OLD-TIME SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-BOOKS - online book
An Illustrated history & description Of Schools in the 18th & 19th Centurys.
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262 Old-time Schools and School-books
That, my dear, is what we can not certainly know; the moon being at too great a distance for us to discover any living creatures upon it. But, judging from what we can discover, and from the general resemblance of the moon to the earth, we have reason to suppose that the moon may be in hab it ed by rational, in tel li gent creatures, capable of knowing and praising their Creator.
The Sun.
The sun is above a million times larger than the earth; and like the earth, turns round about itself. It was formerly supposed to be an immense body of fire; but this opinion is no longer entertained by those who appear to be best acquainted with the subject.
They think it can not be a body of fire, because, in that case the nearer we approached to it, the greater degree of warmth we should feel. But the contrary is the fact; it is ascertained, that upon very high mountains the air is much colder than it is below. Besides, by looking at the sun through a glass made for the purpose, we perceive some dark spots upon it, which would not be the case were it a body of fire. We conclude, therefore, that the sun is not a body of fire.
What then is the sun ?
The sun is understood to be an immense ball, or globe, surrounded with an illumined atmosphere, which acting upon the air that en com pass es the earth and other planets, in a manner we are un ac quaint ed with, produces light and heat.
Mandeville's Primary Reader, New York, 1849, endeavors to teach words and their meanings by elaborate repetitions and com  binations. The text makes a |
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