The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-08-05


tinctly out of date
Do you know all about highs and lows and
squall-lines and frontogenesis? Can you spot an
occluded front with your eyes shut? Are you aware
of the approach land maybe noD of great mass
of polar Canadian air? Can you in the midst of
heat wave put scientific lines all the map to
show that no relief is in sight? If you cannot answer
these questions affrmatvely, you are out of step
with the times.
II is the day Of the scientist genuine and ersatz
No longer is there place for the rustic weather
man like Whittier'S uncle
In moons and tides and weather wise,
He read the clouds as prophecies,
And foul or fair could we'll divine
BY many an occult hint and sign.
Gone also is the day of the prognosticstor whose
educated corns and rheumatic joints gave his com
rnunity notice of the quality of weather to come
Now the house is poor indeed which has no baron
eter, and the town is impoverished which publishes
no daily bulletin of cloud-formations, aircurrents
and fronts.
When Mark Twain had learned his trade as
Mississippi pilot, he had AS he says, made val
liable acquisition" Then he goes on, But J had
lost something too. had lost something that could
never be restored to ~ while lived. All the grace
tic river!'
When he was new to the river Mark Twain
beheld glorious sunset "A broad expanse OF the
river was turned to blood in the middle distance
the red hue Frightened into gold, through which
a solitary log came floating black and conspicuous;
in one place a long. sfanting mark lay sparkling
upon the water: in another the surface was broken
by boiling tumbng rings, that were as many
tinted as an opal; where the ruddy flush was fanl
est was smooth spot that was covered with grace
fu circles and radiatinR lines ever so dellcately
traced; the shore on our left was densely wooded
and the somber shadow that fell from this forest
was broken in one place by long, ruffed trail
that shone like silver; and high above the forest
wall cleans stemmed dead tree waved single
leafy bough that glowed like flame in the un-
obstructed splendor that was flowing from the
sun There we're graceful curves reflected images
woody heights soft distances; and over the whole
scene far and near, the dissolving lights dritted
steadily enrichinR If every passing moment with
new marvels OF colorlng
MT. saws that IL he were to see that sunset
after he had learned the river, he would have be-
held il without rapture. This sun means we are
going TO have wind tomorrow; that floating log
means that the river is rising, small thanks To IT.
that santing mark on the water refers TO olutt
reef which is going to kill somebody's steamboat
one of these nights if il keeps on stretching out
bar and channel changing there the lines and
circles in the slick water over yonder are warn
ing that that troublesome place is Shoalng up
dangerously: that silver streak IN the shadow OF
the forest is the break from new snag, and ne
has located himself in the very best place he could
have found to fish for steamboats,; that tall dead
tree with single living branch is not going to
last long and then how is body ever going to
get through this blind place at night without the
friendly old landmark"
AS the pilot loses the romance OF the waters, so
the instructed weather.man must lose the romance
of sun and breeze and cloud and azure sky All The
high elements of nature poetry will disappear like
Twans dlsSolying bar. Wordsworth lived before
the aneroid barometer was part OF the equipment of
every household When he the wind in the
daffodits (or to be scientific, when he saw the
effect Of the wind there) he just enjoyed the view,
and let himself be gay in such jocund company.
Afterwards he went home and did his poem
The modern Wordsworth would not find poetry
in the dancing daffodilS He would carefully note,
before leaving home how the barometer stood, and
perhaps he would set the cunning little red hand to
have y check on its conduct during his absence.
When he saw the flowers fluttering in the breeze,
he would think: "A RuSy wind like that, close to
the ground means IN conjunction with falling
barometer that we are likely to have sudden and
violent storm Id better hurry hack home and make
sure the windows of the car closed And no
poem.
Thus IL appears likely that, as we become scien-
tific weather experts shall lose we'll as gain.
Nathlng in this life is won without payment of
some sort For exact knowledge of highs lows,
fronts and the rest of IT, you must give up the
pleasing uncertainty which fosters hope that to-
rorrow will be better day, For pilots knowledge,
YOU must sacrifice the esthetic delight of laymsns
view OF the river. For school wit, you must pay a
sadly large amount Of mother wit For Ph.D, you
must abandon AT least half of your ordinary com
Somehow, the oppressive heat of July and An.
gust used to be tolerable when We took each
day as II came. without knowing that our distress
was caused by mean mass OF tropical.gulf air
moving up the valleys. and lots more of ii to come.
And cool day came with special delight when we
did not have il explained to in terms of polar.
Pacific currents likely to be turned off at any
moment.
Sometimes The vile thought occurs that il might
he more pleasant life IL We were not sn ALFRED