CHAPTER XL 

 A STORY OF CONFLICT 



" Thou Sea, who wast to me a prophet deep, 

 Through all thy restless waves and wasting shores, 

 Of silent labour and eternal change." KINGSLEY. 



13ETWEEN Land and Ocean a ceaseless 

 contest is carried on. 



The land is always endeavouring to keep its 

 present state unchanged. The ocean is ever 

 trying to tear down and demolish the land. 

 Yet the very object of the ocean in so doing 

 seems to be that new land may be raised up 

 with the stolen materials. 



There are Continents and Islands, moulded 

 long ago, which we see as finished structures, 

 that have reached the meridian of their existence 

 and entered upon their decadence. With many 

 of these Ocean's efforts are chiefly employed 

 for destruction. Indeed, in all cases, the power 

 which once erected an island or a continent 

 is at work upon it still, not always and only 



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