The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-03-13
Educational Column.
MEMS THOUGHTS.
J. +. LANGENDAUGH.

There is a great variety in mems
understandings, and their natural
constitutions put so wide difference
between some men in this respect,
that art and industry would never be
able to master; and their very natures
seem to want a foundation to raise on
it that which other men easily attain
unto. Among men Of education there
is great inequality OF parts. And
tee woods of America, as well as the
schools OF Athens, produce men OF
several abilities, in the same KIND.
Yet, though this be so, most men come
very short Of what they might attain
unto in their several degrees, by
neglect Of their understandings, a few
rules OF logic are thought sufficient
In this case for those who pretend to
the highest Improvement: whereas,
there are great many natural defects
I'm the understanding capable OF
amendments, which are overlooked
and wholly neglected. And it is easy
to perceive that men are guilty OF a
great many faults in the exercise and
Improvement of this faculty of the
mind, which binders them 10 their
progress. and keeps them in ignorance
and error all their lives.
MUSIC AND PEACE.
Music is the language OF harmony.
1t is the highest mode OF ar'iculate
expression, and its true voice ever
speaks for peace aud love. The devil
has taken possession OF all the best
tunes, said an old divine, once upon a
time, and he might have added has
hired all the poets too. But it Is one
OF the hopeful signs of this transition
age that not only poetry and music,
but the general arts, are returning to
their legitimate Offices OF advancing
the general harmony and elevating
the general virtue. The poets whom
Horace srigmatized as towards and
humble laudators OF the deeds they
were disqualified to perform, now
stand, like Lamartine and Victor
Hugo. and Bryant and Longfellow, in
the van OF liberty, and have braved
oppression and wrong: and painters,
whose grandest tableaux were OF
battles, now present to the eyes OF
the people. like Edward Landser. the
beauties of peace beside the horrors
of war. Music, when attuned TO the
harmonies OF nature, always 5ubdues
and softens the soul. When the child
upon its mothers knee is weeping,
she soothes it with a song. The an
clients pretended that nations were
civilized by music. and this allegory
has deep meaning; for we must al
ways suppose that the bond OF society
was formed by sympathy or interest.
and certainly the first origin is more
noble than the second. Among the
instrumentalities OF peace and love
surely there cen be nothing swifter.
softer, or more effective than that OF a
gentle voice breathing music.
STARS.
The mind OF man utterly fails to
realize the immensely of space. and
DO ore unaccustomed TO the use OF
tho telescope can have an adequate
idea OF the difference presented by
the heavens when viewed by TIE
naked eye and mind OF the astrono-
mer. How difficult it is 10 realize
that each star. in the solemn depth
OF the universe, is sun like our sun,
but separated from each other and
our own by distances almost beyond
the power OF man to compute. Only
about 5000 stars can be distinctly
seen and coun. ed by the naked eye,
while an ordinary telescope reveals
the presence Of something like $780,
900. HerschePs great eighteen-inch
instrument, il is estimated, SHOWS
10000. while the great Rose teles-
cope, by its vast penetrating powers,
Is supposed TO open TO our vision no
less than 100000. And yet, when the
VIII Die heavens are swept by this tel
escope, We have only penetrated a
distance into space from our stand
point on this globe, which, when COM
pared to the immensely beyond, is no
more than the space occupied by the
room where we read or write IL, to
the immensely Of depth penetrated by
the last mentioned instrument.
INTERESTING FACTS.
The most ancient manuscripts are
written without accents, stops or sep
araiion between the words. nor was
it till after the ninth century that
copyists began to leave space between
the words.
The first piece Of artillery was in
vented by a German. soon after the
invention OF gunpowder, and artillery
was first used by the Moors at Alzes-
irar, in Spain, in the seigc OF 1871.