Here," indicating the figure of an infant apparently a week
or two old, "is a French baby. You may observe that she is engaged in
counting her share of the national wealth, which is estimated in France
at 1,254 francs 63 centimes for every man, woman, and child. She is
wondering whether she ought to invest her capital in Russian treasury
bonds or in Steel Common. This," pointing to a group of seven or eight
dolls riding on a perfectly modelled brindled cow, "represents the
proportions of domesticated cattle to the total population of the
United States."
The fire which flashes up in the eye of every amateur when he
contemplates the gem of his collection, was visible as Cooper led the
way to a good-sized platform of polished mahogany and brass on which was
set up what I took to be a beautiful reproduction of the planetary
system in miniature. I was right. "But observe," said Cooper, "the
details of construction. The sun is made up of infinitely small eggs,
since we know that the weight of all the hen's eggs consumed by the
human race since the beginning of the Christian era is equal to
one-billionth the weight of the sun.
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