tending towards the south, as the globe
proceeded east and north, diminishing the length of the days in the
northern hemisphere, and increasing them in the southern. When at east,
the most direct rays of the light would fall on the equator, and the light
would cut the two poles, rendering the days and nights equal. As the globe
moved north, the circle of light would be found to increase around the
_south_ pole, while none at all touched the _north_. When on the north
side of the table, the _northern_ pole of the globe would incline so far
from the sun as to leave a space around it in shadow that would be of
precisely the same size as had been the space of light when it was placed
on the opposite side of the table. Going round the circle west, the same
phenomena would be seen, until coming directly south of the lamp, the
north pole would again come into light altogether, and the south equally
into shadow.

Owing to this very simple but very wonderful provision of divine power and
wisdom, this earth enjoys the relief of the changes in the seasons, as
well as the variations in the length of the days. For one half of the
year, or from equinox to equinox, from the time when the globe is at a
due-west point of the table until it reaches the east, the north pole
would always receive the light, in a circle around it, that would
gradually increase and diminish; and for the other half, the same would be
true of the other hemisphere. Of course there is a precise point on the
earth where this polar illumination ceases. The shape of the illuminated
part is circular; and placing the point of a pencil on the globe at the
extremest spot on the circle, holding it there while the globe is turned
on its axis, the lines made would just include the portions of the earth
around the globe that thus receives the rays of the sun at midsummer.
These lines compose what are termed the arctic and antarctic circles, with
the last of which our legend has now a most serious connection. After all,
we are by no means certain that we have made our meaning as obvious as we
could wish, it being very difficult to explain phenomena of this nature
clearly, without actually experimenting.

It is usual to say that there are six months day and six months night in
the polar basins. This is true, literally, at the poles only; but,
approximatively, it is true as a whole. We apprehend that few
persons--none, perhaps, but those who are in habits of study--form correc