ever think about time in stories. I think it was in former times-a great while ago." "In the time of Pliny, or before?" said Harry; "he tells the story."

Very likely," said Lucy. "I do not care who tells it."

"But, my dear," said Harry, "what I want you to care for is the wonder that it should be so long since glass, and the way of making it, were first discovered by that lucky accident, and yet that it should be hundreds of years before it was brought into common use. You know the ancients, the Greeks and Romans, had not glass as we have."

"I thought that they had glass bottles in old Roman times," said Lucy. "I remember something about a bottle of glass in the Roman history, which a man brought to the Emperor Tiberius (I think), and he dashed it to pieces when he was provoked, and the emperor put him to death for it. Do not you remember, Harry, my reading it loud to mamma, and your being so angry with that tyrant?"

"I remember that perfectly well,” said Harry; "but that was only one particular bottle."

"But besides that particular bottle," said Lucy, "I recollect hearing Mr. Frankland tell mamma, that there were plates of glass found in the ruins of Herculaneum." "Did he?" said Harry.

"Yes," said Lucy, "and from that it is supposed, that glass windows were used by the ancients."

66

Perhaps so," said Harry.

"But, my

dear Lucy, to go no farther than England, my book says, that the English had not glass windows for many hundred years after that. The windows of houses and churches were covered with linen cloth, till towards the end of the tenth century."

"You mean till about the year 999!" said Lucy.

"It was not till after the days of Queen Elizabeth," said Harry, "that it was quite common for houses to have glass windows."

"How very stupid people must have been in those former days then," said Lucy!

"So it seems," said Harry; "and yet I suppose they were not naturally more stu

pid than we are now.

Recollect Virgil

But then the an

and Homer, my dear. cients had not many men of science." "And then came the dark ages, as our history calls them," said Lucy; "and in the dark ages I suppose people fell asleep, and could not think of glass, or any thing else. Even when they wakened there were not many that could write or read, you know, Harry.”

66

"They had very few books to read," said Harry, except the ancient Greek and Roman books over again, and they had scarcely any books of experiments I believe."

"They had only manuscripts," said Lucy, "written on parchment, or on papyrus. I remember papa once showed me a papyrus manuscript in a museum, and I saw parchment rolls too, which the ancients called books."

"And what work there must have been making copies enough of those manuscript

books," said Harry, "for people to read. And how few copies of books a man could make after all: and he could do nothing else."

"No wonder the people were stupefied," said Lucy.

"But then happily was invented the grand art of printing," said Harry.

"Yes, I remember," said Lucy, "seeing it in capital letters in the Memorable Events. And when I first read of it I did not know why so much was said about its being such a grand invention. Now I begin to understand better. By the bye, Harry, you have seen a printing-press. I never saw one, and I should like to see how they print. I think that my father was asking something about printingpresses in Bristol."

"Yes," said Harry, "he told me that he will take you to see one if he has time."

"I wish it may be to-morrow," said Lucy. "We have very few days more to stay at Clifton: I hope papa will have time to show me the printing-press. But

in the mean time, Harry, will you play at cup and ball with me: look what a pretty ivory cup and ball mamma has given me. I thought of it several times while you were talking of glass, but I would not interrupt you. Now let us have a trial on the spike. Which will catch it the oftenest? Will you spin the ball for me?" 'What is the use of spinning it?" A question easily asked-very difficult

to answer.

"MAMMA, I am sorry that you could not go with us to see the printing-press to day, for it was very entertaining. And look," said Lucy, "I am not covered with printer's ink, as you said I should be."

"If you did not take care, my dear, I said. Did not I?"

"Yes, mamma; but I did take care you see, for I have not a single spot, and yet I saw every thing perfectly. Mamma, you have seen printing so often, I suppose, that it would be tiresome to describe it to you.