22 
The cultivator. 
mosphere, which relaxed their solids, impedes their respiration, and 
frequently induces fatal convulsions. There are but a few exam¬ 
ples out of many which could be produced of the improper treat¬ 
ment of children, irom which multitudes of painful complaints and 
dangerous disorders derive their origin. It is therefore reasonable 
to believe, that were general information on such topics extensively 
disseminated, and a more rational mode of nurture during the first 
years of infancy adopted, not only fatal disorders, but many subse¬ 
quent diseases in life might either be wholly prevented, or, at least, 
greatly mitigated .—Dick on Knowledge. 
TRANSFORMATIONS IN NATURE. 
Numerous transformations take place in nature ; indeed it may be 
said, that every thing in the physical world, at one period or ano¬ 
ther is metamorphorsed. The figure of objects continually varies ; 
certain bodies pass successively through the three kingdoms of na¬ 
ture ; and there are compound substances, which gradually become 
minerals, plants, insects, reptiles, fi.-h, birds, quadrupeds, and man. 
Every year millions of bodies blend together, and are reduced to 
dust. Where are the flowers which during the spring and the sum¬ 
mer, ornamented our fields and our gardens I One species has ap¬ 
peared, withered, and given place to others. The flowers of March, 
and the modest violet, after announcing by their presence the arri¬ 
val of spring, have yielded their place to the tulip and the rose. In 
the room of these we have seen others, till all the flowers have ful¬ 
filled their design. The same holds good with regard to man. 
One generation shews itself, and another disappears. Every year 
thousands of human bodies return to the dust from wdience they 
were taken ; and of these evanescent bodies others more beautiful 
are formed. The salts and the oils of which they were composed 
dissolve in the earth; the more subtile particles are raised into the 
atmosphere by the sun’s heat, and mixing there with other matters 
are dispersed in different directions by the winds, and fall down in 
rain and dew, sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another ; 
whilst the grosser particles mix with the earth. The grass which 
is nourished by them grows up into long blades; and it is thus that 
the flesh of men, transformed into grass, serves as aliment to the 
flocks, whose wholesome milk is again converted to our own subsis- 
tence. 
These continual transformations, thus operating in nature, are so 
many certain proofs that the Creator has designed that nothing 
should perish or be useless. The dust of flowers used in the fecun¬ 
dation of plants, is only a very small part of what each flower contains ; 
and that the superabundant portion may not be lost, bees are cre¬ 
ated, which make use of it to form their honey. The earth daily 
presents us with new presents, and it would in the end be ex¬ 
hausted, if what it gives was not in some way or other returned 
again. 
All organized bodies suffer decomposition, and are at last convert¬ 
ed into earth. During this dissolution, their volatile parts rise into 
the air, and are dispersed in every direction. Thus the remains of 
animals are diffused through the air, as well as through the earth 
and the water. All these particles, so dispersed, unite together 
again in new organic bodies, which in their turn will undergo simi¬ 
lar revolutions. And this circulation, and these continual metamor¬ 
phoses, which commenced with the world, will only terminate with 
its dissolution. 
The most remarkable transformation, or at least that which inte¬ 
rests us the most, is that in which we are immediately concerned. 
We know that our body was not once composed, and will not be 
so in the end, of the same number of parts as it is when in its great¬ 
est perfection. Our body, when in our mother’s womb, was ex¬ 
tremely small; it became much larger when we were brought into 
the world, and since then has increased to fifteen or twenty times 
the bulk it then had ; consequently blood, flesh, and other matters, 
supplied by the vegetable or animal kingdom, and which formerly 
did not belong to our body, have been since assimilated to it, and 
are become parts of ourselves. The daily necessity of eating proves 
that there is a continual waste of the parts of which we are com¬ 
posed, arid that this loss must be repaired by alimentary matter. 
Many parts insensibly evaporate ; for since the experiments which 
a certain great physician made upon himself, it is ascertained, that 
of eight pounds of nourishment necessary to support a healthy man 
in one day, only the fiftieth part is converted into his own sub¬ 
stance ; all the rest passing off by perspiration and other excretions. 
Hence also it may be inferred, that in ten years there will not re¬ 
main many of the same particles that now constitute our bodies. 
And at length, when they shall have passed through all their differ¬ 
ent changes, they will be converted into dust, till the blessed day 
of the resurrection, when they will undergo that happy and final 
revolution that will place them in a state of eternal rest.— Sturm. 
PRINCIPLES NECESSARY TO BE OBSERVED BY THOSE YOUNG MEN WHO 
ARE NOT YET IN BUSINESS FOR THEMSELVES. 
Every young man should remember that the character which he 
is to sustain, and which is to sustain him, when he shall be in busi¬ 
ness for himself, is to be formed while he is yet in a subordinate sta¬ 
tion. This observation holds true, not only with respect to the re¬ 
putation which he is to possess among men, but also with regard to 
nis real characteristics. The habits, principles, and manners of the 
youth, will be essentially those of the man; and as it is our object 
to place these on a solid basis, and form them in a manner suited to 
the real exigencies of life, we shall express ourselves plainly, going 
directly to the point; and calling the vices and virtues by their 
right names. We begin by pointing out some practices which are 
to be avoided : and as the foundation of all that is beautiful in 
character is ingenuousness, we shall first bear our testimony 
against 
Lying. —To lie to the prejudice of others, argues malice and vil- 
lany : to lie in excuse of ourselves, guilt and cowardice : both ways, 
a design to elude with false representations of things, and advan¬ 
tage ourselves by the deceit. Now, however artificially we may 
carry on this infamous practice for a while, in the end it is always 
discovered ; and it is hardly to be imagined what infinite contempt 
is the consequence. Nay, the more plausibly we have conducted 
our fallacies before, the more severely shall we be censured after¬ 
wards. From that moment we lose all trust, all credit, all society ; 
for all men avoid a liar as a common enemy ; truth itself in his 
mouth loses its dignity, being always suspected, and often disbe¬ 
lieved. 
If, therefore, you should ever unwarily fall into an offence, never 
seek to cover it over with a lie ; for the last doubles the former, 
and each makes the other more inexcusable ; whereas, what is mo¬ 
destly acknowledged is easily forgiven, and the very confession of a 
small tresspass establishes an opinion that we are innocent of a 
greater. 
Dishonesty. —But truth in speech must likewise be accompanied 
by integrity in all your dealings; for it is as impossible for a dishon¬ 
est person to be a good agent, as it is for a madman, or an idiot, to 
oovern himself or others by the laws of common sense. Dare not, 
therefore, allow yourself even to wish to convert the property of 
another to your own use, more especially where it is committed to 
your charge ; for breach of trust is as heinous an aggravation of 
theft, as pretended friendship is of murder. If, therefore, you should 
be lucky in your frauds, and escape without being punished and de¬ 
tected, you will nevertheless stand self-condemned, be ashamed to 
trust yourself with your own thoughts, and wear in your very counte¬ 
nance both the consciousness of guilt and dread of a discovery ; 
whereas innocence looks always upward, meets the most inquisi¬ 
tive and suspicious eye, and stands undaunted before God and man. 
On the other hand, if ever your knaveries come to light, (to say 
nothing of the penalties of the law,) with what shame and confusion 
of face 5 must you appear before those you have wronged ! and with 
what grief of heart must your friends and relations be made eye or 
ear witness of your disgrace 1 Nor is this all; for, even supposing 
you should be convinced of your folly, and sincerely abhor it for the 
future, you must nevertheless be always liable to suspicion, and 
others will have the boldness to pilfer, on the presumption that you 
will be understood to be the thief. 
Fidelity. —There is still another sort of fidelity, which may be 
called affection, as the other is of action, being^ almost of as much 
consequence, too, and what never fails to endear you to those in 
whose favor it is employed; we mean that of defending their repu¬ 
tations, not only negatively, by avoiding all reproachful, indecent or 
even familiar terms in speaking of them, but positively, by endea¬ 
voring at all times to vindicate them from the open aspersions and 
base insinuations of others. 
That which makes us discontented with our own condition, is the 
false and exaggerated estimate we are apt to form of the happiness 
of others.— Fr. . 
The rust of the mind (idleness) is the blight of genius.— Seneca, 
