THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION, 1 7 



that if it made its bed upon the ground its life would end in the wet 

 and ice of winter ; aware also, by an intuition startling and amazing, 

 that the green leaflet which it proposes to use as a blanket will be- 

 come withered by the first blast of frost and quickly fall to the 

 ground, it spins a silken cord with which it securely fastens the 

 green leaf to the firm wood of the limb, then wraps itself up for its 

 long sleep. The frost comes and the wind detaches the leaf with its 

 precious burden, but the silken cord holds fast, and the erstwhile 

 crawling grub of astonishing forethought, swings securely in his 

 leafy cradle all through the bleak winter, and when the warm rays of 

 approaching summer stir the life currents of his body he comes forth 

 a glorious butterfly, the beautiful Promethia. Spontaneously there 

 arises in the thoughtful mind the question : Who taught it that the 

 leaf would fall and not the branch ? 



But here are our historians, who know all about the local history 

 of our country and neighborhood, written and unwritten ; all about 

 the discovery of Macassa water, and the battle of Stony Creek. 



And astronomers who, in useful telescope, can show you the 

 face of the moon, and name its mountains, volcanoes and vast 

 depressions, with the same familiarity as a schoolboy explains the 

 map of Europe. 



Surely in this galaxy of talent you devotees of business or labor 

 may find something attractive or amusing for your leisure hours. 

 Your natural bent or inclination may tempt you to follow one or 

 other of the delightful avenues w^hich I have indicated, or still 

 others, tor they are numerous. The microscope and the telescope 

 will lead you beneath and above the limits of vision into the two 

 infinities, between which lies the world which is revealed to our 

 senses, far down among the infinitesimals, or above into the far 

 reaching illimitable fields of splendor, till the brain becomes dizzy 

 amid the whirling worlds. 



The limit of natural vision for small objects is about the one- 

 hundredth of an inch. With the microscope the limit of resolving 

 power is somewhere near the one-hundred-thousandth of an inch. 

 One of the most interesting illustrations of the highest power of the 

 microscope is by Dr. Dollinger. He has followed the life history of 

 one of the infusoria down through all its phases, comprised within 

 ten or twelve hours. A full grown individual divides itself length- 

 wise into two perfect beings in about five minutes. In another five 



