The San Francisco call., 1896-10-04

happenings. In other words, there is a
strong tendency to break away from the
strict materialism of science, as science is
interpreted. TO leap, so to speak, from the
rock of exact science and take a header in
the inviting surf rolling in from the sea of
speculation.
Science itself is not to blame for this
condition. But some of its exponents are.
In ministering TO greed. the application
of practical science has occupied their
time and attention to the exclusion of
what is pure science, which seems, in too
many instances, not only to be ignored,
but forgotten.
The cyclic law is the "law of unrest"
Everywhere the arrangement of matter is
varying. The movements among differ
ent portions, be the masses great or small,
are constantly changing both in direction
and rate. Look upon the sky at night
time. Hither and thither suns and satel-
lites are rushing with motions varying ac-
cording TO the attractive forces of other
suns and other satellites encountered by
each orb at various portions of It's course.
Alike in those vast bodies of cosmical
dust; alike in the fantastic folds of those
enlgmatical, vaporous masses of stellar
space, and in all that sense is cognizant of,
Is found the evidence of unrest. Trace
downward in the order of size from these
mighty masses of the sky, through all the
intermediate shapes and forms of matter,
until is reached the smallest atom within
the range of conceivable vision. Among
all, in ALL ruling all, in general and in de-
tail, permeating the universe, there is an
unceasing redistribution of matter and I'M
ceasing chan of motion. Birth and death
are ever side by side. The action is cyclic
From the utmost limits of the undefina-
BILE space come particles of matter, drawn
toward common center by the unknown
power. They coalesce to form mass, the
motion of each particle diminishing with
the formation OF the ag -regation. 1nte-
grafton compensatng the dissipation of
motion. So were the stars born.
Outward, toward unending limits rush
other particles, departing from some ag-
gregation undergoing disruption. in
obedience to some unknown force. Disin-
te ration nietamorphosing into motion.
So die the stars.
Fom out, beyond, come particles of
matter, imponderable, lmmeasurable by
the most delicete mechanical appliance,
but nevertheless matter. For inconceiva-
bic lengths of time the process of gathering
goes on, the converging streams at last
forming what vision recognizes as dimiy
outlined, almost impalpable mist. Men
come and go. the history of one race and
age becomes ancient, molders and is for
gotten. Millions upon millions of years
succeed each other, and :he beginning
lapses into the unknown; and then some
eye views dusty cloud where the mist was.
The timeplece OF eternity marks the
passing of the seconds of creations hours
with steady swing of pendulum, whose
mighty sweep is all too ponderous for
human recognition. The dusty fog has
condensed into a nebulous mass. Thus
onward with steady growth. so gradual
that finite sense is too short-lived, and
human history too brief to record
change, the aggregation advances to its
conference. At some period OF such a for
nation our eyes may rest upon the then
stage of growth and view the faint, misty
cloud or the nebulous crust, or the
splendor of the blazing sun. Every orb
shining with inherent light was thus
born.
This process of integration goes on
until certain point is reached. 1t must
not be supposed, however, that the cul-
mination may be recognized by our feeble
apprehension of time. but there is time
when the motion OF aggregation attains
Its highest development-th that instant
when the power OF aggregation is exactly
balanced by the power of segregation
Thenceforward disintegration takes place.
In obedience 10 The same law of unrest,
the cyclic law that sped each particle
toward common center, the aggregated
mass was in motion from the instant of
its conception. Each arriving particle
transferred its direct motion to the gen.
eral aggregation, all these direct motions,
arriving from all conceivable directions,
compromising to form a rotary motion of
the mass thus aggregated.
Coexistent with such rotary motion is
the tendency to disrupt. With the in
crease Of density of the mass the speed of
rota tion increases and with it the power of
disruption grows until a condition is
reached where centrifugal force is stron er
than the cohesive qualities of the mass,
when from the spinning mass are thrown
off particles OF matter, whose tendency to
depart further is arrested by the attractive
iOrce OF the central mass at the distance
where the energy OF expulsion becomes
expended and where the rotary force of
disintegration is balanced by the direct
force of integration. Il say particle;
do not mean that large masses are thus
thrown off, Henceforward each particle
assumes an orbital motion, the many
particles forming zone or ring, encir-
cling and revolving around the parent
mass.
Gradually the articles forming the zone
coalesce and in time a mass is formed
which retains the orbital motion. This
expulsion, or throwing off of particles.
goes on until the reduction in size of the
parent mass gradually reduces the velocity
of rotation, and thus weakens and finally
ends lis destructive tendencies. With loss
of revolutionary motion comes loss of
heat and consequent failing power of CO.
hesion. Not speedily, as measured by
finite cogn1zance Of time, but yet surely
and steadily, with imperceptible grada-
tion each giant of the universe fades and
d1ssolves back into the imponderability
whence it came Such ia the birth