South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-08-08
A Pinch of Salt.

George went TO the meadow TO carry q bucket
of salt for the cattle. Chow odd," said George,
that nothing can live without salt What is
salt?' "wby, salt is salt, to be sure" said
the ploughman. That is so. But the answer
did not quite satisfy George.
There is n metal called sodium, which looks
like little silvery globes, and is Il sor, of cousin
to gold and silver !. these little globes in their
way over the world meet and are breathed upon
by a yellowish.green vapor, called chlorine, they
vanish in an instant; and in place of the two,
sodium and chlorine, there is grain Of salt 1t
is happy thing in nature that these do come
together very often, otherwise We should have
SALT and salt is necessary for all sorts Of life
il is found almost everywhere. 1t is in the
great oceans; there are also salt lakes, and salt
springs, and salt mountains, and salt feds.-
Spain has great mountain Of salt; and Poland
has some wonderful mines, where you are let
down into pit, and come to workshops where
hundreds Of men are hewing out blocks or pure
white salt, which shine and sparkle in tue lamp
light like diamonds.
In America there is famous salt lake. Salt
springs are very common. The water is
pumped into broad fiat pans and left out in the
sun to be dried up. When it is dried up, the
salt is left in a crust On the bottom Of the pans
There are also great salt work in England
IL water gives us salt, so also loes FIRE. After
An eruption, the cracks and crevices of Mount
yesuvius are often covered with a thick coat of
salt. Huge blocks Of IL were once found very
near its burning mouth. The people Of Iceland,
too, often carry whole wagon loads OF salt from
their burning Mount Hecls.
There are plants likewise which can yield q
small supply. By the seashore grows gray,
prickly, homely plant, called ssltwort. Our So
da mostly comes from the ashes Of this very plant
Do you know the curious and pretty ice plant
II sometimes grows in gardens oftener in green
houses. This is great treasure to the people Of
the Canary Islands, who raise IL in large fields
pull il mp, burn il, and drive a good trade with
the soda which they get from its ashes. What
stores Of useful things are 10 be found in nature
Animals which live on vegetation especially
delight ia salt. Wild beasts on the plains, and
deer, 40 well ne cattle in our bsrnyards, are fond
Of IT, Indeed, life would perish without salt
A man weighing one hundred and fifty pounds
has 10 him pound Of salt At least His bod y
needs IL in order 70 be strong and healthy. II
Nhis - 10 iOuBct w Dt hhuf hlb htsu ibis away
he loses his hair, his eyes grow dim, bis bones
become soh and his whole system breaks down
Long ago, and even among the Arabs Of to.
day, bargains sre made binding by the use oil
salt a tray Of salt is put between tho two con-
tracing parties, each takes piece, and thai
means good faith forever.
You remember the Lord Jesus ellis bis people
TO be the "salt Of the earth !" that IT, 10 live %
a. 10 shed pure and Wholesome influence around
where nothing corrupt can live. And ST Pau
says cur words must be seasoned with salt"
pinch II salt Is a very common thing. W
see Il every day on the table, and never thir.S q
Il, much less tbiuk how curiously God h. = mad
the world one great saltcollsr for GU, use an
enjoyment