The Russellville Democrat., 1881-04-07
Solar PhenOmen
Chicago Express.

CnlchgO Express,
 There is disturbance in the sun. Astronomers, devout and undevout, see through there telescopes it's internal writhings and violent commotion, but they can not discover the cause of the intense agitation. Once in about eleven years, they say, the same phenomenon occurs; and we are now approaching the maximum of disturbance. Dark spots like great chasms which could smack their mumbling lips" over a dozen worlds come and go upon the suns sur face, and his glorious face is scanned and scared as with an infinite agony. Var ious theories are put forth as explana tions; but the general conclusion is the same as St. Clair's on future life, "Who knows anything about it?" Some as- sert that these sun storms are caused by planetary attraction; some that it is the fali of great masses of meteoric matter, and some that it is the result of internal commotion, and the rush upwards of gaseous explosions, in comparison with which our liercest volcanic eruptions are but the flicker of flame. Then, too, in addition to the great holes which break upon it's surface there are gaseous out bursts, startling and vivid. A Cambridge dSllOHOllltE tions describes one of these solar pro- tuberances which he visited in Novem Der as being at least two hundred and thirty-fve thousand miles high, or so immense that if hurled upward from the earth it would almost reach the moon. Two hours later it had collapsed to gaseous stream only eighteen thousand miles high, or a mere torch compared to what it had been.
 Persons whose minds are not com pletely filled with petty personalities long to know something of this mysteri- ous sun and his present agitation, which undoubtedly influences the meteorolog- ical condition of the earth. That he is the source of light, and heat for our little world: that without him there could neither be life nor beauty, though acknowledged, is scarcely understood. Only the teachers in science, the minds which have arisen above dull nothing ness, and belttling triviality reach above the clouds for food for thought. There are plenty ofmen and women who do not call themselves ignorant who never quite get over the belief that the sun is a big blazing shield hung up in the sky to make light for them. He might as well be a dish pan so far as they are con- cerned so long as he attends to his shin ing promptly. They speak of the sun rising and setting exactly as though he did so with a special eye to their conven- fence. For them the horizon of thought extends no farther than the little and big affairsin which they have personal interest. The sun might be covered with spots which excited the wonder of the learned and the phenomenon would be less to them than a splash of mud on their garments. The birds and bees take quite as broad view of the universe as | these people. The grasshopper which 1 huns away his brief summer of existence feels the comforting warmth of the suns rays, and with the boundless egoism of | ignorant human souls, while he sways gracefully on blade of timothy. he fan ces the sun and the world were made for him alone.
 Life, to most of us is so hurried, so ac- tive, so crowded, that only the scientist and idealist find time for grand specula- ton and sublime thought. If half the words which are embalmed in print in | regard to the formation of the new pres ident's cabinet were given to opinions and observations on the wonders of the universe we would be at once broader. | minded, more learned ard better people than we are. II we talked more of mat. l ter and less of ourselves selfishness