The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1893-02-11
T. LANDRY, La, FEBRUARY IL, 1898.

height on any shore it begins to de-
crease. This continues for about six
hours and is called the ebb. At the
end of six hours longer it sets in to-
wards the shores and continues on in
that direction for six hours, when it
again reaches It's greatest height and as
befntc begins to ebb. Thus in the
lapse of twenty hours the sea or ocean
has twice sbbed aud flowed. This is
called its tiux and reflux. When it
flows towards the. shore it is called the
tiux, when from it the retinx.
The tides are mainly Influenced by
the neon and are greatest during the
new and full moon. There are many
other matters which might be related
Of thc tidal phenomena but which must
he passed over. Observe not only the
poWer of our Creator in regularly con-
trolling the tides, but behold his wis
dom. There is a great purpose served
in keeping these worlds of water in
continual motion, for by it their parti
cles are kept changing their relation to
each other and thus are stagnation and
pntritication avoided. Evaporations
are kept pure and into clouds they are
formed and then descend on the earth
in showers of rain we are proAided
with sweet and refreshing water to
qnench our thirst.
February 9th.
Natuteis beaulitied by the leaves on
the ttees.s When the chilling blasts of
Winter are over, we look with impa
ticnce for the budding of the trees, and
feel no little qualification when we see
them cumming out. We derive pleas
ure from seeing vegetation starting into
life under the genial warmth of the in
coming Spring time. We do not gen
orally know the fact, but it exists
nevttheless that every leaf contains a
g,eat number of pores Leaves imbibe
the humidity of the atmosphere and
thtaugh liam it is communicated to the
plant Plus, in dry seasons the plant
is uot enhfely deprived of the necessa
ry m.tisture. Leaves have been found
to serve as lungs to plants. 1t is
known ts4t they perspire to conside-
ratle antdlni This is one reason why
grapes do not arrive at maturity when
the vines have been stripped of their
lpayes See in all these things the
| DIEDi vi iIt- W i5ittil anu pluCl III tHS
laws of God.
February 10Th.
There il = wonderful uniformity in
the works of CD To the casual aud
nntetletiing observer this may not ap-
pear, hui to hin, who in the "inye of ma
tu,e holds communion with her visible
forms il inaS he seen on every hand.
Z Take the alterations of heat and cold
~ seen IL the srssnIls and while in
! themselves they stand opposed TO each
/. other, here is mutual dependence the
one upon the other, SIS tending to Il
benign purpose. The sun shines with
} great a,dor during portion Of the
, year. and to escape fiom its enervatlng
effect, we betake ourselves to the deep
) shade In the winter we are chilled
by its icy embrace, when for relief we
. seek the sanshne and the fireside To
9 the spring the sunshine cheers every
t living creature, and yet if it never
8 Wen, down we would long for the
Q shades of night. 1t causes the sap to
d rise in the tFees, aud if there were
: nothing TO cause it to cease to rise, the
e surface of the earth would long since
~ HAVE hFSu uGCHtS SOSOtCu poi pCtAf%
i shade Shade and sunshine are equal
/ IL indispensable to all nature, and We
should be thankful that the Almighty
6 has so ordained it that both can exis
J. and mutually contribute to the accom-
d plishment of the divine purpose il
: promoting the welfare of every living
: creature.
- February Ilth.
Rivers occupy very considerable
portion of our globe-mnch larger thar
is al first supposed. The evaporation
y from them is of vital importance
u to out health. Indeed they supply {
large portion of the water drank b,
. the human family. Water, to bt
. whnirsome as Il beverage, must be fire.
Q Quentiy agitated, otherwise it de
= tachts and dissolves, or holds
II suspended many partitles which, takeI
into o,,r systems would be injurious t,
us and destructive TO good health
u But river water is continually agitatet
= and is continually evaporatiDg ant
Is Thereby is refined and cleared of many
: impurities. If our dwellings are sur
q rounded by marshes and stagnant wa
- Tel x, Ne Hcttt tiut CApCSb uhs
u comfort. The rivers serve an impor
: ). tant purpose i'll carrying off such wa
70 !, ters. 1t we could appreciate the utilit.
u of tains, from another standpoint, lie
'e us consider the great deserts to b
., found in some parts of our globe, am
~ the contrast will satisfy US at once
Sf Aside from all such considerations. &c
~ their utility in draining our tillabl
s. lands = in affording means of transpor
tation, etc There is great wisdom ex
le hibited In their commonly serpentin
'e course. IF they flowed in straigh
=, direction, net more than one-half til
of distance they now flow would be pei
., meatrd by them, and not more tina
'k on. half OF our race be benefited b
ss them, that are OF may. Again. we'
y they straight the velocity of the cnl
10 rent would b. 81 great that nayigatio
10 would be far more difficult, and til
II. erosion become destructive of all +
D parian property This and niue
Q; more have been provided against b
lu the divine wisdom in shaping the Ri
=. J" ers as he has.
m
it. Mr.. W. F. McClanahan has severe
his connection as editor and manage
of the Westlake News Ii is reporte
that Mr. r. Harrison, editor OF I'll