90 The Farmer's Calling. [Feb., 



that would follow on its withdrawal. And although the fountain 

 from which light and warmth emanate, may, at its borders, have 

 an intensity of heat and glare beyond all human conception, yet 

 its rays traversing the voids of space so many millions of miles, 

 become so softened as to invigorate and cherish every animal and 

 vegetable existence however delicate, or however minute. And 

 yet with all their softness of warmth and mellowness of light, 

 these very rays are the agent, that nerve nature's laws and diffuse 

 life and vigor among all the elements of our globe. 



There is another characteristic feature stamped upon these sys- 

 tems — the stability of the laws by which they are kept in motion. 

 The schoolmen amid the versatility of human laws and human 

 learning and from an observance of the tendency of all matter to 

 change, have fallen back on their self-evident truths in order to 

 give stability to the mind. Hence they will tell you that " all 

 right angles are equal to each other," and that two parallel 

 straight lines can never cross each other how far soever extended. 

 These rigid truths are sometimes employed in removing the met- 

 aphysical rubbish with which the mind at times becomes lumber- 

 ed. The laws also by which matter is moved, directed and com- 

 bined, areas abiding as matter itself, they become the constituents 

 of matter in the designs of Infinite Wisdom. Then how interest- 

 ing are these immutable laws which move with as much precis- 

 ion and certainty, those systems whose frame-work is lighter than 

 air, and whose motion is quicker than thought, as they do those 

 great systems which are the pillars of the Universe ! 



Incident to these systems is the 'progressive changes of matter 

 in which are developed new organizations and new combinations 

 on which is stamped design. This order of things is the very per- 

 fection of design. The laws of matter therefore seem to act as 

 with an intuitive consciousness, and as with an unwavering fideli- 

 ty in carrying out the eternal purposes of an Almighty Architect. 



THE FARMER'S CALLING. 



An address delivered by the Hon. Levi H. Alden, before the 

 Green County Agricultural Society, at their Annual Fair, held 

 at Greenville, Oct. 2, 1846, and published at the request of the 

 Society, contains many valuable ideas expressed in a plain, straight 

 forward, and unpretending style. "We extract the following re- 

 marks on the farzncr's calling. 



" One thing I think is very certain, that the public are begin- 

 ning to set a higher estimate on the farmer's calling than former- 

 ly ; and this is encouraging for the welfare of the country. In 

 the commotions which I have read of in history, I never find that 

 the owners and tillers of the soil have risen up and overthrown 



