Show ON THE STUDY OF NATURE No1 0 BY GASKELL A voice from the mountains from tho rocki from the dark ravines and from the foaming waters What is there speaks to the soul with mightier tone than the Lving Ihe viatest and moat grand formation of earthly matter The loud echo springs from crag to crag from point to point in exulting irecdom rolla with increasing increas-ing volume from land to land from continent to continent until every zone has heard the sound and it diet away amid the frigid legions of the north Tbe hollow caverns resound with vastness and tho rushing torrent breathes its free spirit crushing all puny oDorta to stay its progress The very mountain air contains a spirit free independent and unbending in its iustico The pino leaves aa moved by the mountain breeze give forth a song of gladnetB They convene in whispering whisper-ing tonee convincing and earnest laden with the soulinspiring burthen of freedom unrestrained The air is redolent with tho properties of life and every zephyr that bestows a cooling cool-ing kiss upon the heated brow brings with it a spirit of enjoyment Would we then exchange the bracing brac-ing cooling and joyous air of our mountain homo for the torrid confined con-fined and malarious atmosphere of a warmer clime Have we conversed with nature in her various moods and learned to appreciate the sterility many deprecate If we have not we should do eo then we will acknow ledge the grandeur and utility of our scenery Listen to the winds as they sigh amid tho mountains hearken to their mystio warnings and sedulously strivo to learn from the minutes circumstance truth Does it not do good to have converse with nature to have sympathy to understand her various workings It fills the soul with a firm but pure simplicity and renovates the overta ked spirit even by the view ot its own vanity It banishes extraneous and meretricious circumstances and the promptings of the heart become correspendingly pure making it kind and unselfish Nature is indeed a 1 grand and ennobling study worthy at all times to command mans wavering thought To study nature is to Uarn truth and truth is eternal As long as the element of nature perform their various and alloted function and are obedient to the Great Framer so long will truth bat In tho creation of this carth in calling together matter out of chaos and forming of it a sphere great beautiful and sublime filling it with the means of prolonging life with the means for making it pleasant and happy God has displayed dis-played the vastness of the resources at command and the superhuman magnitude of His wisdom Everything has a certain part to play in tho eternity of time The earth beautifully diversified with bill and dale mountain and level plain forma one vast amphitheatre on which man is the chief actor The resources of the whole woild are at his command and though he was cast out of the garden and condemned t3 labor yet if be can but content himself he has happiness to attend him It needs but wise and thoughtful thought-ful exertion to obtain every needful blessing If be learns but to quiet the raging of angry passions and the undue selfishness that clings to his nature he can obtain all needful blessings Wild passion can never be of benefit and ever coxs the seed of discontent and woe Nature on every hand displays moderation sublimity and order See how transcendently harmonious the countless myriads ol spheres perform per-form their continuous evolutions There is no strife no jar all is orderly and in strictest un oo with the speed of light they trareree immettity cross each oher in their destined orbits yet no collision takes place Countless ages have seen them on their ceaseless journey yet no stoppage stop-page has ever yet ocurred nor has velocity yet appreciatively decreased As when first rolled from the band of their maker they continue on their never ending course Man the highest and noblest type of created being alone of all is disobedient and acts contrary to tho will of God Blesstd with superior attributes he should be the most orderly and virtuous vir-tuous of all but it is not eo Wealth is at his command but it oftener proves a baneful curse than a blessing bless-ing and he many times has cause to rue the day he became possessed it But tie example of others failure to use it aright deters no one from its pursuit The evil exuts not in the wealthit exists in the heart of man He ifl covetous he became envious of the greater prosperity of his brother and instead of being united in fraternal fra-ternal bonds of peace unity and brotherhood he constantly contending contend-ing and quarreling about precedence and place There is much in nature to interest and absorb the attention of man Not only is the means of prolonging existence ex-istence a source of comfort and happiness hap-piness but the very beauties and graces by which ho is surrounded leave room for reflection and increase of knowledge Nature is ever lavish of her charms to those who in a pro per and appreciative spirit study her The man who loves to contemplate contem-plate nature in her various ramifications ramifi-cations and intricate yet simple workings will find in the smallest and most minute of her production beauties and sublimities undreamt of by others The tender lily of the valley which turns ita budding petals towards heaven as though praising God gives exquisite pleasure to the heart of the florist He looks upon it as the workmanship of the Creator and while he admires its delicate fragile organization pays tribute to GodMan Man is selfiab He too often allows the cares and anxieties of life to usurp the time rightfully belonging to enjoyment en-joyment and recreation Let him discard his shell of selfishness live more for others and walk forth the noble reajoiiing being he was created cre-ated Let bim cast aside the frivolous frivo-lous conventionalities of life if they accord not with his feelings and become I be-come Ue independent being he should be Not that independence should be carried to the extent ol rudeness to others nor to degenerate into ill manners or boorishness It should be firm in the pursuit of right and happiness in all laudable ways The feelings of others should always be held inviolable should begsacred and above ridicule j for this independence inde-pendence or chivalrous regard for universal justice is the only sale guard society baa to protect it from the encroachments of power or tha overbearing malice of evildesigning 8 men No ono can trample on the rights of ctoera and expect to have his own respected Respect yourself and others will respect you If we take liberties with our ovn fame or Rood report others will do likewise It ia a duty we owe our likeness to the Father nod to ourimmortal soul and will best secure us from the open I attacks or covert sneers of other I |