Year: 1877

luc SKY anu uili6SS MT. huIucIlOIu


misinformed something like it is taking


place most of the time in the heavens.


IS THE EARTH SAFE?


Facing these terrible Ptruths the re
porter nerved himself for one more ques


ton.


But the earth-what is to become o
the earth?"


Oh, it is burned out already"


This was a relief. The stars may blazt
until they become as invisible as Tatters
in the little Shaughraun," but the
earth is safs! This little planet has al
ways been known to its children as cold
world. People have been lamenting its
frigidity until they grew warm in theiI
expostulations, and now they learn that
the old thing is so completely burned
out that in its absence of heat is their
surest safety. Mars is also secure, be-
cause Ike those of the earth, the fires of
the god of war are out. 1t is fortunate,
however, that all the hydrogen in the at
mosphere was not consumed when the
coniagration took place, or that enough
was secured to make the world endura-
BILE before Adam undertook to populate
it. Out of the fire came vegetation, life,
the aspirations after the infinite. Secure
in our own tie world, we can look on
with complacency while other planets
are ablaze with light and heat. Let
them burn" we say, and they may be-
come as pretty and habitable as our own
lovely sphere"


NOT To BE BURNED, BUT ROASTED.


It does not follow, however, because
the earth is safe from fires except such as
we kindle for ourselves, that it is entire
ly secure as a place of habitation. When
Mr.. Rutherford said that change is the
law of the universe. While man is in
no danger of being burned alive by su-
perheated hydrogen, he may be roasted
! By the power of the suns rays.


The earth is nearly related to the
sum- said the savant, "and a conaagra-
ton in that great luminary which would
materially increase its heat, would make
| life on this planet impossible


So it will be seen that while we have
passed the stage where there was danger
of stellar fire by the action of the heat of
the planet upon its hydrogenic atmos-
phere, we still run the risk of a similar
disaster in the sun. 1t is no wonder.
then, that our astronomers are constant
ly turning their telescopes toward the
0untain of life and light for the earth.
Now is it any wonder that when new
star Is seen to blaze, fresh fears should
be excited of blazing sun in the heavens?
It is a calamity to be feared as one which
if not imminent, is yet possible, and As
awful in its way as the mantle of flame
which would envelop a star.


''The quantity of heat emitted by the
sun in every second, said professor !
Pioctor in one of his lectures, is so stu (
pendous that all ordinary m9des of rep /
resenting his action fail US. 1t is a mere
form of words, for instance, conveying no
clear ideas to the mind, to say that in
each second the sun gives as much heat
as would be given out in the burning of
eleven thousand six hundred millions of
tons of coal. Should the suns atmos-
phere take fire from this stupendo- heat
and new intensity be given to his rays
there would besuch convulsion ofnature
that roasting earth even would be
among the minor consequences. a
planet or two might be drawn into the
suns furnace to add fuel to the fame
and the laws OF attraction work 50 dis
astrously that in the end the whole uni |
verse would be drawn to one center. |
This, however, is scarcely to be expected,
even if there should be a'great confagra- !
ton in the sun, and for the present the |
only danger against which we keep a |
sharp outlook is that of being roasted.


IF NOT ROASTED THEN FROZEN.


There is. however, a stillgreater danger
though it does not seem 10 be impending
over the present generation. The human
mind is apt to go from one extreme to
the other, and some profane people have
looking forward to a time when even the
dominions of Pluto shall freeze. The re- |
porter belonged to this class, for he dared |
to ask Mr.. Rutherford whether the fires
of the sun would not stop some day-if
the fuel which keeps that luminary |
alight would not some time be ex-
hausted.


"Oh, certainly" answered the scien-
tist "The esent heat of the sun can
not be kept up forever, but as it dimin-
ishes the earth viii grow cold. 1t viii |
not require much change either
way to affect the earth. There may be
a conAagration which viii roast us or
the suns fires may give out and let us
freeze.2


Hest, indeed, was terrible prospect |
starting from such fair promises. a
blazing star is matter rofindiference to US
because our own star was ablaze long be
fore Adam came to tenant the Garden of
Eden. But hlazing sun is equally pos
sible with blazing star and from like
causes which would subject us to a risk |
not less terrible. This danger escaped
we may freeze because the suns fires give
out. Change is il deed the law OF the
universe, and in these immense possibil-
tiles we see very clearly that purposes OF
Divine Providence are inscrutable |
and the ways of the Creator past finding
out.


CITING THE ORGAN GRINDBR 4


LIFT.
An italian organ grinder, in side
street in London, with terribly bad in
strument was mourning pitiously his i'll |
success. He had taken not a penny all |
day. and had not the wherewithal for |
nights lodging. Presently a showily |
dressed woman came along. "What's |
the matter, old MANI" The Italian ar
tist told his tale The woman was evi-
IDENTIFY touched by the mans tears.
{, Ivs1I soon nut that right" she ex- |