260 

KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

patients were studied in the minutest details, 
even to a glass of water; and showing us 
one of Ransome’s Patent Filters, he said,— 
“‘ Look at the water produced from this. It 
is not only clear, but chemically wholesome. 
Bright as the purest diamond, it cools the 
parched lips of these poor sufferers,—nor 
do they care for aught else. We consider 
the refrigerant powers of this simple draught 
cannot be too highly commended.” We were 
curious to taste this water; and found it 
indeed delicious. Being filtered through 
stone, it had none of the impurities peculiar 
to the common filters; nor was the water 
decomposed by the process,—a grand desi- 
deratum this.* How truly attentive to tho 
wants of the sufferer are the medical 
advisers at these noble institutions! No 
money is spared, where benefit is derivable. 
Before taking our leave, we inquired of 
our worthy guide,—how many unfortunate 
applicants sought relief in the course of 
one week? His answer was,—‘ Sometimes 
we have as many as 250!” 
Who can read this, without feeling 
of the institutions of his country ? 

proud 
1. 
* Our Correspondent is evidently alluding to 
the Filter of which we took special notice in 
Our JourNAL, page 189. 


PAST AND PRESENT. 

Yes, the summer was bright, with its birds and 
its flowers, 
That warbled and blossom’d near every green 
tree! 
But if Nature was gay, far more sweet were the 
hours 
That pass’d far too quickly for pleasure and me. 
The leaves are all fallen, the flowers are dead, 
The wind whistles cold where the sun used to 
shine ; 
And the birds, like false friends in affliction have 
fled 
Toaland that is warmer and brighter than mine. 
And oft as I sit at the close of the day, 
And muse on the changes that come o’er the 
scene, 
I grieve for the hopes that have vanish’d away, 
With the birds and the flowers, and the joys 
that have been. 
The flowers will bloom when the winter has past ; 
The birds will return with the first breath of 
spring ; 
But the hopes which JZ cherish’d were too bright 
to last, 
And joy from my heart has for e’er taken wing. 
Then lay me alone in the cold silent tomb, 
Where the leaves and the flowers, as they 
wither’d, have gone ; 
For ‘tis right that those objects should witness 
my doom, 
Which gazed on my joy and then left me to 
mourn ! | 



POPULAR SCIENCE. 
THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN. 
——_——- 
A BEAUTIFUL sight it is, to stand and 
gaze on the clear blue firmament above! It 
is charming to watch the light feathery clouds 
as they seem to come into being before our 
eyes, and then rapidly change their forms, 
and pass away ; or to behold the dense white 
vapors gather in masses of ever-changing 
form, assuming the most fantastic shapes, or 
seeming to grow up into lofty, snow-capped 
mountains. We have often gone abroad into 
the fields, on a lovely autumnal evening, 
when all was calm around, and the feathered 
tribes were seeking their repose. The setting 
sun was illuminating the earth with its last 
rays—“ the clouds above with golden edgings 
glow,’—and all the western sky was lighted 
up, in the most brilliant and gorgeous man- 
ner, in colors that are nowhere else to be 
seen. Have we not admired such a sight as 
this? Have we not sometimes asked— 
‘‘ Who can paint so glorious a scene?” Now, 
all this beauty, and this ever-varying picture, 
is caused simply by the sun’s rays falling 
upon those clouds aloft, as they are con- 
stantly arranging themselves in new and 
fantastic groups. It is a great pleasure to 
all who are lovers of nature, to watch their 
changing forms. The clouds, indeed, appear 
the most fleeting objects in nature. There 
seems to be no order or regularity in their 
motions or their shapes. 
Clouds are generally believed to be com- 
posed of an immense number of hollow 
globules collected together. Hach one of 
these very much resembles the soap-btibbles 
blown with a tobacco-pipe; only so exceed- 
ingly small that they are not visible to the 
eye, except when collected in masses. In 
this condition the clouds are capable of 
floating aloft in the air. But if, from any 
circumstance, such as a change in their 
electric state, they become more closely com- 
pacted together, they are then too heavy for 
the air to support, and therefore must fall 
to the earth. The more widely the particles 
which form the cloud are separated from one 
another, of course the lighter the cloud 
is, and the higher it will float in the air. 
Generally, however, they are observed to be 
not more than one mile from the surface of 
the ground; though very light fleecy clouds 
have occasionally been seen as high as five 
miles, or even more. People who have ever 
ascended mountains, and been overtaken by 
a storm, have no doubt observed the clouds 
rolling in large dark masses below their feet. 
They have, perhaps, also witnessed the fine 
sight of a storm raging below, while all has 
been calm and sunlight above. 
Clouds, be it known, present the greatest 
possible variety of form. Yet they have 

