Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-11-17

BY. J. s. INGRAM.

Some years ago we paid visit to a
royal observatory in England, and hav-
ing the good fortune to be previously
acquainted with the assistant astronO-
mer in charge, he took particular pains
in showing us the wonderful instru-
mental appliances and contrivances for
obtaining with mathematical exactness
the facts and data of his science-a
science which is one of the sublimest
and most awe-inspiring that can engage
the human mind.
We are hot going into a lengthy ac-
count of the various instruments i'm an
observatory, and their uses, for all this
where. Our special object now is to
relate a curious and striking incident
which occurred during our visit, invOlv-
ing moral lessons which we have often
remembered with advantage i'm after
life.
In the course of our inspection, our
friend, the assistant astronomer, pointed
out to US certain instrument which he
called mural circle, designed to OBJ
serve the transit of stars across the me-
ridian, and to mark the angular dis
tance of each of these stars when so
crossing from the pole of the heavens.
"YOu OBSERVE" he said, "the large
size of the instrument. Ii isa telescope
some feet i'm length, in connection with
double wheel of wide circumference
and of heavy spOkes. One wheel is fixed
and the other you see, is movable with
the instrument. and the whole appara-
tus is firmly supported in the plane of
the meridian, on a long and powerful
axis, which axis is inserted deeply into
this great column of stone, from whence
is derived the name of the instrument,
mural q. e., wall) circle 1t is of the
greatest moment that this instrument
should be steady; even the slightest vi
bration would vitiate an observation
and render il useless. To secure steadi-
ness, therefore, this column of stone, or
rather of marble, is of the most massive
construction. 1t rises, as you perceive,
about seven feet from the floor, is sunk
several feet into the earth, and the whole
structure-column,c circles. and teles-
scope-weigh together some one hum
dred and twenty tons.
"You see that vessel there" he said,
while pointing TO it.
1t was large cup of mercury, resting
on brass stand, which had been set,
like the axis of the mural circle into
the marble column.
"You OBSERVE" ne continued, 'the
shadow of yonder window-sash upon
the bright surface of the mercury"
eyes" We replied; "'and it is very
distinct, for the sun is clearly shining"
.'And that is so much the better for
my purpose" he observed. "Now,"
he proceeded, ''keep your eye fixed
upon the shadow of the window-sash,
while l give a gentle blow To the marble
column"
We did As directed, and while gazing
intently upon the shadOw-mark. our
friend with his hand, gave such blow
to the great marble pillar rs boys i'm
sport give to their playmates, and to our
amazement, the shade on the cup of
mercury began on the instant to move
and tremble. -..-.r
"You see,- said he "the effect of that
little conclusion. Ii has stirred and
agitated the whole one hundred and
twenty tons of solid stone, and the ef-
feet, /" he added, "will never be lost.
The vibration given will continue in its
results and effects forever. And no
doubt, he went on to say, ''from what
you have seen, you will now be prepared
to believe the saying Of one of our mod
srn philosophers, which some in their
ignorance have laughed at, namely this :
That, at erery step zoe take, ace shake the
,r0rld!''
As we looked and pondered, we
seemed never before to have seen so
clearly, or felt so deeply, our response
bility as a moral agent in the world.
No act or word of ours is without a
result everything we do bears relation
value and exercises an influence upon
those around ms, and that not merely
upon the material but upon the moral,
upon the lives and characters of our fell
low men.
No human deed, however trifling il
may appear, can, with truth, be regar-
ded as insignificant. In certain special
circumstances, so-called trifiing act
may be fraught with stupendous results
for we read how, in passing through
an Alpine ravine, loudly sounded
word of human speech had been known
at times to bring down upon band OF
travellers, by its vibration in the air,
the overhanging avalanche. But here
il was revealed, with startling evidences
that every movement springing from
the living forces of the human heart
and mind is productive Of no mean re-