Middletown transcript., 1874-03-07
4 g}aesigl LETTERS ~ S asis
To the Boys and Girls Of the Middle
als'., town-Academy, Delaware.
LETTERS
No. x.-Tnr EARTH.
n asv. sos.,s WILSON.

|ssgfrF sas ~ nsv. JosEsH WILSON.
n. I No. X.-THE EARTH.
y My Young F+iends :---In my last letter
I tried totake you with me 10 an excur-
sion among the stars; but should We con-
sipus our course l fear We should get lost
in sliat infinite region. and think We hsd
best retrace our steps asd return to our
home. the earth. II, s., ~
Although our plaoet is but speck in
the creation Of God. yet it is = wondrous
and beautiful globe, and cannot but be
very interesting to US who inhabit it.
Your geography tells you that the earth
10 about eight thousand miles in diameter.
and therefore about twenty. four thousand
p,iles 10 circumference and that it's sur
face is, composed of Continents. Islands.
Mountains. Valleys. Plains, Oceans, Seas,
Rivers, &C., &c.
Its surface is clothed and beautiful With
many thousands Of different kinds Of
grasses. herbs and trees, decked with an
immense sumber Of beautiful flowers. and
yielding great variety Of seeds aud fruits
for the sustenspce and qualification Of an
imated beings. Of which there Is very
great variety and number. at the head Of
which stands man, az their Lord and
Master. A.tes roe f .f'4
tlOfthese things eannet speak partic-
ulsrfy, for it would tske many books to
contain even the names, aud = lifetime
would be too short to gain slight knowl-
edge Of them. N
The earth (ss you have learned or will
learn) 10 not stationary body. but is in
perpetual motion. flying through space,
in it's jsuraey around the Sun, at the rate
Of more than q million of miles every day,
and turning on its axis once in twenty
four hours. What an amazing velocity,
exceeded only by that Of light or the cleo
trio apid, commonly called lightning.
Il is the daily revolution Of the earth
on its axis that makes the Sun, Moon and
Stars appear to rise and set once a day;
and therefore. there will be as many days
and nights in the year us there are revo-
lutions of the earth.
This is true. in regard to the greater
part Of the sarth's surface. or that part
which is included between the Polar Cir
cles. embracing the two Temperate and
the Torrid Zones.
Between the Polar Circles and the
Polo. there is but one day in tho year.
and one night; that is, six months dark
ness and six months light. As this is q
curious fact. which was entirely unknown
to the learned men of antiquity, will &C.
cuPy the rest of this letter in an attempt
to explain it to you; and ndeshsrefore. | in-
vite You to 60 withsuse. on an imaginary
journey TO the North Pole, or, which
would do as we'll, to the South Pole. y
Well. here Va are at the North Pole,
and we .6pd it. extremely. cold. and il
would he very dark were it mt for the
shining Of the stars, and tho flashing of
the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.
which are here very brilliant. The Sun
has not yet risen, but We see the break Of
day all around The horizon, and shall have
to wait until the 21st of Marsh, when one
half Of the sun will be ,seen above the
horizon. You see that the sun does not
rise up and go over our heads az II does
at home, but sails all around the horizon
from left to right. gradually rising CHER
and higher. oaiil midsummer, when it has
attained an elevation OF twenty three de-
grees. 1t is now the meridiun, or noon,
aud from this time the sun begins to de-
sccnd, until be finally will disappear be.
lowrths horizon. not to be sesn here again
for the space of six months. s-,'1....
|. The day then, At the North Pole, lasts
from March to September. and the night
from September to March. In the day
the sun never sets. and in the night it Is
seycr seen. It is different with the moon
for here we 6nd that. throughout the
year. che is seen. alternately, two weeks
above the horizon, and then disappears
for the same time below the horizon, With
the same motion az the sun.
AS to the stars, you see that the Polar
star Is directly over our heads or in the
Zenith, and the other stars move around
in the same manner as the euu, and are
only, seen during the Polar night IA
II bayseompare the melton Of the sun
at the North Pole Cor the South) IN .:,me.
thiRg that you iu Delaware are familiar
With. ! would cay ths. it rsmiuds me Of
the motion Of the Turkey Bussard, which
you know Does not fy straightforward,
pnf sa'''A found and round in a ,eircle
No". ii you are tired Of this dreary region
OF perpetual ice aud snow, let us return
70 our homes, mot forgetting to praise
God fbr bis wonderful works" for sin
wisdom He has made them ALL"
For the present, goodbye.
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