, 1874-12-24

MANY centuries ago, long before Tho ruthlctH
hand Of science had Hratol.ed nway tho golden
chaim which linked Tim angeu and Tho stars with
mon, III tlnily con'n,tnlon,
W1lcn lime wax yuung.
| AMI birds conyrrseta IN wei! an sung;
| And Fif Of speech wnR not Gottcti
Merely to lrttes Of 1lllrian kind
fhowl.o'o creation, ninco roducodby ho1cr,, phil
osopl,y 10 an innumornble aAscrnblagc Of masnos
Of ina'limate 1nnttor, tlo.tol, here nnd tlero,
with apecka Of thinking organisms, vas Instinct
with lifo. Alan was not. then tho solo entity al
Intelligent exisenco in tho visible nniyorae. Tho
boasts Of tho lfo!sl md forest held parliamentary
gcABlonu. THO birds Of thu ar met III joyo,ia
conclayc to discourse their thoughts to each other.
Tho denlzenB Of the brihy doeP claimed oral
affinity with their brethren Of tho lnnd. Tho ill.,
sect world thought noud; anl oven tho trees
and tho grassoa wore endowed with tllopowor Of
speech. Still, man was tho most highly fa-
voteh Of them all. Tho angels camo down in
The daytime. and talked with him; whilo at
night tho HtarB twinlsod responsiye1y to lis t,a-
utations, md pointed out tu linn his destiny ns
tIoy slowly wandered througl. tho hcayons.
rhero wus sln III tho world, unl "tlcath by Blp, u
for primoyal innocence no longer existed. But
tho harmony Of nat,iro Ind not boon disturbed
by tha lconoclaBt Of to-tlny. The morning ptara
sang toget!Ior, without scar OF nodorn criticism,
while tho Sons Of aot 'shoutcd nlold for tuy''; !;
mud the rofrain was tasen up III gtadsomo cl,orua
by Tho inhabitants OF eartl,, tho whole creation
joining i'll II vocal an.lom III praise OF it's Crea-
tor,
Ycurs rpllcl by, Other yoars followed In their
tras, and yet moru tho gloom cast DER tho face
Of Nature by "man'g first disobedienee, aud tho
fruit Of TINT forbidden trod" deepening with tho
flight Of centuries. Gradually tho angels with
drew from tho walks Of man. Tho atnrB grow
moro "dBtant" sllrinling from, familiarity will,
tho growing corruption ot tho l,nnn race nild
tho lower aMfnnlN bccAnle ttutnb with Astonia!l-
Inont ut tho conduct of tl,or representatives In
tho court Of tho higher inselIigcnces. night
Of thick darkness bud settled luwn upon tho de-
acondanla Of Adam their accumulated wicked
1IegB cried to 1lcavon M tic blood OF Abel. A
fato seemed to be impending, bitter tat which
befcll tho Inhabitants Of soslom and Gon,orraI-
si,iyor>a that whicll overlook the world In tho
days Of Noal,.
ft,was o ioyely night, Hear 1n:dwnter, 1878
years ago, ~ tho sun touched tie lowest point
in lliB BouthwarI trend, before rising ngain to-
wards the summit of Tho hoavous whom Nature
was r0,soa FROM her fiu1nbora to witness and
take part Ii, all event wliic, tornai third epoch
III thu history OF tho world. No tocsin gave
warning OF an occurrence equally memorable
witt, tho creation Of our own globe but tho news
wan myAteriouHly conveyed to cvory part OF The
nllivcrHc. From the bright shining stars to tho
least particle OF matter that forma molec,,le on
this oarll. al1 wero vakoned lp Into now iifo
all pRrtook Of MI excitement hot paralIolca since
tho ,iltimnto atoms first began to gathor together
to form chemical clements and then worlds.
little srot iu the beautiful land of Palestine
was tue centre Of MI attrncton. equally WONDER
rul. and not Less mighty than tint which causes
rn, ,,,r,,s ~ t1o ~. aa noa,',,. .vu .., ,1e al
.Ao o'os ~ ee ae cano noen"'e loseth"r, IT.
tracteu ny Lilo myatcTlo'tB influence which they
seemed to recoCniyo, it they could not UNDER
stand. Tho boayts Of the ilold gathered from
of.r in laeao,i,,,, ,;ro,,. md ,ro,,t or,, -, .;
,..a'. =: s,' s,' e.sos' nuo 1.u1 uu"u VI ''e's
Eheea Ill so!ot1h reverence Even tile oeastB or
prey seemed to forget tloir instinctiyo desire to
dcvour, aud ttood tranAtl1ed with silent ave.
oro,;un s,o,1. ,,;s.a,a.aa s' ~ ,,,, saIs ~ sno
roasnea ~ unGns ~
t,,o ahor,n "".,! ~! H.. n. tntouEu
wn. co,va H., rau uu 'no KY aasu o' matMlo m
tIues n'aSdnag '.,s' ahe" As Wien Lie summer
TM" Tia cartm .t;"' .,r,a co,o,;od r., tho ,nost
1, ,,;,t;u,,4 Ho caisu "as eahot'ea oy TIC most
,,n,t;,,ar,t " eS ssuf's nuEt, anu liosn the
iIn hcayo,,a a,ra,,,an na n9''nea" t Hnefter o.
~ y, ,a"st. atte.eneo tae 1n,iRy stream
~ lazy asarnshs .' tes once 'ormeu tue pathway
] mnn %,vn ,a a nn.a V asaea otl ; taef efrnhds No.
t,.o nr ti, ,'o u ~" ,!.,ouG U, .ne Iseana ony
i"u Imu " s1e 'I 1nei.ko"n pianets were above tho
"n, Ing aiooh Wy nearing the ona Of her
~; ,,; , a9'aee ihe peanttnl venus, OF
;a', "pnH; ; ~ 'e tas tc nrat HfAy Atieakb
u! 'sn MsLu s's.'e ~ cue eastern sly. would rlse
"s s, ,'InnGr VI ener t'1e son OF ths MORT
III n,ran's n,san", .u'e "pptoach u la sun. Mars
NGEE.
Maa;e Mn$eu'nee,ca ',.,,c Mercury was near tho
taul, ~ eIaIeMs "nSla"aHco r Toon apol,o IN
ie is,a s",m,,,. ~ he gaans ancr VIII hls
ttts'e H. talnS u "nt!us nag recently passed hoMr
ann zonl, ana NJ nGnt 1Iyued that OF the
'1 Ellns: potn iaF Fonteh'nmE tho lc%cb IN
~ ne's III ot1o't, which %ote nearly candietane
.aom lo H.. snose ns two resplenaoht CRIBS. dupl-
.It m.s Tlee,nutt ~ Ils elacf nrothof saturn,
',; Mtusu naot !ene wa sealcely less bonhtitully
u,spe.sau 70 t!e ,h!abitanis OF Garth. nv lo
tlcHea GU t1e illef,t ot tno at tic rate Of ono
ysr y,. 41r eaela aas IA 'lio lllnar erc"s,-a labor
Wnen noa ,oAs pfHore gained tor him tile tltleof
'NHEOnGH.