Page:A Few Hours in a Far Off Age.djvu/96

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EATED, the students look at what is here represented for their instruction. Frederick reads:

"Coal-mining in the early centuries. Connected with this gloomy case is one of the brightest of discoveries, and, though made in that almost savage age, has proved of lasting value to all civilized communities—namely, the use of coal as a fertiliser. A woman in the nineteenth century first reasoned out the truth, and gave her knowledge to the world as the world's right. But, as woman's opinions were little understood or prized when men were in so ignorant a state, her idea was only derided, or experimented so ignorantly that the proper use of coal was abandoned until a man discovered it accidentally, about two hundred years later. When its efficiency had been proved—to do which he was furnished with every facility—the Government took immediate steps to prevent any further waste by burning of so precious an aid to agriculture."

He looks up quickly, and in a tone of great astonishment repeats: "Burning!"

"Yes, previous to that discovery it was only used for heating and lighting. The gas it contains, which is so necessary to vegetation, but so destructive to human life, was thus ever polluting the air and caused much sickness—the origin of which was totally unsuspected by the sufferers. When men at last understood the real value of coal, it was the very help for which our over-tired earth was languishing; for at that time, humans were fast abandoning flesh diet for