No. 112.] 523 



of life is superior to another, it is that, which in its very nature 

 furnishes the motive power ihat gives the impetus to all others^ 

 and this we must accord to rural Ufe. But we must leave this 

 part of our theme to notice briefly the influence of rural life up- 

 on some of the sciences. 



Astronomy — It w^as- amid the scenes of rural life while the shep- 

 herds of the early ages of the world tended their flocks by night, 

 that their eyes naturally turned to the contemplation of those 

 starry worlds that shone so brightly over them. There through 

 the long night when the fair scenes of earth were hidden from 

 their view they gazed in wonder. Little did they dream of tlieir 

 significance, they thought the sun and moon and stars were but 

 attendants of this little world, they watched their motions on the 

 vault of Heaven, they named and classed them into constellations 

 and by them strove to read the destinies of men. The rude 

 theories and wild imaginings of those ruralists have disappeared 

 beneath the march of modern science, but the names they gave 

 tho^e constellations yet remain a tie to bind us to those early 



times. 



I 



Botany — health giving and enticing study, not within the cities 

 din can we pursue thee in perfection, but amid the scenes of rural 

 life, where nature strews the hills and vales with objects for our 

 research, there in rich magnificence, the flowers bloom, rearing 

 their bright forms to ihe sunny light, or like the modest violet 

 hide tlieir heads in grassy bowers. 



Chemistry — especially what is called agricultural chemistry, 

 commends itself peculiarly to the attention of the ruralist. It 

 opens to him new and vast scenes for research. It enters into all 

 his daily lousiness though lie may scarcely be aware of it. It 

 teaches him tlie nature of soils and their proper combinations to 

 produce results required. The manufacture of his butter and 

 cheese, the fattening of his animals, the raising of his crops, all 

 present problems for chemistry to solve. 



Geology— 'Wvdi fascinating science called by a master niind 

 <' The world's history <>f itself.'' What a charm it lends to the 

 dust on wh'ch wc tread. Beneath its mngic influence, each stone. 



