San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-19

them, then to take for granted,
that the carbon fell in in large
showers, covering the earth like
snow. Water (hydrogen) being one
of the most subtitle of the elements,
would naturally remain suspended
the longest, and it is possible there
fore, that some watery masses en-
circled our earth like a belt until
a very late date.
1t is also not unlikely that there
were men living then, who, watch
ing the sky and noticing the con-
traction of the water, could predict
a catastrophe and 10 some extra
made ready fOrir. 1t has been sug-
gested that the ark story is merely
a sun-myth, as about 5000 years
ago the constellation Arcturus
stood over Mount Ararat. Be this
as it may, however. The ancients
connected all natural events with
religion. There is one other evil
oence in favor of the ring theory,
namely the increase OF water in
the ocean over ancient times. For
about fifty miles from the shores
of the great continents there is a
slow descent as it is on the CONT
nents themselves, and there is a
sudden fall of from one to six miles.
This would indicate that at one
time the continents extended out
further, and that some change took
place which increased the surface
of the ocean. 1t is unnecessary to
refer to Atlantis and other CONT
nents, which have disappeared.
From the account in Genesis L
want to draw moral for our Sun
day lesson. Whatever you may
think of the probability Of the
ark story, matters little as COM
pared to what it teaches, namely
the sacTedness of life. Noah was
commanded to make provision for
all creatures. Even the unclean
Life is sacred. All life. II the Sc
lection had been left to a modern
man he would most likely have
left out some. Snakes, rats and
mice, for instance. Some might
want to leave out dogs or cats, and
a Kansas man would be likely to
GUST grasshopper; aCalifornia man
might wan TO dispense with rab-
bits, and so on. Then again, il the
Noah character was a Presbyterian,
would he take in a Methodist, II
Baptist, would he admit a Unitar-
ian? If catholic, would he have
room for a Protestant, or vice
versa? II a Mohammedap, would
he open the doors believer in the
man from Nazareth? These ques-
lions would naturally occur and a
believer in the doctrine that there
should be but one shepherd and
one flock might see therein grand
opportunity. How would come in
the various political doctrines,
whether a Jefferson Democrat
could admit Blaine Republican,
and whether the MacAllister four
hundred could afford to take in a
man from the common herd with
more brains than money and thus
perpetuate brains In the world af-
ter the flood had subsidized?
Putting aside these suggestions,
however, it occurs to me that this
very earth is nothing less than
an immense Noah's ark in which
all creatures are mixed up in pairs,
according to their kind. Each pro-
vided for it's journey over space,
knowing little or nothing about
the shores from whence they came
or whittier they are going. Like
Noah and his family, we are shut
in with all manner OF brute, gaz.
ing through the window of out
terrestrial ark, seeing nothing but
immensely behind and before,
while under our feet there are the
bodies of the dead who have gone
down in the floods of past ages.
The dust on which we tread was
once alive.
If you have ever sought shelter
in a deserted cabin during storm,
you will have but a faint idea of
how a family must shut up in an
ark, conscious that they are the
only human beings left in the
world, knowing not what goes on
outside except that thousands and
millions are sinking never to rise
again. Add to that, the steady
clatter of rain upon the deck, the
bowling OF the storm, tossing the
little vessel upon the angry waves,
broken by the occasional roar OF
thunder, while the darkness with.
, out and within is lit up by the
, terrible illumination of the light.
ming. So is human life. Tossed
about by experiences, by alternat.
, ing success and defeats, most fire.
, quently the latter, the human
: family feels all the awe Of being
r clinging to the ark of life, cropping
: ill the darkness OF strife and rent
within ard without with sin and
/ doubt. Now and then man sends
2 out a thought or an inpiration
t like a dove, on the wings OF his
r soul, and perhaps it brings back
an olive leaf, from the better shore
G but he remains within the ark