228 



Saturday Night — Lightning Rod. 



Vol. V. 



Saturday Night. 



How many associations, sweet and hal- 

 lowed, crowd around that short sentence, 

 " Saturday night !" It is indeed but the pre- 

 lude to more pure, more holy, more heavenly 

 associations, which the tired frame and thank- 

 ful soul hails with new and renewed joy, at 

 each succeeding' return. 



'Tis then tiie din of busy life ceases ; — 

 that cares and anxieties are forgotten ; — that 

 the worn-out frame seeks its needed repose, 

 and the mind its relaxation from earth and 

 its concerns — with joy looking to the com- 

 ing day of rest, so wisely and beneficently 

 set apart for man's peace and happiness by 

 the great Creator. 



The tired labourer seeks now his own neat 

 cottage, to which he has been a stranger per- 

 haps the past week, where a loving wife and 

 smiling children meet him with smiles and 

 caresses. 



Here he realizes the bliss of hard-earned 

 comforts ; and, at this time, perhaps, more 

 than any other, the happiness of domestic 

 life and its attendant blessings. 



Released from the distracting cares of the 

 week, the professional man gladly beholds 

 the return of " Saturday night," and as gladly 

 seeks, in the clustering vines nourished by 

 his parental care, the reality of those joys 

 which are only his to know at these peculiar 

 seasons and under these congenial circum- 

 stances — so faithfully and vividly evidenced by 

 this periodical acme of enjoyment and repose. 



The lone widow, too, who has toiled on 

 day after day to support her little charge — 

 how gratefully does she resign her cares at 

 the return of " Saturday night," and thank 

 her God for these kind resting-places in the 

 way of life, by which she is encouraged from 

 week to week to hold on her way ! 



But on whose ear docs the sound of " Sa- 

 turday night" strike more pleasantly than the 

 devoted Christian 1 Here he looks up amid the 

 blessings showered upon him, and tlianks God 

 with humble reverence for their continuance. 



His waiting soul looks forward to that 

 morn when the Great Redeemer burst death's 

 portals, and completed man's redemption. 

 His willing soul expands at the thought of 

 waiting on God in the sanctuary on the 

 coming day; and gladly forgets the narrow 

 bounds of time and its concerns, save spiri- 

 tual — that he may feast on joys ever new — 

 ever beautiful — ever glorious — ever suffi- 

 cient to satiate the joy-fraught soul that 

 rightly seeks its aid. 



It leads him to the Lamb of God for pro- 

 tection ; and rationally points out the way to 

 joys on high — an endless Sabbath — a per- 

 petual rest for the vigilant, the watchful, the 

 faithful. — Selected. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Lightning Rods. 



I HAVE just read a very interesting article 

 in the last number of the Cabinet upon elec- 

 trical conductors, from "Observer," and would 

 be very glad if he would give us some further 

 information, as the subject is becoming one 

 of increasing interest to our citizens gene- 

 rally, accompanied with a strong desire of 

 arriving at some satisfactory conclusion, re- 

 lative to the best plan of putting them up. 



If I understand " Observer" correctly, he 

 is of the opinion that a perfect conducting- 

 rod would altogether prevent an explosive 

 discharge, "by a gradual drainage from the 

 cloud," and consequently, I should infer, that 

 it would be possible to prevent the phenome- 

 non of thunder altogether, by the erection of 

 a multitude of conductors. This is new, and 

 somewhat startling to many, but it certainly 

 does not appear unreasonable. I would also 

 infer that he considers " brightness," of itself, 

 of no account, unless as a means of retaining 

 the " sharpness" of the point. This also is 

 new to many of us, who have supposed, from 

 some cause, with how much reason is more 

 difficult to tell, that brightness was very im- 

 portant ; and therefore generally have pro- 

 cured platina points, as least liable to corrode. 

 But if sharpness is the important end to be 

 attained, we should know it, and the reason 

 for the opinion, which, I doubt not, " Ob- 

 server" is competent to give, and also whe- 

 ther the object is obtained by the point being 

 sharp just at the end, however thick it may 

 be a quarter or half inch from the extremity ; 

 or whether it should come evenly and gradu- 

 ally to the most delicate point. This inquiry 

 is made because I have noticed many platina 

 points set upon brass, some an inch long, 

 tapering gradually to a point, and others not 

 more than a quarter, or three-eighths of an 

 inch, with a thick base, and, of course, com- 

 ing abruptly to a point. Much must certainly 

 depend upon suitable points, and more light 

 is needed to this end. 



At the close, "Observer" refers back to 

 former volumes and numbers of the Cabinet, 

 for additional information ; but, unfortunately, 

 many of us have become subscribers since 

 that period, and therefore have no access to 

 those valuable papers, so frequently referred 

 to by correspondents upon this subject. I 

 would therefore suggest whether it would 

 not be highly advisable to republish those 

 articles, as 1 believe there is a much greater 

 interest manifested noio upon the subject, 

 than there was at the period of their original 

 publication. 



PUBLICOLA. 



Chester County, January 23, 1841. 



