Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-05-11

ways went, and he felt as though he counted
it mark Of special favor that poor unwor-
thy worm of the dust like him should be
sought out and delel ted to 60 and chase a
lame cow across nine vacant lots with an old
barrel stave, and clothed in nothing but a
little brief authority and knit undershirt.
We cannot exactly describe this magic power
of a devoted wife over her husband, and we do
not intend to try it. 1t is an unseen motive,
a nameless leverage, that makes the husband
get up in the dead hours of the night and set
the pancake batter near the parlor stove. A
man need not think that because he gets up
and looks for burglars in the night, and is 9TH
erwise obedient, it is because he has no back
bone. It is simply because he is the husband
of a woman of whom he ought to be proud.
How COMETS AFFECT THE EARTH.-It is
reassuring to learn from Prof. Lewis Boss
prize essay on comets, just published, that no
serious results are ever likely to happen to our
little planet from the visits to the solar system
| of those celestial vagrants. The influence of
comets upon the earth, he says, is in all prob
ability quite insignificant. They may, like the
sun, affect the earth's magnetic condition,
and thus to some extent, possibly, it's meteor
ology. No such effect has ever been perceived.
| In spite of some chance coincidence between
| the aparations Of great comets and remarkable
public events, no we'll informed person now
! believes that there is now any real connection
between them. By liberal and credulOus
interruption Of any frequently occurring celes-
tial phenomenon similar condolences could
also be shown. When a comet is converted
into meteoric bodies, which impinge upon the
earth's atmosphere, there is some direct though
probably minute effect. Some have thought
that sensible portion Of the heat which the
earth receives is generated in this way but
the weight of scientific opinion seems to be
against that hypothesis. The impact Of mete-
ors upon our atmosphere must add some mat
ter to it, and this is probably in the form of
dust. This may be the origin Of the so-called
cosmic dust, which has been collected at sea
in recent times. The finer particles of it may
have some influence on cloud formations, and
other meteorological phenomena; but all this
is merely conjecture.
A more remote effect may be sought in the
possible fall of meteors and comets upon the
surface of the sun. Owing to his vast bulk,
the sun would attract an immense number OF
these bodies but it is quite certain that their
effect upon the suns heat is insignificant. 1t
is now generally admitted that we must look
for the origin Of the SUMS heat in constant,
though to us imperceptible, shrinkage Of his
vast bnlk. Some connection between the fire.
quency of sun spots and comets has been rather
vaguely suspected. Were the search for CON-
cts systematically pursued with equal persis-
tence for length of time, we might have
some data of the formation of sound opinion.
Yet it would still be an open question, wheth-
er comets cause the spots or whether greater
activity of the sun tends in some way to rem
der comets brighter, 80 that more will be
visible-with probability in favor of the latter
supposition. -...,......- .......
Finally, it may be said, with all due respect
to scientific decorum, that the appearance Of
great comet does exert one most happy
influence on the earth, in that 1t stimulates
the curiosity of mankind and directs their
thoughts to the more particular contemplation
of the glorious universe which surrounds them.