Page:Preparation of the Child for Science.djvu/64

60 still in use in remote country places, the spinner of an old-fashioned rope-walk, the rocking piston of a steam ferry-boat, becomes quite a familiar friend of children who have the opportunity of cultivating its acquaintance. They might have many worse friends. But a better one still is the Sympalmograph or Harmonograph, especially the old-fashioned kind, made of two pendulums swinging different ways, and holding between them a pen, which traces exquisite curves that suggest wings, and flames, and strange unknown flower-forms. If you know where lives one of these old harmonographs, cultivate the acquaintance of the owner, and get leave to let the little ones see the big, ugly, lumbering monster creating the most fairy-like beauty by simple obedience to rhythmic law. Do not preach or try to explain; let the motion itself lay its spell on their souls and preach a sermon too eloquent to be translated into human speech.

I said that children can have worse friends than a steam piston. One of these worse friends is the person who interrupts their fascinated contemplation by saying, 'It is waste of time to watch this old slow-coach affair; if you want to see machines, I'll take you to see one that will turn out a gross of diagrams while this lumbering old thing makes one.