108 
THE SCIENTIST. 
derived from sunheat and light, from am- 
monia, water and carbon, Dioxide, Constract 
Organic Compounds Vike, Starch, Sugar and 
Cellulose and build new cells to be used in 
the growth of the pi int. 
Organic forms, as is well known to those 
of you who have for years been studying fos- 
sils, are well nigh indestructible to the gross 
forces of nature, and there would come a 
time, if only these forces were at work in the 
decay of vegetable and animal matter, when 
the surface of the earth would become over 
burdened by complex, Chemical Compounds, 
unsuitable for the nourishment of vegetable 
hfe. 
These little uni-cellular organisms, some 
of which require oxygen; others, no free 
oxygen, are the agents that disrupt and simp- 
lify these organic compounds and obliterate 
vegetable and animal forms. 
However, live vegetable and animal cells 
and even dead ones, have too much resist- 
ance to be attatcked by bacteria, until the 
physical and mechanical forces have made 
the inroad, thus Pasteur, while he found 
abundance of ferments in the dust of the 
grape sfcin, never found them in the juice 
of the healthy grape. Then these minute 
organisms are the chief agents in all retro- 
gression of organic matter and while they 
have only been known for a short time, our 
knowledge of them calls for a revis^n of 
all hypotheses as the disintregation of all 
forms of matter. 
To an Insect Iinbe<Ided in Amber. 
By Mary E. Nealy. 
Thou art honored much, thou winged thing, 
y^ith a coffin of solid jewel: 
'Twas a lucky hap that tangled thy wing. 
In a trap that seemed so cruel. 
For the loss of a brief summer days 
Thou hast ages of gilded splendor. 
With a shroud of the sunbeams' prisoned 
rays 
To crown thee with light so tender! 
And thou shalt gleam in her raven hair — 
That proud and beautiful maiden; 
Or on her bosom, so snowy fair, 
May'st find thy bhssful Aidenn. 
Or, gleaming out on her arm so white, 
Thou may'st shimmer, a star of beauty, 
Then be laid aside to rest at night, 
And arise to some kindred duty. 
The delicate mosses, leaves and stems 
In the Amethysts' royal prism; 
The veins of gold and precious gems 
In the mountains' deep abysm; 
Stalactites hanging in darkened caves 
That flash like the stars of even, 
And the Corals gleaming amid the waves 
Like the sunset hues of heaven: 
The fossil fishes in solid rocks 
That have lain entombed fur ages; 
And, beneath the Pyramids' mystic block 
Those carved, historic pages: 
The moonlike Pearl at home in the deep, 
In her pure, enameled chamber. 
Are like the tears the mermaids weep — 
This fragrant, sunlit Amber! 
I love the Ruby's rich red glow. 
Like roses concentrated; 
And I love the Opal's fire and snow — 
Its cloud and sunshine mated. 
And the Pearl that has caught beneath th 
sea 
Her color from the moonlight; 
But I love as well to gaze on thee — 
Thou warm, embodied sunlight! 
Ah, tiniest insect of a day 
Caught in this golden prison; 
Free from old time and dark decay, 
To what heights art thou arisen! 
Up from a few short summer hours 
On weed or wall to clamber, 
To rest forever in sunlit bowers 
In a couch of purest Amber! 
O, that this insect life of mine — 
This drop in the mighty river, 
Could be folded up in as fair a shrine 
To rest for aye and forever! 
If the soul may rest through the infinite 
years 
In a clasp so pure and tender, 
What heart would not this life of tears 
Most willingly surrender? 
