The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-04-02
A Game of Chance.
By W. H. Winslow, Phi. D.

larger burn their surfaces in transit and
fall upon the earth to astonish and terrify
US. You will find a superb collection of
large meteorites in the National Museum,
at Washington. Twenty millions of these
foreign bodies fall daily, and, during the
August deluge, their increase is enor
NOUS"
"What remarkable memory you have,
absorb knowledge SO interesting and val
uable," complimented Chapman, full Of
admiration and pleasure.
''It makes me afraid to live. Such
dangers Why, one of those meteors
might kill us any time" said Alice.
"You need not be afraid, DEAR" re-
piled Mary; these phenomena have ex-
isted for countless centuries.
"We know these meteors burn. Many
of them are fiery jelly like nebula, and
cool to form stars. They are composed
of carbon, hydrogen, sulphur, phos
phorous, magnesium, potassim, sodium,
nitrogen and oxygen, which ignite easily
and burn fiercely. They are mixed with
metals in melted state, which increase
their light and heat and help to burn
them. When the larger meteors burn
and flash across the sky, we call them
shooting stars.
"When our little world receives such a
quantity of these heavenly tramps, the
sun, with its enormous size, central po-
sition and greater attraction of gravita-
ton, should be deluged with them con-
tinually. thus maintaining its great light
and heat"
every scientific, very logical, Miss
Patterson. You are really an encycloe-
dia of astronomical LORE" declared
| Wendell, as enthusiastic as boy
| She blushed little with pleasure at
his approval, and continued, 'It is pos
sible, nay probable, a great increase of
the meteoric shower, augmented, per-
haps, by a nebula falling into the SUM-
caused the excessive heat of today which
almost destroyed the world.'
"Splendid Scientific and profound
reasoning " observed Chapman, clapp-
ing his hands, in which applause all
joined noisily.
Mary was as calm as if she were in her
school-room teaching more youthful
pupils grammar or geography. Wendell
was more than surprised at her erudition,
and thought the possession of such learn
ing did not render this charming woman
less desirable as life companion.
''Your statement of the phenomena
which occur on the earth, not generally
known even by the learned. may account
for the prevalence of Certain diseases,
during August, especially. have long
sought the cause Of the periodicity OF
bay-fever which attacks most victims
during the month of August, and con-
tinues its symptom until October, when
the meteor deposit has greatly diminish.
ed, its dust and that of vegetation has
been beaten into the earth by autumpal
rains, and man has recovered from the
enervating heat of summer.
1--WE medical men know the great
sensitiveness of the mucous membrane of
the nose and throat to dust of all kinds
in persons afflicted by the disease, and,
as we were obliged to have cause fol
their irritation, to satisfy patients, if
not ourselves, we decided that the pollen
of flowers, especially of the rose. golden
agent of mischief. But the annual peri
and malaise in August, was not account.
ed for satisfactorily. Pollens ripen al
through the season, earlier in the South,
late in the North, yet, everywhere, Au.
gust is the affecting month. Does this
not absolve our grasses and flowers anc
fix the guilt upon the meteors?
Il believe the dust of the meteor
swarm of Persides into which the earth
plunges in August, is the principal cause
of the advent and the periOdicity of hay
fever This fulfils all scientific require
ments, meets all objections. and must be
true
Chapman announced his conclusion
with the enthusiasm of absolute convic-
| ton. His reasoning was logical. He
/ had made a great discovery
The cave echoed the applause and the
words of approval Of his friends, and
Wendell remarked, II do not know to
whom | must award the palm for schol-
arship, Miss Patterson, or the Doctor.
| They have interested US so thoroughly
that we have forgotten our misery"
1--WE thank them both. We have been
greatly interested and enlightened,
added Mrs. Dyer.
''That comet must have been corker
to leave such tail behind it to feed the
sun and to shower the earth with mete-
ors. How large is Old Sol, anyway? :"
said Dyer.
Everyone turned to Mary who replied,
''Its diameter is about eight hundred and
ffty-three thousand miles. 1t is twelve
hundred thousand times larger than the
EARTH"
"Gee! What fire pot! l know it is
nearer the earth in August, and it might,
with little more of the comets tail,
burn our little globe to cinder. We
had foretaste of its power today. l
am glad l am alive" commented he,
joining in the merriment of the others.
The heated air f1oated into their re-
treat and helped the little fire to make
the women comfortable; the Pickering
light and their fatigue made them sleepy,
sep The Smokes and tafed aio
low tones far into the night, and then
they too dozed fitfully, awakened occa-
sionally by fitting, squeaking bats and
the noisy rivulet, and the night passed
without incident or danger.
TO BE CONTINUED