Litchfield enquirer., 1831-09-08

thing, not even of dog, or cat, or squirrel, or bird. He tells no story-aId answers nc questions" And many other things, with very mysterious air, narrated the driver, of this wonderful being-apparently quite glad that he had not been obliged to en- counter him alone, and that he had been able to get by without losing the wheels of ms carriage, or the shoes from off his hor- ses feet,or chancing with any other mishap, by the invisible agency of this hermit of the mountans-who, the driver intimated, had given many proofs of having familiars in the world of spirits.
 The true secret ofthe old mans history, however, is--that having suffered the base lngratitude of children, and being affected With strong religious dispositions of an en- thus'astic character, he has chosen this re- treat from the world, and doubtless has his own reasons for his own taste. and his pe- l culiar manner of living. I confess. when thus far let into the history of this man. from an authentic source, I felt the deepest sympathy and interest in his condition. And had not been certified of his stub- porn and invincible taciturnity, I should have felt myself richly rewarded in any en- deavor to obtain from his own lips his do- mestic history, his common reasonings, his philosophy, and his religious views. If such man has not become absolutely in- sane, his persevering selc-banishment from all human society, although it proves an in- hrmIty of one kind, also demonstrates a gigantic strength of another.
 
 1he Wonders of Physics.-What mere assertions will make any man believe that in one second of time, in one beat of the pendulum ot clock, a ray of light travels over l92,OOO miles, and wonld, therefore, perform the tour of the world in about the same time that it requires to wink with our eye-l'ds, and in much less than running horse occupies in taking a single stride? what mortal can be made to believe, with out demonstration, that the sun is a million times larger than the earth and that. al- though so remote from us that a cannon-ball shot directly towards it, and maintaining it's tulI speed, would be twenty years in reach ing It, It yet affects the earth by its attrac- ton Tn an inappreciable instant of time who would not ask for demonstration. when told that gnat's wing, in its ordina- ry night, beats many hundred times in second or that there exists animated and regularly organized beings, many thousands of whose bodies laid close together would not extend an inch But what are those to the astonishing truths which modern optic- al inquiries have disclosed. which toach us that every point off medium through which a ray of light passes is affected with suc- cess'on of periodical movements, regularly recurring at equal intervals, no less than 300 millions of millions of times in single second! that it is by such movements com mun'cated to the nerves of our eyes, that we see-nay, more, that it is the difference in the frequency of their recurrence which affects us with the sense of the diversity of color; that for instance, in acquiring the sensation of redness, our eyes are affected 4o2 millions of millions of times of yel- lowness, 542 millions of millions of times and of velvet, TOY millions of millions of times, per second ? Do not such things sound more like the rawlings of madmen than the sober conclusion of persons in their wa king senses They are, nevertheless. con- cius'ons to which any one may certainly ar- rive who will only be at the trouble of ex- "''"'H6 tuC CHdilI OI reasoning Dy Wnlcn they have been obtained.-T Discourse on Natural Philosophy, by Mr. Herschell.l
 Washing 0nd Lodeing.-A night or two since. young man who had been well mo'stened with the ardent during the day, went on board d vessel lying at the wharf. and retired to rest in the after cabin. The next morning his clothes were found, but his body was missing. Various were the surmlses, but it was generally supposed that he had got overheard during tho night, and was drowned. The mclancholly tidings were conveyed to his friends with fitting so- iemnity, and the usual preparations made for fishing up the body, when a sagacious by-stander suggested the propriety of drag glng the farerns first. It was done, and upon tho first haul, he came up," having in his sleep jumped out of the cabin win- dow, and swan to the shore without ever waking. About two o'clock he made his way to the Catskil House, dripping wet and nearly naked, and applied for lodging. 1 He was unable fO give anv connected ar