Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-11-11
Spots on rhe Sum-
A fresh spot has appeared on d

A fresh spot has appeared on the face
OF the sun, a very large one, humanity
speaking. 1t measures about twenty
thousand geographical miles by seven
thousand. Perhaps the sun does not
think 1t excessive, having such broad
face, and being able to accommodate a
great number of pimples of the same
size. But the extent sounds considera-
bic, all the same. Besides, there are
ever so many smaller ones about the
size of the earth, and, taking all to-
gether, we shall not, t,beexaggerating the
situation if We say there is ''quite a
rash." For much less we call the doc
tor in. Indeed, We terrestrial atoms
could not rise to the dignity Of such an
eruption, not even if We put all our
faces together and went shares in the
same spot. We talk OF having ''the
measles" nobody thinks of counting
them or asking ''How many?" But
they are mere pin points, dots. speckS.
1t is very different, however. with the
orb 'that rules the day. Astronomers
keep register of its eruptions, and
book each new ''measle" as 1t comes.
They diagnose the p enomenon, and
conjecture as to its causes and results,
just as the doctors do over the baby's
red-speck.ed body; and, ike doctors,
they cannot stop the process. 1t must
run its course, they say. Some day,
perhaps, they will prescribe for the sun.
If they already know its weight, and It's
temperature and constitution, why
should they not find out all about its
digestion and habits? Is it temperate
and addicted to regular life? There is
a good deal to be said on both sides.
In general way it is irreprOachable,
modern luminary, and pattern to
everybody else, doing perennial work
conscientiously and regularly. Morally,
too, 10 fault can be found with a body
which is all thing to all men-anSwerS
the negro according to his blackneSs and
never throws pearls before swine. Early
to bed and early to rise, 1t ought to be
healthy and wise. But Is it? There is
another side to the sun. When it has
got out of our sight, and beyond the
scrutiniZing vision of civilization, It
conducts itself immoderately. An eX-
cesSive warmth eharacteriZeS its con.
duct. 1t blaZes out, gets furiously hot
ONCl llAC oulA ~
keep cool, to calm itself. But this only
seems to make it get all the hotter and
be all the more intolerable. From other
quarters, again, we have very different
reports. There, they tell us and the
evidence is trustworthy, it will not
show itself for weeks together. They
know il is there, or thereabouts, from
the reflections cast on the sky. But, as
for melting glacier or liquefylng an ice
berg, no such effects are forthcoming.
This gratifies polar bears, no doubt, but
cannot be styled impartial behavior.
After all, the Esqnimaux are human
beings, which even the best of bears are
not. Still, as the homely saying goes,
we should take men only as We know.
Report is liable to be biased in the tran
sit or unreliable at the source. So, for
ourselves, we ought to speak well of the
great orb. That, 1t does not, as rule,
take much notice of US, and that when,
as an exception, it does, we grumble, is
neither here nor there. Our tempera-
ture is the finest in the world, our eli
mate second to none, and the security
of our country from plague, pestilence
and famine, from drOuth and flood,
earthquake and hurricanes is the envy
of all the inhabited earth. And for all
this we have to thank the sun.