The narrowness of this aim does not, indeed, justify the absence of all reference to many important principles of structure, and many of the most interesting orders of minerals; but I felt it impossible to go far into detail without illustrations; and if readers find this book useful, I may, perhaps, endeavor to supplement it by illustrated notes of the more interesting phenomena in separate groups of familiar minerals;—­flints of the chalk;—­agates of the basalts;—­and the fantastic and exquisitely beautiful varieties of the vein-ores of the two commonest metals, lead and iron.  But I have always found that the less we speak of our intentions, the more chance there is of our realizing them; and this poor little book will sufficiently have done its work, for the present, if it engages any of its young readers in study which may enable them to despise it for its shortcomings.

Denmark hill:  Christmas, 1865.

LECTURE 1.

THE VALLEY OF DIAMONDS

A very idle talk, by the dining-room fire, after raisin-and-almond time.

Old lecturer; Florrie, Isabel, may, lily, and Sibyl.

Old lecturer (L.).  Come here, Isabel, and tell me what the make-believe was, this afternoon.

Isabel (arranging herself very primly on the foot-stool).  Such a dreadful one!  Florrie and I were lost in the Valley of Diamonds.

L. What!  Sindbad’s, which nobody could get out of?  Isabel.  Yes; but Florrie and I got out of it.

L. So I see.  At least, I see you did; but are you sure Florrie did?

Isabel.  Quite sure.

Florrie (putting her head round from behind L.’s sofa-cushion). 
Quite sure. (Disappears again.)

L. I think I could be made to feel surer about it.

(Florrie reappears, gives L. a kiss, and again exit.)

L. I suppose it’s all right; but how did you manage it?

Isabel.  Well, you know, the eagle that took up Sindbad was very large—­very, very large—­the largest of all the eagles.

L. How large were the others?

Isabel.  I don’t quite know—­they were so far off.  But this one was, oh, so big! and it had great wings, as wide as—­twice over the ceiling.  So, when it was picking up Sindbad, Florrie and I thought it wouldn’t know if we got on its back too:  so I got up first, and then I pulled up Florrie, and we put our arms round its neck, and away it flew.

L. But why did you want to get out of the valley? and why haven’t you brought me some diamonds?

Isabel.  It was because of the serpents.  I couldn’t pick up even the least little bit of a diamond, I was so frightened.

L. You should not have minded the serpents.

Isabel.  Oh, but suppose that they had minded me?