Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-07-30
MERIT AND Pos1r1oN difference be-

MERIT AND DPOSITION.-Ihe difference be.
! tween a man of merit and man of position
is this; the latter is the man of his day
the former is the man after his day.
There was king in England when
Shakespeare lived there, and doubtless every
child in the realm knew his name familiarly;
but how many knew the name of the poor
play-writer.? But now, almost every child
who speaks the English language, knows Of
Shakespeare and his writings. How many
know of James and James and his writings?
Very few. Thus the the man of high posi-
tion died with his position and his day, but
the man of merit only began to live when
he died.
The author of ''Don Quixotte is known
by his works throughout the world but who
can tell about the men of position the king,
if king-or the mobiles, or the fine gay Ia
dies who lived when Cervantes was writing
the adventures of the s'Knight of the Rue
full Countenance.
Who was Governor of Virginia when
Patrick Henry fred upon his fellow men
with his eloquence Yet every American
boy knows Of Patrick Henry. And yet we
think that the Governor must have been
better known in his day than the orator.
Thus it is; position is thing of to-day,
while merit is thing of all time and when
joined to that rarest of things-an upright
Christian life-It becomes star in eternity,
never-ending light in the eternal sky of
truth.
How RAIN Is FoRMED.-To understand
the philosophy of this phenomenon, says the
Scientific american, essential to the very
existence of plants and animals, few facts,
derived from observation and long train of
experiments, must be remembered. Were
the atmosphere, everywhere, at all times, at
full temperature, we should never have
rain, hail or snow. The water absorbed by
it in evaporation from the sea and the earth s
surface would descend in an imperceptible
vapor, or cease to be absorbed by the air.
when it was once fully saturated. The alb
sorbing power of the atmosphere, and con-
sequently its capability to retain humidity,
is proportionably greater in warm than in
cold air. The air near the surface of the
earth is warmer than i Is in the region of
the clouds. The higher we ascent from the
earth, the colder we find the atmosphere
Hence the perpetual snow on very high
mountains, in the hottest climates. Now,
when, from continued evaporation, the air
is highly saturated with vapor-though it
be invislble-if its temperature is suddenly
reduced by cold currents descending from
above, or rushing from higher to lower
latitude, its capacity to retain moisture is
diminished, clouds are formed, and the re-
suit is rain. Air condenses as it cools, and
like sponge filled with water and compress
ed, pours out the water which it's diminish
ed capacity cannot hold. How singular,
yet how simple, is such an arrangement for
watering the earth!
| GETTING USED TO IT BY DEGREES.
where about here, writes Southern CORES
pondent, lives small farmer of such social
habits, that his coming home intoxicated was
once no unusual thing. His wife urged him
in vain to sign the pledge.
"Why, you see" he would say, ''Tll sign
it after while, but I don't like to break
right off at once; it amt wholesome The
best way is to get used to thing by de.
grees. you know"
every well, old man" his helpmate would
rejoin, ''see now if you don't fall into hole
one of these days, while you can't take care
of yourself, and nobody near to help you
out"
Sure enough, as to verify the prophecy,
as he returned home drunk one day, he fell
into shallow we'll, and after good deal Of
useless scrambling, he shouted for the ''light
of his eyes, to come and help him out.
Didn't tell you so ?" said the good soul
showing her cap frill over the edge of the
parapet; '.you've got into hole at last, and
its only I'm in hearing, or you might have
drowned Well" she continued, after a
pause, letting down the bucket, stake hold .
And up he came, higher at each turn of the
windlass, until the old lady's grasp slipping
from the handle, down he went to the bot
tom again. This occurring more than once,
made the temporary occupant of the well
suspicious.
s'Look here" he screamed in a fury, at
the last splash, 'tyou're doing that on pur-
pose-I knoao you are!''
"Well, now, ane," responded the old
woman TRANQUILITY, while winding him up
once more. ''Don't you remember telling
me It's best to get used to a thing by de-
grees? I'm afraid if I bring you right up
of a sudden, you wouldn't find it whole
some %
The old fellow could not help chuckling
at the application of his principle, and pro-
tested be would sign the pledge on the in
slant, if she would lift him fairly out
This she did, and packed him off to sign the
pledge, wet as he was.
''For you see." she said very emphatical-
t. ss;f W., o,,or foll into y l;toh .r-.;, T,ll