The Portland daily press., 1874-01-24
Echoes and Reaches.

The nihth lecture of the M G. M Associa-
ton was delivered last evening by M. L. Stew
ems, esq. The lecture was one of the best that
has been delivered before this Association this
season. The speaker delivered his lecture in
an animated and attractive style, and it was
well received. The lecture room was crowded
The following is an abstract of the lecture:
The lecturer introduced bis theme by refer
ence to two propositions affirmed by modern
science, LIST, that all matter is so inter-related
that every change in the position or compost
ton of one atom or body is attended by re
sposive change in every other. Second, that
the units of mind are subject to similar law
of relationship, involving in the words or acts
of any individual response conscious or 9TH
erwise from every other mind in the universe.
Without accepting either of these generali-
cations as fully proved, the speaker proceeded to
comment upon the various phenomena of mat
ter and of mind which seem to indicate their
truth. The operation of the law of attraction
among the interplanetary spaces was sketched.
he virtual discovery of the planet Neptune
weeks before it had been beheld by man, illus
trates the certainty of this mode of relation
among the atoms and masses of matter. The
action of the tides is due to the same law. The
mariners compass and the magnetic. telegraph
illustrate another of these modes of relation.
In the latter an impulse impaired to the parti-
cles of matter in the London end of the wire
affects in turn every other atom, till all the long
four thousand miles of the slender copper
thread quivers and throbs with the strong COM
pulsion to where. in the New York office, the
operators reads the message it BEARS So the
very lightnings of heaven are harnessed to hear
the thought of man. and the roll of the thun-
der is hushed to the musical click of the receiv
ing register. lara uJ
The phenomena of light afford further Illus
traton of the topic. The spectre of the Bro
chen, the art of photography and the revela-
tions of the spectrum were referred to at length
as exhibiting the clOseneSs of the bond of union
which embraces the material universe.
Passing to the realm of mind, the speaker
proceeded to illustrate at length the varied re-
sponses excited in different persons by acts or
words originating outside of themselves. The
effect produced upon masses of soldiery by the
indOmitable fortitude and herOism of single
man, was illustrated in the history of the Duke
of Marlborough, Napoleon the great Yelling
ton, Sheridan, and others. The memorable
exploits of Grace Darling and Ida Lewis were
narrated, as exhibiting responsive emotion of a
different character, as also Florence Nightin-
gale and others in later time, who have devot-
ed themselves to the relief Of the woes of war.
The story of Floyd Ireson, as told in Whit
tiers inimtable poem, exhibits the angry and
vengeful echo which may be sometimes waken-
ed. rr.r7.r aI c-a
Wit and humor owe their power to a similar
capacity of minds. Several humorous hits and
quotations illustrated this fact.
The operation of this principle ia the training
of children was treated at length. Child-life is
the divine masterpiece of possibility, and as it
responds to one or another class of impulses it
may ring out the strains of symphony sweet
and pure as the notes of silver bells. rich and
strong, and grand as the organs swell, bright
and joyous as the echos of a bugle note among
the mountains or it may utter only a fearful
jangle of dscord, whose wranging echoes shall
die away only amid the dimness. the obscurily
and the night Of the infinite far away.
In conclusion, the speaker submitted three
practical thoughts, LIST, that we may largely
control our own Characters in determining to
what class of impulses they shall be exposed; ;
I'd, that we are largely responsible for the char
acters of those about us, in the kind of infiu-
ences to which we call upon them to respond;
Sd, over all the clashing of opposing impulses
the differing attractions, the divergent inspi-
ratiOns by which we are surrounded. there is
ever sounding the glad evangel, that melody is
mightier than discord, that virtue is stronger
than vice, that truth is more powerful than er-
ror, and that, therefore, there comes day when
in the victories achieved by these, all action
shall be the expression of a lofty and unoppos-
ed enthusiasm for the right, and all emotion
shall be the indwelling Of an ever mastering
love-