It

to oils and common coal gas their power of enflaming. This is hydrogen. It is extracted in various ways. may be done by decomposing water with a metal such as zinc, with the aid of sulphuric acid, as in this apparatus.

Hydrogen is very light-about fourteen times lighter than air. You see this from the small balloon which I shall fill with it ascending into the air.

The other gas oxygen I described in my last lecture on air, and need scarcely say much about it. These gases unite with terrible force, and in their union form water. They are separated with difficulty, but by the aid of a galvanic battery you can see that the water ceases to be liquid, and gas takes its place. These bubbles arising are a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gas,—if kindled they go back to their original state.

We have seen something of the immense importance of water. It cannot be overrated, because man is doomed to spend a great amount of his strength in obtaining it, in using it, and in removing it. When it is fetched from a distance by the hand, it takes up the whole time nearly of one member of a family; and every one must be glad when this large portion of monotonous labour is removed from man, by obtaining a ready supply brought from a distance and carried into our houses. We now do that work by machinery,which was a grievous labour imposed chiefly upon women; for in all countries they have had this weary occupation almost entirely to themselves. It is the business of knowledge to remove from us all lowering occupations, and this one we may well rejoice over at any expense. The practical uses of water in every-day life form the subject of a separate lecture. I trust that what I have said will add something of an intellectual accompaniment to its frequent, abundant, and intelligent use.

SUCCESS IN TRADE.

BY J. J. MECHI, ESQ., OF TIPTREE HALL.

[Delivered at the Witham Literary Institution, and Reported in
Phonography by Cornelius Walford, jun.]

Every effect has its cause; of course there is such a thing as chance or luck, which you may illustrate by a prize in a lottery, or a £10,000 legacy from some one of whom you never expected a shilling; but these are exceptions to the rule. Now were a wise man about to erect a house, he would take care to place it upon a sound and solid foundation, the higher and larger, the wider should be the basis. In my early career I remember asking myself this question, "Why do customers change or transfer their favours?" Not because they are satisfied, but because they have lost confidence. The remark applies equally to the merchant, manufacturer, shipowner, or trader. There is no tie so strong in worldly matters as self-interest; therefore, if you act with integrity to your customers, if you have the ability to obtain and place before them the article they require, with the necessary accompaniments of civility, attention, and good feeling, you win their confidence and connexion.

What an important word is that said confidence! It reminds me of the compound multiplication of the horse-shoe nails. Let me illustrate it. How frequently have I observed at my counter, the eager and buoyant school boy buying his first shilling penknife. "Is it a good one, Mr. Mechi?" "Yes; I'll exchange it if it does not suit you." Ah! that penknife, it pleased him. He grows to the bearded youth, he must have

razors, he remembers the penknife. He falls in love, -'tis natural to fall in love,-a workbox for his intended. He gets married,-'tis natural to get married, -he must have cutlery and marriageable accompaniments. So you see the good penknife won his confidence. We have his friends, and his friends' friends as a compound multiplication of continuous recommendation.

I have always found it advantageous to treat my customers with the utmost latitude of liberality in regard to their exchanging, or even by returning the money for any article not approved; in fact I say to them, do here as you would in your own house, please yourself, if you can. This liberality begets liberality. I have seldom found it abused; except occasionally by a churl who is neither satisfied with himself nor anybody else. A rigid and prompt attention to jobs or small matters is very essential, and too often neglected; yet customers are as often offended by these neglects as by more important ones.

Now this confidence is a very pleasing and profitable conclusion to arrive at; but, before we attain it, let us see what has to be done. I will briefly put in review, and dispose of the young man who stays out late at night, who gets up late in the morning, who waits on Providence with his hands in his pockets hoping for customers, his windows unclean, his shop frontage unswept, his wares undusted, and his general personal appearance in harmony with his other mismanagement; his orders procrastinated, and his business (his customers' wants and wishes) made, in fact, subservient to his ease or to his pleasures. His time of performance will be short, if dependent on credit, VERY short. Anxious and observant creditors grow nervous and pressing the fall of the curtain is illustrated by an auctioneer's sale paper, and we see on the shutters in dark and significant characters "This shop to let." His unfortunate servants and dependents, if he has any, are launched on the wide sea of competition, possibly

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infected by his bad example, and he himself sunk one important degree in the scale of social degredation. 'Tis a painful picture, I have too frequently seen it-I pray you avoid it.

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In establishing a new business, remember that you are on your trial. In first transacting you will be closely watched and not easily forgiven. Confidence is a plant of slow and careful growth, but when you have the confidence of the public remember it may be lost. If, in full reliance on this confidence, you relax in those sound principles which obtained it, you must expect a retributive re-action. Your old friends, your customers will complain, and perhaps hope and believe the first offence to have arisen from accident, but they will never forgive you for a second abandonment of just principles. In order fully to succeed you must be a perfect judge of your business. I mean you must have taste as to a pleasing form and pattern, a rigid observance of quality and finish, an acute perception of price, and a conviction that high prices diminish demand whilst moderate charges increase it.

The accumulation of old stock (a fearful term) ruins many a tradesman. His taste and judgment are inferior to those of his customers, they reject the untempting though oft tendered, and consequently old-fashioned or deteriorated article. A great evil attends this. The buyer is disappointed, he purchases from a more able and successful contemporary, who, probably, secures his custom in perpetuity. Before I leave the "old stock" question (and we must all occasionally have a little), remember to watch a hanging article, it may be much approved, but may appear too dear in the public view. If you are assured of this reduce the price at once, either to, or below cost price, and avoid the pattern for the future. Every wise man will take a stock of his goods at least once a year; he will value them if well bought and in good saleable order, at cost price; but if old fashioned or unsaleable stock, the

value at which they could be then bought should be taken to exhibit the real state of his affairs.

I once knew an ironmonger who considered he had a large surplus but failed. On examination of his stock, it was found principally to consist of goods purchased years before at prices far above those of the day. He always took stock at its first cost and endeavoured to sell accordingly. His trade diminished, and he became poor in fact, though solvent in figures.

The ordering of stock and its classifications are matters seriously affecting your success; I have known a good many young tradesmen with brilliant prospects ruined for want of a proper system. If you have a reputation for integrity and industry, competing manufacturers will be most pressing and bland in persuading you that everything they have is most saleable. Each one will urge his suit, hoping to exclude his competitor. Here is your great danger. Young beginners are apt, naturally enough, to be too sanguine and hopeful, but remember (until you have ascertained your average weekly or monthly sale) to err on the safe side by ordering rather too little than too much, you can always make additions when necessary. When the period of payment comes round, the syren and soft voice of persuasive eloquence will be exchanged for the stern tone of threat or remonstrance. If, finding yourself overstocked, you are unprepared to pay, the suppliers will say, "Sir, it was your duty to know what you wanted, ours was to endeavour to vend our manufactures."

As I consider this part of the question a vital one, perhaps you will excuse my enlarging upon it in detail, by stating the result of my own practice and experience; and here again I must impress a rigid attention to booking every article sold, its sort, its price; the weekly, monthly, and annual amount of your takings, and comparing them with the sales of the same periods in past years. These are the basis for your stock calculations. If your business is a uniform one, the amount