ease and comfort, I
lose all patience with him. It is filling their minds with socialistic
notions that are impairing their usefulness, and I have had to
chastise seven of my own fair helpmeets this past week for neglecting
their duties and treating my instructions with contempt. A curious
thing about his prophecies is their confir