, 1879-07-12

HUMAN CHARACTER.
ITS DARK sroTs.
70 tho Editor a3 The Tribune,
ST.. TosEr1f, Mich, July ITO NIL persons
living on tic curth, tho SUI must be an object
OF the Crcascst interest; not only on nccount OF
hts own wonderful physical nature, but also be-
causo Of his Influence upon our Garth.
Very few Of US fully appreciate either the
I,nmonsc eIze or extreme heat OF this daz2ltng
orb. Our ignorance Is partly due to tho great
distance Intervening between us anil the sun.
Indeed, the, distance itself Is not comptehcnded.
From our earliest recollection the must Of lis
have henrd that tho run isD5, OK, 900 miles away.
Tits stnscment Is mistake, Us recent invcstiga-
tons have proven it to be somewhat 1css,-bc-
tween o1, ,ocO, 0o0 and 02,o00,0o0 miles. But, rs
far rs our approaching this distance Is con-
ccrncd, 1t might rs well haro bocn called tho
former rs the latter. The human mind Is too
weak to comprehend such yastncss. Lee us use
an illustration:
A cannon ball, moving straight on, unrctar1.
cd, With its swiftcst speed, eou1l not rcach tho
esiH In nine years. And yet, across this mighty
chasm tho sun cxerts n powerful inilucncc on
tic caTth,-holls ns In our orbit, and aends Us
light md heat. What, then, must be the sfzc OF
this iuninarY, ita temperature, Its weight
Its size ts such thAt 1t tho earth were placed
at the centre OF tho sun, the moon would be far
within Its surface, so far, indeed, that there
would bo room within 1t for another moon al
mostas far ngain from the earth. That Is, tho
radius OF the sun muat bo equal to twfcc the
distance from tho earth 10 the noou. As fur as
size is concerned. million nt',l quarter carths
could be placed within The sun, with plenty OF
| room for carll to rsyotre, without grazing tho
highest mountain tops .,....
| According to very able writer on this sub-
icct tie llcat Of tic sun IL 80 intonsu tint II tho
sun should approach ns near us US the ,noon
now Is, there can be no doubt but TINT the uartl
itself would melt. Its Weight Is 80 great .l.ut
# seems foolish to csttsnute 1t by tons, but
something OF m 'dca ma: be obtatncd BY calcil-
latiG, tho number Of cartlwcighta IN It. 1t llas
been found tn weigh as muct, IA SEE, 100 carths.
Its brliancy ts beyond our conception, forever NJ
q distance Of oa,0o ,Wu miles tho human cye is
unablu to endure tEtlrcct rnye. Yet, notwlth-
standing the great brI!ancy OF this true King
Of Day,n even the sun Is not without spnts.
Largo and dark they appear on the SUMS ttlac;
striking contrasts 10 10 tho s.,rrounanE t bright
covcrlcs Of the telescope. It was by watching
them that the carly observers determined tho
rotation At tho sun; 30 1t would seem that even
| tho spots have h mission. In Chinu they MP
pear to hayo boon observed rs carly rs 32l 4. D.
The tcntrc OF every solar snot Is black. Etlg-
Ing this Is Il sort OF Irngc-'ikc substance, whci,
forms tho border. So the general appearance
| u uHiGII plRpE4 9UiuI opUt 10 HUI u4hthS tlluL
Of 6laek funnel. the upper edge Of which had
been tibhlcd by mlcct only the tunnel should be
magn1cd about aa50,'o0o, ,600 titnrs. Hut these
spots arc 1sot quiet nnd proper; they arc .cur-
unl enlarge, contract, unl disappear, sou,o-
times lasting more than year, at others ony
n lew hours. instances are, recorded in
which rs,p sp9t g, 1900 ono'a mi'cs H., damstss s;r
ilisappcarauce Is tkew,sc rup!d. Thc spots vusT
greatt7 III magnitude tho smallest being
between 100 ana 800 miles ln diameter, the
arssst neafly 3 ao n'ss m inn a averae d.
couple OF carths could easily DO dropped
through without grazlnE their a!ics.
Whnt these spots arc or how they arc formed,
your w pardon, . worthy tlomcites} wIscas heais
TINA INV now before nc, astd tllc question Is
not VIC believe, yet decided. But do not curu
to discuss their ORIGIN Just now. Us even the
ins Ing over ills lu,tcr. / Oily Will to consllcr
them rs they nppcar to lis, anil, II possible, de-
duec u few practical lessons from these yrry
spots. .
among all inntcrla objects, Ia not Without spots
10 everything under the sun, whether small III
great, whatevPr tta nature or condition, Is not
without defects. Lake tho solar spots, they
lnay mt bo visible ut all times ,-pcr'!aps might
not be noticed II they were yisiblc,-yst, seen
or unseen, they arc tllerc,-tcop, dnrk spots,
penetrating through the brilliant exterior, fnrf
| down Into ttlG very GGntrG OF DOING.
Yet how fOnlY do nc thrrtBh tic Idea tint
they are not tetct How VIC try TO tlnke our.
selves believe t!iAt 1t IL merely somu trick ot
tlle imagination, or mist In ths atmosphere,
or bccause our eyes ure weaI<| How often We
attrtbuto tho defects to our. own Inability ia
appreciate slch sp!entlnr! Then distance lends
wonderful cncEanttncut 10 things. both past
and future; perhaps because only tho outlines
Long ago our forefathcra saw ia the future an
lllcnl Government, ,-0no III which tllu pcpple
should rule, a1ltl wheru there should bo pcrfecs
unttf .nnd order. Such II uoycrhmcnt was
suct. QUO as # is possibie for tue rcul to re-
, aetnble tbs IDEAL. but HOW We SEQ the defects
We recognize tho dishonesty, ayarfce, ulMl tle
cct In tts adninlstra'san. M Government Ii
luyIng seen the detccts IL thu old syste,ns o
rule las undertaken to form, ,lcw codcs Of layt
which Should avoid thu former errors, Thus
Dtacu, a great lawg!ver Of Athens, obacryin.
Inc axity manifested In Atllcninn politics, drew
, up Il rodu Of laws, which wcro marked by tll1
must c1tronu severity, demanding, Tho f,e.n1t,
Of teath for nll oRcnscs hotlI for. petty thetl'
a,S, WHOLESALE nrler probably ,'1 believing t1M
=, ltlu legislation vi Draco failed fu It's object
Then another ercnt retor'ncr, solon, took JUS
! tho .'npositc course, Discerning tue errors l,
own weu1a b. sascesst III. ss Evsn sos s IT,
laws ul Scion were very mild, yet wtcru tllr,
= were utloptcs ll,u constitution was far from bo
, itg satisfactory
Arc va mt wont to itlealzo The kntghts q
0llcn ttMc The ga!lant knights, El,u went forll,
regardless OF dangcr to hrayo pcri!. to rul!ey,
. tl.u distressed, .ptl, al,oyc dl to defend UNI
, Vi notrct tho lnliest Do NO mt consider thnP
:. bravo cavaliers our faeala Living III thu t!ItI
past, llpir faults ure unnot1rcll. Only Tho uIt
lines aro vs,hlc; the reality was for from pcr
:. fccl!ns. But,
. Every fns!n that fancy can repair.
j. Frnn dark nbyloN, g!owA fsYincy thcre.
, Noth!,lg Is 1noru p!casl, than to build castle
:. iu tle mir aml people thein With tlnugnar
|, heroes, eyun though olr rastlcs aro never fund
i nur heroes never realized. StiIi, knowing thi
y 10 true, We euntsnueto build theH', tma9inin
= wi!rsu III ,lIu world We t.,all mpct our tlcu
sla,Iy pcon!o lure III isleat elinuto, hr.ht MI
o beautiful where thc wlnls arr nuycr boisteruut
il wlcrt Il PERSON Is not obliged tu carry fan
4 ono hat na an 0yoreslat IN tllu other, or pars
# sol in o,lo hand alul II lauN hi thu other, tu
!. where warm sunshno al,tl gentle showers sic
i cceA caciI ,@r. cheering nlu refreshing nIl III
Q ti!tr. It Is ,s1laly u 'one WY Oh, howesr
1 lncsifl 1nhka much difference Wlltrp, 1IruYilc