Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-10-20
The House we All Live in.

|
1t is very extraordinary c(liice-some-
times beautiful beyond description. but not
~oodlv to look upon when the outer cover
ering is removed. and the beams and raf-
| ters are exposed. The human skeleton i>
! the grtate-t of all marvcis in the way oi
mechanical art. and yet it is not very at
tr,ctivc to the eve. This, however, may
| b attributed to the law of as>oriition.
There is u great deal going on in this
llabitition, over which the tenant his no
direct cont Ol. 1t has its cooking apart
menis. in which. without any action on
his part, all sorts of articles are in pro-
cess of ma ufacture-tiSsueS of wonder
ful finenes>, solid beams, and rafters. and
arches of bone, hinges. bolts escapemcntS
valves. springs, flexible cords. and bands
| and Ggaments. capable of bearing an
enormous strain, all made out of the raw
materi,l, and in the mos, finished and
workmanlike manner. Every principle in
mechanics which science has discovered
seems to have been anticipated in the
work hops of the human frame.
1t also has its laboratories, where salts
acids, all A'cs and numbCrless other sub
stances act upon each other, in strict :,c-
cordance with the laws Of modern cllrmis-
try; gasscs are resolved into fluids. and
fluids into solids, and then the solids are
restored to their original molecules; brill
liant hues are extracted from metals, t.
color the blood and give charm to the eve
and even the eliXer of life. after which
/ the old tlchemists toiled so lon. and 50
vainly. is evolved in the processes of trans
NUT ltion that are going on there.
Long before the electric wire WAS
J 1, q, -. Al
Of the deep, this wonderful house was
furnished with the most perfect batteries.
and the magnetic comm Inication carried
instant orders from one story of the build
inc TO another, and brought back the re-
>pon>e, with the greatest possible accur-
acv.
The whole principle of the steam engine
is also to be found in the structure which
all inhabit. There is an interior furnace
which we furnish with stated supplies of
tucl-a regular draft of air feeding the
tame-motion is generated by the com
hu>ton, ana the wheels of life turn IN re
OF less rapidly rs this ce tr;,l engine hap
pens 10 be in good or bad order.
., these departments, as we have al
ready said the occupant of the house has
no immediate control. His presence is.
indeed. Indispensable. for the moment he
moves away everything that is going on
there cease>-thc workshops are quiet. the
fires 90 out in the laboratory. the btttcrics
and engine become useless but as long II
he rem ,in>. all the mechanical and chem
ical processes Will 90 on. in some fashion,
in spite Of him. But it is possible for him
To disturb the ordinary working of things.
by his folly OF neglect He may witholu
the proper supplies, and let the fire burn
20 low rs To impede the ;tcti n of the ma
chine or he may Introduce violent intlim
mablr-. that subject il 10 a strain which it
cannot bear.
What multitudes of people there are
whom seem TO forget that their wc!f,re is
cOutin- GENT up III the care we take of the
house in which We live They are bound
To- keep ii III good repair. or they may for
ieIt their h usr. l. they allow the i'm
b"rs /" rot. the whole structure may sud
denly t,.mble about their ears If they
permit vcrnln and filth t. accumulate on
he premises. it will breed malaria and
make The building uninhnbitable
There are some very strange things per
tanning 10 The house i'll which we AL live
One OF these is that we carry it about with
u- wherever we 60. and thls is acquired
bya process Of locomolion which. al hough
! very hard to learn. when once acq Iired is
con ructrd without amy act of conscious
ness The operation of walking is Il very
rigid piece of science. No mechanical
-kIli could ever produce 4 walking autom-
aton-;htt Is, one that moved in accord
.nce with the laws of our locono.iun
In fact. it would be Impossible to make :.
figure that would stand upon it> feet IL
we do: tor TO do this without support
requires Il constant play of the most deli
cate counterhaltncnT forces the use OF
which is attained only by long am!
somewhat painful eXperience-the child
learning to stand and walk mainly by
tumhing down. And vet we do the>t
things without any conscious action Of the
mind af er We have once found out how
to do them.
You may travel for miles absorbed II
rrveric. OF with NOur ewes intent upon the
surrounding scenery. and all the while
are performing Il series of the most com
plicated mechanical movements. which il
would require the closest attention to con
duct, if You We're not accustomed to them
the whole thing being under the direction
of a set of nerves having their seat in tn,
spine. far f.om the center of consriou:
cerebration. AT the same time if vi
meet with any obstruction, if there be 4
rut to be avoided. or u gutter to be crossed
YOU adapt your step to the emergency
which would seem 10 acquire some cNer-
else of Judgment.
Ii is worth noticing that those automat
lie movements, which it requires til,
greatest efforts TO learn. when once ac
, Quired. may be the hardest TO resist w,
SAW n row of girls, standing behind {;
machine used in the manufacture of sill
thread who ut certain stated interval,
performed 4 most complicated operation
with their hands. with such rapidity tha
the eye could not follow il. On express
! ing our surprise ut their marvellous skill
we We're told that instead of its being
difficult thing to perform. it would he onl,
by Il positive resistance of the will tina
they could avoid doing it. whenever lh,
machine indicated the time for lis per
formancc.