The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-05-03
Circulation Of Matter.

The following beautiful portrait Of the
various forms which matter is undergoing
10y Elihu Durritt, the learned blacksmith
"The earth moves, lives aud acts it be-
gets aud susiains Hlo in all its varieties OF
organization. 1t brcathes, and its breath
bucomes an atmosphere as essential TO vegu-
table as to tho animal creation That at.
mosphero, modified to every genial tempera-
turu, laden with sunbeams, rain and dew
drops. respires upon tho earth, and flls it's
veins with renovated Iifo. The action of so.
lar and electric heat aniinntrs the digestive
process OF evaporation and distillation, dc.
vcIoping the chemical qualities OF tho soil,
huid, which penetratCs everything susccpti.
ble of expansion.
ut gently opens the scrried pores of the
acorn and grain of whear. 1t feeds their
expanding veins with lymphaiic element.
composed of al the elements Of blood.
thongh combined in another form. which
lacks but one more process to fl, IL for the
veins of man. Like man, tho sturdy oak is
dust. and to dust il returns. IL is not a
mere sympathetic inf ,tion of tho acorn.
that vital fluid supplied it with substance
from tho earth which coacsccG with the
properties of that acorn, aud hardened il
into wood instead of flesh.
Every limb and leaf. every wart and
wen upon hat guarded trunk, every inch of
It's iron vor,ebiI, has beon develoued by "a
process of nutrition similar to that which
feeds tho bnnes, nerves, aud muscles of the
human body.
"rho forest, tho field of grain, tho prairie
and the luxuriant meadow. and all the ami.
mails they sustain, are morely a portion of
tho earth's surface propelled in perpetual
circulation by this organic system of ever,
lasting action. Go out into your meadows s,
into Your garden, and strike your spade
into the rich mold, Compute, if YOU can.
how many forms of life q square foot OF
that soft has circulated since tho evening
and tho morning were tho first day. Look
at the gigantic oak, whose Driaroan arms
have d,hed tho telnpcsts of n hundred
years. Conceive for a momont, tho remote
aud consecutive history of tho clements in
its sturdy trunk, its stubborn branches and
it's. s.tenaclons roots The matter that lies in
dormant induration in that trec, in another
form may have been propelled through q
hundred human hearts, aud warmed into
human dcsh; may have done service in the
strong muscles Uf tho OK tho shows of the
bear; the taions of tho vUlture 4; tho feath.
ers of the eagle. Tho re organized sub
stance of every species of plant. and graii
aud grass elements that spread the rose
leaf and mnntled tho cheek OF beauty
that hleachod tho snow white lily, and pol.
ishcd the fine head of lofty genius that
overarchcd tho dome of thought, and bent
the rainbow ;-all these may lie mingled
within that rough bark. Look at that oak
again it stands immoveable in the breeze
but the great system or organic action is
put upon It, Fastening tho dissolution of III
constituent elements. and propeIling them
through other combinations. Fifty years
thence, and some of them will mingle ia
stalks of yolow wheat. ia blades af grass
and flowers Of every hue; in tho veins OF
man, beast and bird and some will stretch
tho insects wing, and laden the busy bee
with honey for its cell. And ages hence
in the ceaseless progress of circulation
some of the substance of that oak may fall
in noiseloss dewdrops upon tho place where
IL now towors up toward bcavon. Yet thro
all tho ages Of its circulation not grain ol
that matter will bo wasted. annihilated ol
lost Had not this law of preservation re-
manned as steadfast as any other law of God
through every process of composition and
decomposition, the solid globe ero this
would have been entirely exhausted"