178 Miscellanies. 



It will be seen from this table, that the condition of the poor, is not 

 only a wretched one, but also a hopeless one. As the father has been, so 

 the son must be, and so also to other generations. The food of these la- 

 boring classes consists of potatoes and milk, with coarse brown bread, 

 and meat in small quantities, two or three times a week. To this diet, 

 however, they are accustomed from childhood, and it is not much com- 

 plained of; but that brightness of hope which cheers him on, who by 

 daily savings is laying up comforts for the future, is unknown to them. 

 Their poverty is utterly desperate, and must ever be so. 



Yours respectfully, G. J. 



Near Portsmouth, Va., March 6, 1839. 



4. Rain from a clear sJcy. — The annexed account of a shower of rain at 

 Geneva, from a serene sky, having excited much interest, some additional 

 facts of a similar nature are added, for the use of future meteorologists. 

 Although occurrences of this sort are doubtless uncommon, yet a diligent 

 search will probably show, that they are less rare than has been supposed. 

 It will be noticed, that two of the cases occurred very near the time of 

 an unusual display of shooting stars, but there seems to be no reason 

 whatever for suspecting them to be connected therewith. E. C. H. 



1. At Geneva, Switzerland, on the 9th of August, 1837, at 9 P. M. 

 around the horizon were large black clouds in much agitation. The 

 zenith was clear, and the stars shone with their usual lustre, when a 

 shower of large drops of tepid water fell in different parts of the city. 

 Many persons who were abroad at a quarter past nine, were obliged to seek 

 a hasty shelter from so unexpected a rain. The shower ceased in a min- 

 ute or two, but it was repeated several times in the course of an hour. — 

 Letter of Wartmann to Arago ; Comptes Rendus de VAcad. des Set. 

 Oct. 16, 1837; p. 549. 



2. At Harvard, Worcester County, Mass., on the 13th of November, 

 1833, about 8 A. M. there was a slight shower of rain, when not a cloud 

 was to be seen, the weather being what is called perfectly fair. — This 

 Journal, Vol. xxv. p. 398. 



a On Wednesday, the 23d of April, 1800, between 9 and 10, P. M., 

 Philadelphia, Pa., was visited by a very curious phenomenon. A shower 

 of rain of at least twenty minutes' continuance, and sufficiently plentiful 

 to wet the clothes of those exposed to it, fell when the heavens imme- 

 diately over head were in a state of the most perfect serenity. Through- 

 out the whole of it, the stars shone with undiminished lustre. Not a 

 cloud appeared, except one to the east and another to the west of the 

 city, each about fifteen degrees distant from the zenith. In order to be 

 satisfied that he was not under an ocular deception, the writer of this 

 paragraph called on two or three persons to witness the phenomenon. 

 They all concurred in the reality of the fact above related, — True Amer- 

 ican, quoted in N. Y. Spectator of 3Iaij 3, 1800. 



