Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-12
NO. 10.
MISCELLANEOUS READING.
THE SKY.

1t is a strange thing how little, in general,
people know about the sky. 1, is the part
of creation in which nature has done more
for the sake of pleasing man, more for the
sole aud evident purpose OF talking to him,
and teaching him, than in any otter Of her
works, and it is Just the part in which we
least attend to her The noble scenes Of
earth can be seen and known but by few
Ii is not intended that psan should always
live in the mid-t Of them; he Injuries them
by his presence; he ceases to feel them II he
is ALWAYS with them. The sky is for all;
bright as it is, t is not 'too bright nor good
for human natures daily food" 1t Is fitted
in all its functions for perpetual comfort ana
eIaltlng OF the heart, sooth ing and purifying
it from droSS and dust. Sometimes gentle,
sometimes caprlcious, sometimes awful
never the same for two moments together
almost human in its passions, almost Splrltu-
al 10 its tenderness, almost divine in It's 10
fnity; its appeal to what is immortal in us is
as distinct ss its ministry of chastlsement OF
of blessing to what is mortal and essential.
And yet Ye never attend to it, We never make
it subject Of thought, but as it has to do
with our animal sensation. We look upon
all By which it speaks to Us more clearly
than to brutes, upon all which bears witness
10 the intention OF the Supreme that We are
TO receive more from the covering vault than
the light and the dew that We share with
the weed and the worm, only as SUCCESSION
of meaningless and monotopous accidents,
too common and too vain to be worthy OF
moment of watchfulness or glance OF admI-
ration.
Fin our moments OF idleness and insipd!ty
We turn to the sky as q last resource, which
Of It's phenomena do we speak oil One says
it has been wet, and another 1t has been
windy, and another it has been warm. Who
among the whole chsttering crowd, can tell
me OF the forms and precipices Oft the chain OF
the tall white mountains on the horizon at
noon Yesterday Who saw the narrow SUI
I beam that came out of the south, and smote
upon the SUBMITS until they melted and
mouldered away in dust OF blue raln7-
Who saw the dance Of the dead clouds when
/ the sunlight left them last night, and tho
west wind blew them before it like wthered
leaves? All has past ungreeted or unseen
or if the apathy be ever shaken OF, even Tor
an instant, it ia only by what is extraordina-
ry. And yet il is not IN the broad and fierce
demonstrations OF the elemental energies, not
10 the clash of hail. nor the drift OF whIr-
wind, that the highest characters OF the sub
I lime are developed. God is not always so
eloquent in the earthquake, nor in the fire,
as 10 "the still, small voice" They are but
the blunt and the low faculties Of our nature,
which cannot only be addressed through
lamp black and lightning. 1t is in quiet and
sutdued passages of unobstrusive majesty,
the deep, the calm, and the perpctua!-that
which must be sought ere 1t ID seen, and !oT-
ed ere it is understood d-tbings which the an
gels work out for US daily, and yet very cter-
nally which are never wanting, never re-
peated, which are to be found always, yet
each found but once: 1t is through these
that the lesson of devotion is chiefly taught,
and the blessing of beauty is given.--JoAn
RuSkiR.