Greenwich by Mr. Glaisher.

[Illustration: SNOW-STAR.]

It is worth pausing to think what wonderful work is going on in the
atmosphere during the formation and descent of every snow-shower; what
building power is brought into play! and how imperfect seem the
productions of human minds and hands when compared with those formed
by the blind forces of nature!

But who ventures to call the forces of nature blind? In reality, when
we speak thus we are describing our own condition. The blindness is
ours; and what we really ought to say, and to confess, is that our
powers are absolutely unable to comprehend either the origin or the
end of the operations of nature.

But while we thus acknowledge our limits, there is also reason for
wonder at the extent to which science has mastered the system of
nature. From age to age, and from generation to generation, fact has
been added to fact, and law to law, the true method and order of the
Universe being thereby more and more revealed. In doing this science
has encountered and overthrown various forms of superstition and
deceit, of credulity and imposture. But the world continually produces
weak persons and wicked persons; and as long as they continue to exist
side by side, as they do in this our day, very debasing beliefs will
also continue to infest the world.

Atomic Poles.

"What did I mean when, a few moments ago I spoke of attracting and
repellent poles?" Let me try to answer this question. You know that
astronomers and geographers speak of the earth's poles, and you have
also heard of magnetic poles, the poles of a magnet being the points
at which the attraction and repulsion of the magnet are as it were
concentrated.

Every magnet possesses two such poles; and if iron filings be
scattered over a magnet, each particle becomes also endowed with two
poles. Suppose such particles devoid of weight and floating in our
atmosphere, what must occur when they come near each other? Manifestly
the repellent poles will retreat from each other, while the attractive
poles will approach and finally lock themselves together. And
supposing the particles, instead of a single pair, to possess several
pairs of poles arranged at definite points over their surfaces; you
can then picture them, in obedience to their mutual attractions and
repulsions, building themselves together to form masses of definite
shape and structure.

Imagine the molecules of water in calm cold air to be gifted wit