The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-10-27
THE STANDARD.
Thursday, October ~, 1881.
Life.

I wonder whether 1t ever occurs to |
most people to consider how brimful
our world is of life, and what differ
ent place it would be if no living thing
had ever been upon it? From the
time we are born till we die there IS
scarcely waking moment OF our lives
in which our eyes do, not rest either
upon living things, or upon things
which have once been alive. Even IN
our rooms, the wood of our furniture
and our doors could never have been
without the action of life; the paper
on our walls, the carpet on our f1oofs'
the clothes on our back, the cloth up
ON the table, are all made OF materials
which life has produced for us; nay,
the very marble of our mantelplece IS
the work of once living animals, and
is composed Of their broken shells.
The air we breathe is full OF lnvlsl-
be germs of life; nor need we leave
the. town and go to the country IN
search Of other living beings than man.
There is scarcely street or alley
where, if it be neglected for Time,
some blade Of grass or struggling weed
does not make it's appearance, pushing
it's way through chinks IN the pave
ment or the mortar in the wall; no
SPOT from which we cannot see some
insect creeping, or flying, or spinning
it's web, so long as the hand OF man
does not destroy it. Then, as we
pass over plain and valley and noun
tain, we find things creeping lnnume1-
able, both small and great; some MD
den in the moss or the thick grass,
rolled up in the leaves, boring into
the stems and trunks Of trees, eating
their way underground or into even
the strongest rock; while others, such
as the lion, the tiger, and the elephant,
roaming over Africa and India, rule
world Of their own where man counts
for very little. Even in our thlckly
peopled country, rabbits multiply BY
thousands in their burrows, and come
to frolic in the dusk of evening when
all is still. The feld-mice, land ano
water rats, squirrels, weasels and bad
gers. have their houses above and be-
low ground, while countless insects
swarm everywhere, testifying to tn
abundance of life. Not content
moreover, with filing the water ant
covering the land, this same sllen
power peoples the atmosphere, wher
bats, butterflies, bees, and winged IN
sects of all forms, shapes, and color:
fight their way through the ocean
air; while birds, large and small, sa
among its invisible waves.
Wherever we go living creature
are to be found, and even it we sa
away over the deep, silent ocean an
seek what is,in its depths, there agal
we find abundance Of life, from tt
large fish and other monsters whlc
glide noiselessly along, lords OF I'll
ocean, down to the jelly-masses tioa
ing on the surface. and the banks
rocky coral built by jelly-animals
the midst Of the dashing wave
There Is no spot on the surface OF tt
earth, in the depths'o Of the ocean, or
the lower currents Of the air, which
not filled with life whenever al
wherever there is room.
The one great law which all livil
beings obey is to increase, multipl
and replenish the earth;" and the
has been no hating in this work fro
the day when first into our plan
from the bosom Of the great Great
was breathed the breath of life,-t
invisible mother ever taking shape
her children.-Lyfe and her Childre
Published by appleton & Go.