The Washington union., 1858-06-27
METROPOLITAN MUSINGS.

COMMON THINGS receiving unusual attention just
Ever since Johnston projected the Chemistry Of
Common Life, I" and Kingsley wrote his Glancus-and
met with ready sac--therc has been wonderful re-
vival of scholastic interest in those ordinary phenomena
tho world and Of common life which commonly
looked Great minds condescend to tell little minds how
to do it, we'll how not to do It. Distinguished law
ye reveal enough Of their craft in plain English to
bio John Nokes James Stokes to mike his WILL
title to his firm and distinguished naturalists
enghten us with familiar lectures on Fes or revelations
Of the characteristics Beside these have whole
army of advocates, expounde and propoundss Of the
mysteries of that swimming crawling creeping crotche
tho Aquarium, by purchssing reading, and inwardly d
gestng which (the books not the Aquarium) every
may raise his taipoles, cultivate his concho
ogy train his terrapn and excel in the ceiling art
while every lady may have constantly under hor eye
choice collection of suckers all gadatons Of gudgeons
and shoals of shners besides possessing constant illus
taon of the apposteness of the ancient adage There
remain good fish in the have been caught.
Philosophic Chances at Common Things.
1t is common to science and every department of hui
man life to go forward by gigantic eapings leaving
troddsn and uncxplored many fields of rich fertility for
no better than that they we'll tamped by the
broad foot of ordinary mortas There many things
taken for granted and taty admitted to be nexpcable
which, If subjected to careful and long continued analysis
might reveal very startling laws Patience might dem
onstrate that what called the physical manifestations
OF spiritualism, may bc but the breaking out of
natural law into very slightly modified form Of
hibon Of It which has been coeval with that is
say tsy supernatural precisely to the extent of the
supcrnatualne Of bending the arm winkng the eye
lid These being the oommonest of phenomena and yet
the most inexpcable. When the Middled-Aged Man,
forgetting for moment his high regard for the Bsah-
inca inculcations of respect for e n which, by the
way ID lodged this profound and worthy truth that all
life being delegated IL in sort God life and there
fore holy rapidly raises his hand to brush tantal-
ixng fly from his forehead, he performs act the phi
losophy of which known laws completely explain The
etaphyucian will discouse very profoundly of volitions
and the anaboist will raise with his rccps the identical
sot OF muscles thus sct In motion, and will show how
certain portion Of this muscle swcls upon recev-
ing the volitional message and how certain other
muscles arc thereby contracted, enabling the hand
and arm to fulfil tho requirements Of the law-making
Will and this is all clear and satisactory-so far
a It goes. But pray tell me, Messrs Physic and
Metaphysics hoo s the volitioual message conveyed
from the oraning will to the executive musclsl In
other words what that subtle agency you sometimes
call the nervous Auid which to be the bridge con-
Meeting tho spiritual and the material do not ask for
new name or new classification of facts but ye sci
snti6c Illuminate please tell us ploddng dull fellows
Ao1 It Ia that willing passes into doing Tell
Aut of that which hearing the commands Of the WILL
PUSHES With tUussnd-fold lightning speed TO the ap-
propste orssn and touches Its infnitesmal key till IL
produces tsc appropriate sound and explain to us and
theme. how by arrangement
this banning hidaA agency works effectually In bodies
of ignosant Rugged snd, not necessarily, but possibly,
vicious pomessors, in those Of greater refinement cul
tue and development Indeed in the former class the
rapidy with which execution follows voon has created