more ignorant than we had ever
felt in our lives before; at the same time it would make us wiser than
ever we were in our lives before--that one glimpse of the great glory of
her whom we call Lady Why.

But I will say more of her presently. We must talk first with Madam How,
and perhaps she may help us hereafter to see Lady Why. For she is the
servant, and Lady Why is the mistress; though she has a Master over her
again--whose name I leave for you to guess. You have heard it often
already, and you will hear it again, for ever and ever.

But of one thing I must warn you, that you must not confound Madam How
and Lady Why. Many people do it, and fall into great mistakes
thereby,--mistakes that even a little child, if it would think, need not
commit. But really great philosophers sometimes make this mistake about
Why and How; and therefore it is no wonder if other people make it too,
when they write children's books about the wonders of nature, and call
them "Why and Because," or "The Reason Why." The books are very good
books, and you should read and study them: but they do not tell you
really "Why and Because," but only "How and So." They do not tell you
the "Reason Why" things happen, but only "The Way in which they happen."
However, I must not blame these good folks, for I have made the same
mistake myself often, and may do it again: but all the more shame to me.
For see--you know perfectly the difference between How and Why, when you
are talking about yourself. If I ask you, "Why did we go out to-day?"
You would not answer, "Because we opened the door." That is the answer
to "How did we go out?" The answer to Why did we go out is, "Because we
chose to take a walk." Now when we talk about other things beside
ourselves, we must remember this same difference between How and Why. If
I ask you, "Why does fire burn you?" you would answer, I suppose, being a
little boy, "Because it is hot;" which is all you know about it. But if
you were a great chemist, instead of a little boy, you would be apt to
answer me, I am afraid, "Fire burns because the vibratory motion of the
molecules of the heated substance communicates itself to the molecules of
my skin, and so destroys their tissue;" which is, I dare say, quite true:
but it only tells us how fire burns, the way or means by which it burns;
it does not tell us the reason why it burns.

But you will ask, "If that is not the reason why fire burns, what is?" My
dear c