The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-10
NATURES EROWNS.

The unusual number and the destruc-
aiveness of the floods that have been
ravagng different portions of the coun-
try recently holds for thinking people
a fascination aside from the awful tale
of death and disaster that have followed
In their train. The mind is not SATISFIED
with a bare recital Of all the gruesome
and distressing results. 1t wants 10 go
back of and beyond this. and IT asks:
why are these things? why shonid
nature give us seasons free from cnlaml-
ties due to her boundless powers ana
then suddenly .smlte? Why should the
3wea Their pendulum swing from the nor
NAL 10 the abnormal?,' 1t matters not
that our desire must remain unsatisfied.
we still ask, and In the asking but give
expression to mans unquenchable thirst
for Knowledge OF the great first cause,
an which these things and all others,
natural and supernatural, originate
There are some things we kno" ana
there are many things we may not know.
Mans sphere in tho natural universe Is
atomic II Is smaller than is the MIN
+utest particle of cosmic dust that floats
in the stiffness of the upper regions OF
our atmosphere. Is 1t. then. well or III
that he does not constantly realize IT!
Jrnhesitatingly the former; for other
wise the incentive to struggle ever on
ward and upward, as he has done
through centuries OF travail, would be
lacking. and this would be very bad IN
the search for that pearl OF price. Truth.
And yet, unhesitatngly. the latter. 100,
for he is prone to glorlfy his works, and
it is we'll that he should come to real
izing sense Of his littlencss, In which
may be found fruitful soil for the white
flower called humility, and its compan-
ions. mercy and charity.
And this leads us to compensation In
nature-a truly beautiful thing. Smiling
with one hand, she holds out healing
balm in the other. There is no wound
she may not heal. either now or here
after.
1t is strange--thnt Is TO say. 1t is hu-
man-that we arc rarely impressed with
the enormous forces at work in the at
snosphere, unless they manifest them
Eelves IN some Titanic way. Take the
eddylng whirl OF the cyclone. for exam
pie. Riven by lightning and dashed by
the howlng blasts OF the HURRICANE
which 1t engenders. 1t rushes on, the
embodiment. to US, of the fury OF those
primal things in nature, energy and mat
ser. How few stop to think OF the hum
hreds OF millions OF horsepower required
to give 1t life. as 1t Were. and OF the
further hundreds Of millions OF horse
power, that must be- expended before II
dies. Yet the power expended by The
terrific outburst OF tho visible storm IL
no particle greater than that SO slowly
silently and gently stored UP which gave
II birth. Marvellous nature, with her
nmiles and frowns. patting US one dag
Rnd pelting US another; changing. ye
Interchangeable: evanescent but eternal,
Yes, mans field is limited, But II II
cannot got tho why" of some things
he has attained to partial knowledge
of the "how." He knows the power 0
heat TO increase the volume of air; tn
Increased capacity for yapor OF waite
that the heated air has. How 1t drie
she land and takes toll Of the sea. ant
how finally, saturated with moisture
and hesitating between cloud and shower
1t sluggishly awaits the arrival of
current of cold air which shall grip II
and squeeze and chill it. and so CONVEX
;ts contents from yapor to liquid. whlcl
descends to the earth sometimes to ray
age. but happily, more often. to bless
And therein we find compensation,
But We know this much. We knoN
that nature has her code OF laws, AM
y that she is true She may at times ap
pear to be tickle and freaky but her law
OF gravitation, her laws of motion, he
laws Of reproduction. her laws of evapo
ration and precipitation. her laws OF heat
light and electricity. are sure. and "
can depend upon them, We know. Toe
that IN her economy. storms and shadow
are as necessary as cloud and sunshine
and II she sometimes runs to exces
she ia in the main conservative and kind
and her smiles are ten thousand time
as many as her frowns.
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