to S----, (the same boy we mentioned before) and asked him
if he could invent any method of doing the business better. S---- took
about a quarter of an hour to consider; and he then described a little
machine for ruling a sheet of paper at a single stroke, which his
father had executed for him. It succeeded well, and this success was
the best reward he could have.

Another day Mr. ---- observed, that the maid, whose business it was to
empty a bucket of ashes into an ash-hole, never could be persuaded to
do it, because the ashes were blown against her face by the wind; and
he determined to invent a method which should make it convenient to
her to do as she was desired. The maid usually threw the ashes into a
heap on the sheltered side of a wall; the thing to be done was, to
make her put the bucket through a hole in this wall, and empty the
ashes on the other side. This problem was given to all the children
and grown up persons in the family. One of the children invented the
shelf, which, they said, should be like part of the vane of a
winnowing machine which they had lately seen; the manner of placing
this vane, another of the children suggested: both these ideas joined
together, produced the contrivance which was wanted.

A little model was made in wood of this bucket, which was a pretty
toy. The thing itself was executed, and was found useful.

June 8th, 1796. Mr. ---- was balancing a pair of scales very exactly,
in which he was going to weigh some opium; this led to a conversation
upon scales and weighing. Some one said that the dealers in diamonds
must have very exact scales, as the difference of a grain makes such a
great difference in their value. S---- was very attentive to this
conversation. M----told him, that jewellers always, if they can, buy
diamonds when the air is light, and sell them when it is heavy. S----
did not understand the reason of this, till his father explained to
him the general principles of hydrostatics, and showed him a few
experiments with bodies of different specific gravity: these
experiments were distinctly understood by every body present. The boy
then observed, that it was not fair of the jewellers to buy and sell
in this manner; they should not, said he, use _these_ weights.
Diamonds should be the weights. Diamonds should be weighed against
diamonds.

November, 1795. One day after dinner, the candles had been left for
some time without being snuffed; and Mr. ---- said he wished ca