The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-20


honey bee What rare organizing abil-
ity is conferred on the little ant. The
cell of a honey bee, the architecture
of snowflake, the capitalization Of
grain of salt, are fuller of profound
mystery than the proudest work Of art
ever executed by man. The delicate
penciling and harmonious blending OF
colors in the concentric rings of an
agate are more artistically beautiful
than the finest frescoes ever painted by
hand of genius. The law that holds
the universe together and balances the
spheres in their circuits operates as
efficiently in a dewdrop.
The very law that molds a tear
And bids it trickle from it's source.
That law preserves the earth a sphere
And guides the planets in their course
Modern science has made progress
in the infinities below as in the in
finities beyond. The dust particles in
a sunbeam have been weighed and
counted In the thousandth part of
cubic inch of air, 10000 dust notes
have been counted A single grain OF
strychnine will divide and distribute
itself among one and three-quarter
millions grains of water. A single
molecule of soap in a soap bubble oc-
cupies only the one-two-hundred and
sixty millionth part of a cubic inch:
and this molecule itself is subdivided
into fifty-six atoms. Thus an atom of
soap bubble occupies only the one
fifty-sixth of one-two hundred and
sixty millionth part of a cubic inch.
Gold is a heavy metal, but is supoi-
vided so that 100000 leaves piled or
each other make only one inch in
thickness.
The air we breathe, the water we
drink are full of living creatures so
small that many of them almost elude
the most powerful microscope. Yet
these minute creatures have organs OF
locomotion, organs Of reproduction,
digestive system, and nervous sys-
tenn They have their likes and dis
likes, their loves and their hates. They
make war on each other and devour
each other.
They not only make war on each
other, but combine in vast armies to
destroy man himself. Many of the
diseases that destroy human life are
caused by the action of minute organ
isms. called bacteria. The bacilll which
produce consumption are so minute
that a cubic millimeter of tubercu.ous
lung holds millions upon millions or
them. These minute invisible enemies
silently and stealthily attack the
strongest man and lay him low IN
death Some of these bacteria multi
ply so rapidly that a few germs IN
troduced into the human system Woula
in three days amount to an army IN
our blood numbering 6O,00oUOO,OV"
Pasteur taught that the bacteria m
troduced into our system by the plte
of mad dog propagates itself along
the nervous fibers until it reaches the
bulb located in the brain, and SO pro-
duces madness. The madness is SIMPLY
the result of the nerves and brain pc
ing beseiged and filed by an army OF
millions upon millions of bacteria.
Think how minute these microscope
creatures are Then consider that each
one has its own physical structure, us
nervous organization, its digestive APP
paratus. and power to convert ueaa
Inorganic matter into living organisms
How inconceivably small must the sew
eral parts and organs of this mlnutS
creature be. Experts have watched
the microbes of malaria fight eacn other
in globule of human blood Ihey
use a fagella or whip to beat OH th-
assailant who attempts to absorb OF
swallow them, thus exh1bltlng lhleii.
gent adaptation of means to an emu
What perfectness of workmanship
must mark each minute part anu ol
gan. Who but a God could create sucii
infinitesimally minute creatures! IL IS
easy to understand the anatomy OF an
elephant But Who has skill sunclehe
to dissect and explain the anatomy oi
an animalcule? A bacteria Is Ihole
marvellous creature than behemotn.
The devout student of nature behoids
the wisdom and power of the creator
in tbe world revealed in the microscope
&c +,alv as in the world revealed by
tho talescone The telescope shows a
system in every star The microscope
unveils a world in every atom IN
rodc in the retina of our eyes, Wnicn
are sunposed to be the ultimate recipi-
ants of LIGHT. are estimated at 3oVb,-
coo THE gray matter of the brain is
built m of at least 00,00O,O0O cells. a
+inv cell so minute that the most pow
erful microscope cannot detect it con-
tains a perfect human body, with the
germs of it's mental and moral nature.
When YOU consider these things you
readily see that greater skill IS re-
o,,irad in the creation of minute thlISs
than things ponderous and large;
locked with admiration on the huge
engines that pump the water rum
TaLa Michigan and distribute 1t over
the city of Chicago. But Steam en-
o;na exhibited at the Paris word 5
1,air tbree-fifths of an inch in night
With TO pieces, weighing in all less
than half an ounce, was a TAR more
marvellous piece of machinery
hi, IVY
In watch factory l saw machinery
ar,,fact,,ring screws so small that 1t
.o1,as 40 coo of them to weigh a pound
Tbe fourth Jewel wheel screw, almost
ir1risible TO the naked eye, had ZoO
t,raads TO the inch These fit the spaces
,a,,.,ad for them and firmly hold to-
aa+ber the PARTS of the watch. THESE
da1icate wheels and screws represent
~ perfection of manufacturing skill.
E;ner. talent is required to cut dla-
mond than to chisel a block OF granite
into q. monument. 1t is easier TO MAKE
oab,a for an anchor than a necklet
for q bride.
We will never form proper concep-
t;on of the grea tness of God until we
studv the minuteness of His creative
bandiwork A single rose leaf is paint
Cd with colors as gorgeosuly rich as
the drapery of the setting sun. AS no
race Bushnell has said, God descends
10 an infinite detail and builds little
universe in the smallest things. AS
when we ascend toward the distant and
vast so when we descend toward the
minnie we see His attention accumu-
lated and His skill concentrated on His
object and the last discernible particle
iUhf wit l.