EFFECTS OF RAIN. 109 
thoughtful attention; nor is it, when thus pre- 
sented to his mind, hard to understand, or to 
remember. 
Rain itself is also a most important part of the 
food of the subject of our history—the Tree. 
The great traveller Baron Humboldt certainly 
tells us, that he has seen in some of the burning 
countries he has visited, certain trees which really 
seemed capable of living without rain; and for 
months of bright and hot weather, during which 
no rain fell, these singular trees preserved their 
freshness of look as though they were watered 
every evening. He could only account for it by 
supposing, that at night the leaves possessed the 
power of absorbing moisture from the air; and 
thisis probably the real explanation of the pheno- 
menon. Generally, however, rain or moisture from 
the soil is indispensable to the health of plants 
and trees. Mr. Darwin, in his interesting journal, 
gives us a lively picture of the blessings of rain 
in parts of Northern Chili. ‘ That the surround- 
ing country was most barren will readily be be- 
lieved, when it is known that a shower of rain 
had not fallen for thirteen months. The inhabi- 
tants heard with the greatest envy of rain at 
