New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-19
From the U S. Magazine Of Science and Art.
DOES THE MOON ROTATE?

DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE LADY OF THE MOON AND
A PRACTICAL ASTRONOMER.
Pray, SIR says the Lady of the Moon,
'why have you been staring at me all this
evening through that long tube You had bet
ter 60 home 10 your wifc-the poor, lonely
woman!"
81 can assure you, madam quoth the As
tronomer, &C beautiful as You are, it is not from
gallantry | have kept my eye on you profess
sionally. Pray, don't be offended
"l am offended, sir. Every time show my
self of clear evening, there are so many quiz
zing glasses turned upon my FACET is so pro-
voking should not care straw about it, if
you could learn any thing new about me or
about my affairs; but find that you are more
ignorant of my ways now than some astrono-
mers were a hundred years ago a
g You are beautiful replied the Astrono-
mer, in very seductive tone, s' and fancy
you know how beautiful you are Your face
is reflected back--you see yourself from our
ocean mirrors"
Sc You are getting saucy, sir'' .
' am talking to coquette. have watched
you in your ibrations--in your tossing your
head back and forth. You love, madam, to
display your charms to us of the earth. Some.
times you nod to show US more of your beauti-
ful forehead; and after, you look up, that we
may see the dimple under your chin; then,
turning slowly around, you reveal the tip of a
pretty ear, and. soon after, you shake at us the
clustering curls on the other bright cheek
g Nonsense, sir If you had any astronom-
ical acumen-'
The Astronomer, abruptly and in pet :
Permit me to ask, madam, if the great New
ton had not very great astronomical acu-
men
"what of that, sir, so far as you are con.
cerned - oo'
ba Act in n ,bo+,
:" 1 never had thought which he did not think
out. l never advanced principle which he
had not elaborated. fRaising his voice J
ssWhat do you mean, madam No astronom-
ical acumen!''
The lady replied in a very calm and musical
tone, 'Pray, my dear sir, don't get angry. II
| were your wife, it might be well to let off a
little sharpness now and then but it does not
pay to get angry with one who don't care
| whether you are angry or not. am, sir, q
lone spinster, and lead rather monotonous life
of it; so l have come for familiar chat | in.
tend to tell you of things worth knowing things
which will quite set you up
F' Excuse my abruptness, my dear madam.
am very sensitive on the score of my astronom.
| ical reputation. | am now all ears and he
| bowed very politely
The lady continued; Light from me, if it il
mere moonshine, will make you little visible
star in the astronomical galaxy. You spoke
| just now of what you very unpoetically called
my libration,' just as if rocked back ant
forth and up and down.
&c Yes, madam, you dol We astronomers knoY
very we'll of that habit of yours
s' Astronomers, there, are much mistaken
keep my face directly to one point; that on,
point is not on your planet, sir. The earth ha
no attraction for me -
The Astronomer replied with assured deliber
alton, Pardon me, madam; we know you Ii
brate | see more of your face now than
could see last evening"
The Lady-ss How apt some folks are to b,
mistaken The point towards which keep m,
face is considerably distant from the earth
and the earth bobs about and aroundit, so as t,
enable you to see at one time my forehead, thel
my neck, now this cheek, (patting it with he
hand. and then the other But truly, m,
dear sir, L never turn up or down. | neithe
look to the right nor to the left, (solemnly
There is point from which / never take m
eyes"
The Astronomer, much perplexed: is
possible. Madam :" r
The lady replied firmly and distinctly, '' Wha
| have told you is true"
"On whom, then, do you look SO constantly
and with such loving eyes -
The lady, a little bashfully :ss1 have kept til
secret SO long e-
"Oh pray tell me do ~
81 can't speak out plain" replied the lady
in sweet whisper; just wait till that clou
hides my bushes; I'll try to give hint. Don
you remember reading the calculations of or
Seth Ward, o famous mathematician, who con
puted the central points of circular planetar
orbits He almost found me out Did yo
ever hear of Jeremiah Horrox, the same ma
who detected Venus on the very lap of the sun
!, He had a sharp eye for hirtations among til
stars; and he showed a point towards which
never cease to look--a point, from which who
ever sees me, never doubts of my constancy
nor of the uniformity of all my goings an
comings.''
After pause, the lady laughed right merrill,
! at which the astronomer was much offended.
. 'sExcuse me-, said the lady, g I could nj
. help laughing when I thought how completed
Horrex exposed the secret of my inclination
and none of your star. gazing gentry the lea
wiser for it,
ST must confess, madam, that you are fa
from being very Ineligible to me.
II thought so," said the lady: it is all I'll
+ hint can give now, and you must puzzle it OIL
l for yourself sir. Come, will talk on som,