The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-06

size, too, OF the Olympian missile docs very
little credit TO its original proprietor-and
protector. It looks like the thunderbolt
Of q god in reduced circumstances. To
Judge from the description, it would APP
pear TO weigh not more that few ounces
"a mere peashooter projectile as compared
with the enormous masses OF iron, some
times weighing over a ton, which have
been called by the same classical name. Me-
teorites, 20 give them their more scientific
designation, vary indefinitely in size and
weight, and this particular visitor to our
southern suburbs is sipgularly insignifi-
cant in bulk. Ii supported its claim to
the popular nomenclature by falling dur
ing violent thunder storm, though of
course it has no moro connection with
electric Disturbances than it has with
Jupiter. Nevertheless, it is not difficult
to understand how the superstition orig
inally grew up.
In pre-scientific ages the meteoric stone
must have struck its discoveries as phe-
nomenon OF peculiarly unaccountable
kind, and 1t is not remarkable that they
should have associated IL with what was 10
them an equally mysterious calamity
death by lightning. And the lightning
flash has naturally been viewed in all rude
ages and by all primitive peoples as the
special weapon OF the supernal powers.
Even the most skeplical OF the ancients
had difficulty in regarding it as one Of
the ordinary operations OF nature, like the
descent OF the hail or rain which accom-
panied IL, and was irresstibly impelled 10
trace it back to the impulse Of some in
dividual and all-powerful will. There are
few things in Latin poetry more diverting
than the account given by the halfhearted
lttfl.. fra.. fhtnGar lInrana If HE
conversion from Epicurean agnosticism by
thunderstorm. lie relates with anus
ing simplicity how he had been "obliged"
the word is his own--to recant the doc
trine Of an insane philosophy by tho
warning spectacle OF Jupiter urging his
chariot and stceds OF flame through q
clear sky, instead OF az usual through 4
mass OF cloud. His moral however, was
! not q particularly elevated one and
hardly encourages the hope that he fore
swore all coquetings with the creed Of Ep-
icurus for the future. lie seems merely
to have arrived at the conclusion-wh which,
indeed, he enforces elsewhere in his odes
that the bolt Of divine vengeance is
likely to light upon the most towering OBJ
jects, and that the truest wisdom OF man is
TO "lie low" Even lesson in humility,
however, is not without its value, and il
may be questioned whether loraces
pety, strictly safeguarding as il seems TO
have been, was not nearer approach 10
the religious spirit than is 10 be found in
the blood OF a BriXton householder who
picks up the ecclesiastical projectic and
dispatches 1t through the parcels post 10
an analyst. Nov that We knowcvcrything
or so nearly everything that, II Elicnrus
himself were alive, an average bo&ni school
boy in the upper standards could teach
him thing or two-we have no doubt
good reason 20 congratulate ourselves.
Yet in spite Of our being able 10 tx
plain 10 that eminent but unor-
thodOX philosopher that lightning Is
merely discharge Of electricity.
and thundcrholt nothing but .
metcoric stone. that storms arr grOun in
America, that pcslilencc is simply gu-s.
uon OF bacilli, We should still do sell 10
ask ourselves occasionally wh,alter Oir
knowledge is an absolutely unluixg,t gain.
and whether. IN the process n acquiring
II, certain graces and sustaigme1ss Ut lilo
human spirit have MT disappeared. Il Is
not impossible, indeed, that ~ little claser
study OF these same meieofilcs May ulsi-
inaioly be found TO yield something iikc .
rabuke TO the pride oi modern knOwlesizc.
One distinguished man Of knowledge tod
US some years ago that il via by means Oi
ncieorites that the germs OF lie were orig
inally conveyed TO our planet when ~ YET =
II was In the inorganic stages, from 1glss a.
ready pooplcd with living organisms. An
other eminent scientific man, AIR. Norman
I.ockycr. has inore recentlv broaclied tho
theory that 10 the action OF meieoriies II
due, not life only in this planet, but thu
planet itsolf and ule whole solar system 10
which Il belongs.
Huuying blindly through space, mcte-
oric masses collide and shiycr into whirl-
ing orbs which, acquiring heat, light and
| sphcricity from their motion and revolu-
| ton, have gradually cooled down into tho
still slowly hardening heavenly bodies
which are NJ present performing their pc
| riodical orbit around the sun. IL Ii Inn
possible not TO feel impressed by these
s,upcndous theories, and equally impossi-
bic 10 be satisfied with them. A meteor
lie runs up against another metconite in
space, and they fly 20 pieces. Immedi-
aiely the whole planetary sysien,-Mer-
curry. Venus. the earth, Mas, and ~ forth
spring into being. and-thcrc you arei
| Again, another meteorite, conveying lifo
germs, drops upon ono Of these dead, I'M
inhabited bodies. Life Ia communicatedto
u, and agnin-thcrc you arcl Yet still a.
In the well known instance Of the stage
coach accident, impairment curiosity will
press the question. where are youf Or.
II that question Ia doomed 10 be suiii-
GENTLY answered by the theories them
selves, the further inquiry. whence came
you1 " much moro difficult 10 answer.
Tho life conveying mcicoriics have
yet 10 account 10 the scientific detective
Tor the life germs found In their posses
sion" Tho Information which he has
received has carried him no further than
tho bare fact Of possession, aud the pos
SCISSOR steadily refuses 10 surrender tho
secret. so. again, with Mr.. Norman Lock
ycr's hypothcsis-or, M we may for COM.
ycnicnco call Il, II the Phrase he not con-
sidcrcd irreyercnt. the theory Of smith
Green's" What started the meteoritcs7 Il
question NJ unanswcrablc M the query,
What sprinklcd them with the germs
Of liici A pagan would have made
short work enough Of both inqui-
ries lie would have met each Of
them with the cply that the au-
thor Of thosa motions and the givcr Of that
life was Zous, the father Of the immortal
gods. Him. II Is true, the modern man Of
science has dctlironcd, and In many In
stances has persuaded himself that II Is
not necessary 10 Oil the dcposcd monarch's
place. In this. however, the student very
fn,quently differs from him, and In spite of
his teachers assuring him that the whole
thing has been explained, he continues 10