SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 241 



to this question. This is, perhaps, a bold assertion, in the face of 

 the many attempts that have been made to explain this wonderful 

 phenointMion in a sciontitie way; and learned men toll us of life being 

 j)roduL-ed Ijy the " combined forces of cohesion, elasticity, heat, grav- 

 ity, light, electricity, magnetism, chemical affinity, mechanical force 

 and other powers" — as if life were merely the result of some chemi- 

 cal action. The only irrefutable solution to this problem — before 

 which we marvel and stand in awe — is the simple one given by St. 

 John when he says: " In Him was life; and the life was the light of 

 men.'* Hence we are to understand that the mysterious power which 

 constitutes life in its narrowest and lovvest, as well as its broadest 

 and highest manifestations, is the breath of God breathed into every 

 creature. And, while we await the result of further researches of 

 naturalists and scientists, those of us who are not scientists may take 

 comfort in the assurance of as high authority as Dr. Asa Gray, that 

 '' if physical science is unable to estal)lish the declaration of one God, 

 maker of Heaven and earth and of all things, visible and invisible, it 

 is equally unable to overthrow that declaration." 



President Burrill^ Sitting behind the speaker, I failed to catch 

 all that she said, but I fully agree with her that the beautiful ob- 

 jects in nature that are so profusely spread out before us are educat- 

 ing and elevating, and if properly appreciated will make us wiser 

 and better. Scientists tell us that the gorgeous colors of the flow- 

 ers were not made for man alone, but they say to the bee come this 

 way and sip our honey and enjoy the perfume we exhale. This is 

 the prose of the question, but it does not detract from our enjoy- 

 ment of theme. 



HEALTHY HOMES. 



BY DR. LYMAN HALL. 



Cities and incorj)orated village homes will occupy no part of 

 this paper. It is the rural home we wish to draw a pen picture of. 

 Where to locate the house; how to ornament; how to practice sani- 

 tary hygiene; how to eat and drink. 



First, the site for the house slujuld be one that is naturally well 

 drained. The slope of the land should be from the house. There 

 should be no marshes of swamp lands near the dwelling that can- 

 not be so drained as to lower the water level below the soil at least. 

 If this is not done the family nuiy ex})ect to suffer from malarial 

 ])oison. 



Batavia, N. Y., was once a fever district by reason of swa?nps 

 that lay near the town; when they were drained and the water hivcl 

 was lowered, it was exempt from malarial fevers. The neigh])or's 

 buildings should be taken into consideration in selecting a farm 



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