Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-04-25
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Wisdom, Design, and Adaptation seen
in Nature.

ESSAY, NO. 5.-DED1cATED TO MISS JOS. AxLEY.
(coNcLUDED.)
In previous ESSAYS we noticed, to some
extent, arrangements without which the
world could not exist. The Christian be-
| Iieves that these things we're wisely and
kindly planned by Benefcent Creator
The Atheist thinks them fortuitous-the re
suit of accident. Strange infatuation -
Self-deluded man! You cannot point at
visible object, or think of tangible sub,
stance on the face of this substillar world
of ours, that is not surrounded by laws and
properties, which, if altered, the comfort
and safety of the earth would sink
Walk out into the harvest field, IN the
morning, as the sun is rising above the cas-
tern horizon. AS the day advances you
will find that the heat increases rapidly, and
should it continue increasing as rapidly all
day as it did during the first four hours, ev-
erything would be withered to death. But
the heat did not thus increase; and why
not? AS the whole heat became intense
the water in the earth's dew-drops-the wa
ters of the ripling streams, the majestic
rivers. the sparkling lakes, and of the storm
rolling Ocean, were converted into mist O
vapor While water is turning into vapor
it absorbs much of the free heat and render
it latent This is an experiment that an
person can make. In the middle of sui
try day, sprinkle water on the floor, and i
short time it will evaporate and leave you
: room cool and pleasant. We should b
, scorched to death were it not for this wis
law of nature. But as sure as water bt
) comes heated it will evaporate, and as SUI
as it evaporates it will absorb the heat in il
t vicinity and hence we need not fear tt
4 sun in his upward march through clout
s less sky.
, Walk out into the fields as the sun
t Withdrawing MS lovely, radiant beams fro
# the face Of smiling nature and enveopir
e ALL in the sable shades of night, in Il
y pleasant month of June, and survey Il
g growing crops as they aOaue delightful
It before your eye. The air grows colder
Il the night approaches, and still colder as
e advances, rendering it certain that if it shou
t. continue to increase, before morning hea
r, frosts would cover the ground, and blast t
st proudest hopes of man. The cold did I
N thus increase. May we not enquire why
At did not? During the day the water v
er converted into vapor to guard us from I
Of sad effect of unfriendly heat, and as the c.
O of evening advances, this mist goes bs
it into the form Of water, giving out all
ne heat it had before absorbed. It now har
h. in dew-drops upon the quivering leaf, 6
ty preserves it from the frost By the DO
It. as little as they may appear, our bodies
h saved every summers day from sufocat
nd heat, and every night the sustenance of S
lis ceeding months is sheltered from the W
nd ering frosts of winter. The Christian
i! thinks over these things feels that he iss
nd He looks up to Heaven and exclaims,
FATHER and my GoD.' A stream of sa
nal ton flows from the Heavenly world
ON rests upon his heart while voice whis
H. Thou ART MINE
~ Every person knows what is mean
nod Chemical Affinity. Place sulphur and
a. ter together and they will mix with diff
! a ty, Place water and sugar together
tho they commingle with great rapidity.
reason is, that water and sugar have a
6nity for each other and sui phur and v
Tue have not The soil of our earth is
Tue neither Of the above named substances
oie, affinity for water is Of middle cast
All this we lave reasons to rejoice.
AL If the soil was to mix with water as