The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-01-05
ID 81.

The life of quadrupeds generally
reaches its limit when the molar teeth
are worn down; those of the horse last
about 40 years A horse may, therefore,
see forty new-years days-forty Christ
masses. The ordinary life of the horse,
however, does not in fact exceed Is
years. If horses had little more cere-
bral matter, and were equal in real life
to the imaginary Houyhnhnms of Dean
Swift, we can readily suppose them great
ly occupied with the affairs of this world,
trying to make themselves comfortable,
and Selling every opportunity to enjoy
themselves, as men and women do. With
little fancy, and some reasoning powers
we presume there would be the same
struggle among horses for place and
honors and worldly possessions that we
see among men, whose limit of life is
about 100 instead of 40. Men live longer
now in civilised countries than they form
erly lived, but in earlier ages we do not OBJ
serve that the shorter average of the term
of human life modified in any way the
manners or the morals of men. A race
OF intelligent horses, with their great
bodily strength, would, if we will Just
endow them also with fingers, compete
very seriously with man for the suprem-
acy-and hence probably the ancient con-
ception of the centaurs. There is no rea-
son why they should not have their dwell
ings, their towns, their farms, their count
lighthouses, their railroads, their legis-
latures their balls, their bar-rooms, their
wars, their sports, just as we see now
among the dominant race of animals on
the earth.
The Parrot lives to hundred years,
and possesses organs of articulation which
qualify him to talk as well as the human
being; he only lacks the mind, which is
the fountain Of speech. Even the Goose
is said to live hundred years; and so of
the Pike. These miserable objects live
longer than the nobility of Europe or the
Grants and the Vanderbilts of America
1t is all short enough-soon over. How
brief it seems since last new-year's day !
A few months ago, you were at the
Springs, Or spending the summer some
where In the country and few months
before that you were buying Christmas
gifts for the children. That represents
one gear of your life. About forty of
these mile-stones represent the average
duration of human life-or less than forty.
Almost like the next station of the rail
road, 1882 will be upon you-then
pause, blast on the whistle and off you
go-to reach in brief space the nert
station-l883 After rolling along
certain number of hours, or DAYS and
nights, the train will stop, and you will
have to get of. That is human life.-
While that train is gliding along from
station to station, you and your neigh
bors IN the car are trying to win each
others money. Each one is trying to see
which can have the greatest pile of money
before he has to get off. The conductor
tells you that when you get off, you will
have to cross rapid, dark stream, in
which you will inevitably be drowned,
unless you accept Of him life-preserver,
which he promises on certain condition.
We are, however, wandering off from
our horses. Suppose such race of
horses as we have imagined, to exist, and
suppose, further, that they were made to
understand that their forty years term
Of life would be extended to infnity if
they would recognise the authority of
heaven, and worship the Creator by whom