Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-07-04

form water. take eight parts OF oxygen
and one oI hydrogen, mix them togeth-
er. and the result or product is water.
You smile, sir, because. AZ you very
properly think, these are the elementary
principles Of science, and are familiar
to The minds of every school.boy twelve
years OF age. Yes but what next ?
Suppose you take these gasscs, and mix
them in any other proportion. care not
what. and the instantaneous result is
heat. flame. combustion Of the intcnscst
description. Tho famou Drummopd
Light, that astonishcd Europe what Is
that hut The Ign lied flame of mixture
Of oxygen and hydlogen projected
against small piece ol limcP What
was han mlcss ns water becomes tho most
destructive of all known objects vixen
docomposed and mixed in any other
proportion
Now suppose fling The contents of
this small phial into the Pacific ocean.
what would be the resnl, Di,rr YOU
contemplate il for m instant I do not
assert that the entire surface oi the sea
would instantaneously bubble up into
nsuffcrablc fame no, hut from the mn.
cleus al circle, of which this phial
would be the center. luritl radii Of flames
would gradually shoot outward. until
the blazing circumference would roll in
vast billows Of iiro. upon the nttermos,
shores, Not all the dipping clouds Of
the deluge could cxtinguish it, Not all
the tears OF saints and angels could for
an instant check its progress. On and
onward il would sweep. with the steady
gate Of destiny. until the continent
would melt with icrvent heat, the atnos
phere glare with the ominous pnfiagra.
ton, and all living creatures, in land.
and -ca, aad s;i, perish in universal
eataslroHhc
Then suddenly starting 10 his feet. he
drew himself upto his full height, and
murmured solemnly, Il feel like God .
and recognize my fellow-mcn but as
pigmics that spnrn beneath my feet J"
"Summerfield. said !, calmly. There
must be some strange error in MI this
You are self deludcd. The weapon
which YOU claim TO WELD Is one that u
good God and bencfcent Creator
aculd never intrust 10 the keeping of II
melc creature What sir create a
world n grand and beautiful ~ this.
aud hide within its bosom principle
that ut any momcnI might cnwrap il in
flames and sink life in death I'll not
believe it; 'twere b!asphcmy 10 entertain
the thought" I"
"And yet cried he passionately,
"your Bible prophesies the same irrev.
erencc. Look at your text in il. Peter.
third chapter, 7th and 18th verses. Are
not 1.-The elements To melt with fcrvcnt
heat Are not the heavens To bc fold
cd together like scroll Are. not the
rocks To- melt The STARS TO iall. and The
moon Ia be turned into blood ? Is not
fire the noxl grand cyclic consummation
of lll things here beluw But | come
FULLY prepared To answer such objections.
Your argument. betrays a narrow mind.
circumscribed in its orbit, and shallow
in lis depth. Tie the common thought
of mediacriL,. You have read books
too much, and studied nature too little.
l.nt me give you IN lesson to day in The
Workshop ol Omnipotence. Take n
sr,ll with me into the limitless confines
of space, and let us observe together
rome Of the scenes transpirng at this
very instant around us. A moment ago
you spoke of the moon; what is she but
an cxtingushcd world? Yoa spoke ol
the sun what is he but globe OF flame !?
But here is The Cosmos of Humboldt.
Read this paragraph"
As he said this he placed before me
the Cosmos of Humboldt, and read as
follows:
Nor do the Heavens themselves teach
Interchangeable pcrmanency in the works
of creation. Change is observable there
quite as rapid and complete as in the con
fines oi our solar system. In the year
1852, one OF the small stars in the con.
stelation Cassiopeia blazed up suddenly
into an orb of the first magnitude, gradu-
ally decreased in brilliancy, aud finally
disappeared from tho skies Nor has il
ever been visible since that period for a
single moment, either 20 the eye or to
the telescope. 1t burned up and was
lost in space"
Humboldt" he added, "has not
told us who set that world on fire ~
But resumed he. II have still
clearer proofs" Saying this, he thrust
into my hands the last London Quarter
ly, and on opening The book at an arti-
Gle headed "The Language of Light"
read. with feeling akin ID awe. the
following passage:
Further, some stars exhibit changes
Of complexion in themselves. Sirius, rs
before stated. was once n ruddy, or rather
a ficry.faced orb. but has now forgotten
TO blush, and looks down upon US with a
pure brilliant smile, in which there is no
trace either of anger or of shame. On
the countenances Of others. still more
varied traits have rippled, within a
briefcl period OF time. May not these
be due to some ply siological revolutions,