248 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



miles, and brings us and the sun together. Far away 

 blazes that great centre of force, from which issues the 

 mystic influence, 



" striking the electric chain wherewith we're darkly bound." 



For myriads and myriads of years has this radiation ol 

 force gone on ; and now stored-up force lies quiescent 

 in coalfields of vast extent, which was once all pure 

 sunlight, hurrying through the silent air, passing into 

 primeval forests, before man was made, and now lying 

 black, quiet, slumbering, but ready to awaken into blaz- 

 ing activity at the bidding of human skill. From light 

 the coalfields came, to light they return. From light 

 come the prairies and meadow -lands, the heathery 

 moors, the reedy swamps, the solemn forests, and the 

 smiling cornfields, orchards, gardens; all are air-woven 

 children of light. 



Not less indisjDensable is light to animals — first, as 

 furnishing them with plants on which to feed ; secondly, 

 as furnishing them with oxygen to breathe ; and, thirdly, 

 as stimulating in some unexplained manner the organic 

 processes. Light afi'ects the respiration of animals, just 

 as it affects the respiration of plants. This is novel 

 doctrine, but it is demonstrable. In the daytime we 

 expire more carbonic acid than during the night; a fact 

 long known to physiologists, who explain it as the efiect 

 of sleep ; but tlie difference is mainly owing to the pre- 

 sence or absence of sunlight ; for sleep, as * sleep, in- 

 creases, instead of diminishing, the amomit of carbonic 

 acid expired, and a man sleeping will expire more car- 

 bonic acid than if he lies quietly awake under the same 



