Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, May 9, 1880, Page 11

THE CHICAGO. TRIBUNE: SUNDAY,’ HAT IS LIGHT « He Made the Sun to Rule the Day.” The Wonderful Solar Ray Source of Life and Supporter of Ex- istence. 3 ‘Theories of the Natare of Light—Is It an Emis- > sien of Hatter, or an Impulse Rather than a Substance? The Wave or Undulatory Theory—Opin- ions of Wise Men. National Quarterly Review for April. ‘The sun fs the original source of that myste- rious element which we know as light. Inthe metaphorical language of Genesis,“ He made the sun to rule the day.” The impulse which emanates from this grand centre of our solar Eystem, call it by whatsoever name Wwe wit, permeates the wide circle of our family of planets, and awakens responsive activity in the molecules of matter, and in the functions of plants and animals, including those of man. The radiant impulse of tbe sun may be ikened to the throb of an infinit heart sending warm life-blood to the remotest bour.cs, warming, ebcering, and enlivening in its course all nature within the circle of its influence. It did not need the light of science to enable mankind to ascertain the source of the light of day. That knowledge came by intuition, with- cout the aid of telescopes, or other instruments of optical observation. The untutored mind Justinetively associntes the sun with the princi- ple of Juminostty and of thermic and chemical powers. To such a one the sun is a majestic ball of fire revolving i the heavens, shining by virtue of its own bright- ness, warming by virtue of its own heat, and awakening into ife and fertility earth’s Vast resources by virture of its own energies. 1 “THE SUN SHINES,” is the simple phraseology of such @ one: and minds the must learned are compelled to admit the fact and to recognize the aptness of the phrase in which it is expressed. We cannot forego the pleasure of lingering over the significance of the conceptions of our subject by uncultivated minds, or minds un- trammeled by the results of scientific investi- gation. The admiration which the sun awakens in such persons is allied to worship. The warm, genial, vivifying intluence of the sun impresses the benighted, but contemplative, soul with tho idea of divine paternity. Such a one is awed into wonder and moved to revere and worship, ‘ashe contemplates the sun's all-embracing be- .; nignity and the upparent infinitude of its power. The uniettered Indian Chief, Tecumseh, gave eloquent utterance to the sentiment which ani- mates the heart of ali savages, when ho declared that, “The sun is my Father!” “Peculiar People," though further advanced in civilization than the North Ameri- can Indians, were evidently dominated by the same idea,in respect to the supremacy of the suninhuman affairs, as that embodied in the instinctive utterance of Tecamseh, for they were with difficulty restrained from idolatrousy act- ing upon it. In the Second Book of Kings, it will be remembered that Josiah is referred to as having put down idolatry in the City of Judah, which consisted in burning “incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, andto the host of heaven.” Zephaniah also refers reproachfully, With sufficient reason it seems to us, to “them that worship the host of heay- en upon the _housetop.” sane peo- ples contemporancous with the Hebrews indulged the sume beautiful custom of PAYING HOMAGE TO THE HEAVENLY BODIES— to their credit be it said. Nor were the ancient Greeks co far advanced in civilization as to ig- nore the claims of the stars to their respect. And even when other and more imaginative ob- jects of worship commanded their adoration the Greeks still invested the heaven: ies, more especially the moon, wi extrsordinary influence upon their affairs, and were strangely—we should say su- retitiously—guided by the lunar phuses in in- tinting important underzak The literature of the ancients is not the only * evidence we have of the practice of star-wor ship. Evidence in the form of sentiments chis- eled on stone is quite as conclusive of the exist- ence of the beautiful practice among them as any that their literature affords. An inscription on a tablet found in the tomb of a Royal scribe at Memphis, excavated a few years since by M. Mariette, contains, among other things, the fol- lowing worshiptul tribute to the sun: “ Hail to thee when thou risest In the solar roountain under the form of Ra, and when thou goest down under the form of Ma! Thou circlest about the heavens, and men behold and turn toward thee, hiding their faces! Would thatI might accompany thy Majesty when thou dis- layest thyself on the moraing ot each day! Env beams upon the faces of meu could no one describe: yold {g a3 nought compared to thy beams. The lands divine, they are scen in pict- ures: the countries of Arabia, they have numbered: thou aloue att concealed! Thy transformations are equal to those of the celes- tial ocean; ft marches as thou marchest. Grant ‘that I reach the land of eternity and the region of tlem that have been approved: that I be re- united with the fair and wise spirits of Ker- nefer,and that appear among them to con- template thy ‘beauty,on the morning of each Moreover, the homage which the ancients paid the aun fs illustrated in the manner of laying out thelr temples, always with the face or front T0 THE EAST OR NORTHEAST. Stukeley says that the Druids conformed to the ancient custom “of setting their temples with *ront to meet the rising sun"; and ne gives «+ a3 a reason for the custom that ‘the east nat~ urally claims the prorogative where the sun and planets rise.” It was a rule among the Jews, ‘also, to build their temples facing eastward. In Ezekiel’s trance he discovered that, instead of worshiping God in the temple, tho Israelites were secretly turning * their backs toward the temple of the Lord,and their faces toward ‘the “3 aut that: they | were worshiping “the sun toward the east.” Sun- worship is, in fact, not vet extinct among ple of admitted morality and intelligence. 18 devout followers of Zoroaster, more particularly ‘that branch of them inhabiting Western India, the Parsees, still worship the sun, reverenty baying their respects to the east in the morning, and bowing low on their knees toward the west inthe evening. In justice to these strange peo- Pie, it rust be said, however, that the most ad- Yanced and intelligent of them perform these serntiogs with an intelligent conviction jee ir meaning; betiev! the sun wo merely emblematic of the real es- fence and spirit of that Being whom 80 many and more pretentious and less reverent People, ip all civilized lands, Ignorantly worship . The theological conceptionsof the West- ern European might profit much by, emalgema- ‘You with those of Zoroaster. The Parseian ides Of the relations of the sun to Deity scems to us Prefminently consistent with the revelations of Modern science, as we would prefer to interpret them, unless, indeed, the necessity of a Deity in the universe be ignored altogether, and the sun accepted a8 THE ULTIMATE SOURCE f all those forces which we conceive to be necessary to the order, stability, Progressive perpetuity, and government a the world. Surely, noth is More manifest to the purely objective sense, Ror more consistent with the tendency of mod- €rn thought, than that the sun is a more jmpor- ‘tant factor in the universe than the Deity; and that the absence of the former would be more trous to our solar system than that of the latter. ‘The fault is not in science, but rather in Ye hapit one has of viewing the results of sclentife induction.—of interpreting scientific emonstrations. Our conceptions of Deity may We With the change of the seasons; or suffer the fate of those mythical creations of 'a former lod, and be swept from our mind altogether; ut so long as the sun endures with unimpaired integrity the existence of the planet is secure, ind the progressive order of lite, organization, and mind upon it will be maintained. Of this the truth of science gives perfect assurance. @ Sun, then, is our visible protector, bene- Tactor, and friend in whose light we Hive; whose Jaws rule fn us and over us; whose power in- Rerves us, and whose government we respect. Our existence is immediately identified with the 2un’s; our destiny subordinate to bis. Woe be- tide all living things when his light has gone Out, and his substance is dissipated! He is the fentre of our world; around which we revolve; fowhich we slowly but inevitably tend. When heperishes, what can survive? In the auswer to ‘this question science and the Zoroastrian are of one accord. Not even the Darwin- Jan “ fittest” could survive the incident! lections upon these obylous facts and . BFpotheses of nature and sonse were doubtless Strongly pifluential in shaping the theology of the Parsclan’ fine worshipers ‘so that the invis- Dleereative force of the Deity should barmon- Se with the visible creative force of the sun. They were bold enough to conceive the invisible Sexisting in the visible: mind giviag form and SBeacy to matrer. . Let there be dent: and there was light.” In thelr concep- GOD WAS EMBODIED IN THE SUN, Susing {t to -shine and illumine the ath and heavens. ‘The solar yeam was an ex- ihition of His divineenergy, dissipating dark- ie, and animating nature with endless forms of fe and beauty. Ormuzd, the Parseian god, him- tee rang from primeval Light. ‘The sun was eye of the Deity; and all the heavenly bodies ere animated with a soul, and became mes- the divine purpose to man and nature, Hence the idea, so prominent among them, that the spirit of the stars exerted a kindly influence upon man and was eapable of revealing the future to him. The idea is believed to have given rise to astrology, xs the practice of that superstition is very common in Persin, aud bas been so from avery enriy date. ‘This concep- tion of the union of the visible and the invisible forces of nature loses none of its sublimnity by the antiguity of its origin; and although it Is inconsistent with the dominant theology of the Western nations, and hus some bearings of a pantheistic character which ure positively intagonistic to it, nevertheless, it is the natural, inevitable resource of those who would Joyal to science, and, tthe same time, logically maintain thelr faith in the existence and necessity of a God. “From this point of view," observes tho late M. Papillon, “science justifies the simple adora- tions bf primitive man. It enables us to under- stand why the sun was an object of worship in all primary civilizations, and the secret of those jmpressive terrors which assailed those chiid- like peoplo when, at night, they saw slowly dis- appearing below the horizon the glowing orb of duy, concealing from them the source of all earthly power and splendor. That pious fetich- {sm was not only a testimony of gratitude for the treasures of life-giving energy whioh the dispel on the earth; it was also a homage paid to the source of strength, brightness, and joy, a6 well as an in: stiuetive ‘recognition’ of the natural af- finity. which exists between man and light. ‘The Vedas, Orphic hymns, and other remains of ee religion, are full of this sentiment. 1t Is discussed in the writings of the pocts and philosophers of antiquity; among others, in those of Lueretlus and Pliny. Dante, who so often made invocations to light (the divine a: plerciny tight), crowned his poem with a hyn pretminently eymbolic of the supreme bright- es. 5 While, therefore, the source and influence of light are subjects which appeal for solution to objective observation, the nature of that ele~ ment is a subject which does not admit of a solution on that plane, but is removed by the very Bans of the subject to the higher do- Bo TRE SYNTHETIC AND TRANSCENDENTAL. ‘The value of studies removed from the ordina plane of the objective and phenomenal, ant which necessarily the mind into intuitive metrphysical regions, admits of no doubt. Those whose talents are wholly occupied with the comrhonplace routine of a bread- and-butter life will fail to find in such studies their’ net returns of a satisfactory quality, for they will consist more of brains than of bread. To such the money value of facts far exceeds that of principles. The former may be bartered in the markets, or turned to practical uses; the Intter are valueless in the world’s esti- mate, and too often an inconvenient and trouble- some possession. ‘The study of philosophy has, nevertheless, a utility of the highest order. It teaches one to think, to exercise the noblest function possibletoa human being. It tends, therefore, constantly to increase the distance which separates man from that “ Ape- like creature” which many believe to be his original ancestor. It extends the bounds of knowledge eyen if it limit the catalog of fucts; for, as Buckle has forcibly ‘said: “Knowledge is composed not of fucts, but of the relutions which facts and ideas bear to them- selves and toeuch other; and real knowledge consists not in un acquuintance with facts, which makes only 2 pedant, but inthe use of facts, whicn makes a philosopher.” Let no one, then, doubt the high utility of the abstruse ana theoretical; nor attempt to con- fine the bounds of useful knowledge to mere accumulation of facts. Nor should one fear the purely theureticul. “To think ou Nature,” says the late Prof. Grove, “is to theorize; and_dith- cult it is not to be led on b@ the continuities of natural phenomena to theories which appear forced and uniutelligible to those who have not pursued the sume path of thought.” And the late Mr. Buckle, in his in- comparable essay on“ The Influence of Women on the Progress of Knowledge,” observes that “ Among us & theorist is actually a term of ro- proach, instead of being, as it ought to be, A TERM OF HONOR; for to theorize is the highest function of genius, and the greatest pollosophers Tmust always be the greatest theorists." The author had already illustrated, in the essay referred to, the sound- ness of his opinions by ‘numerous citations from the history of scientific discovery. And surely no man is better qualitied to speak with autbor- ity on the comparative value of intellectual studies than was the late Henry Thomas Buckle, Inu the study of uny problem in physics it is necessary to keep clearly before the mind the relation of cause and sequence, subjective and objective, the phenomenal and the actual. It is. dillicult to persuade the novice in philosophy that the physical world 1s not what it seems; and that all he knows of the external world is predi- cated on the impressions which the external world makes on his senses. The rationale of the impressions which are made on our senses and rdinated by them intoa distinct idea, asligbt, sound, hardness or softness, sweet or sour, etc., is not readily apprehended by such 8 one; andhe will insist upon investigating the object of bis impressions with the properties which he has derived solely from his own sensations. He hears the tones of a musical instrument; he sces light and shade, and the color of objects, ete., or he thinks he does; but infact he does nothing of the kind. Inthe ove case, a definit disturb- ance has been made in the air, and been com-~ municated'by the airto the ear. The disturb- ance is not sound at all, for the phenomena of sound is impossible ina vacuum, but a mere itation—motion—of the atmosphere, which the car feels, and from the impressions of which it manufactures, so tosay,a musical note. In the other case, an Smpuilse) of definit proportions has been conveyed to the ether-medium which is supposed to fill all space, throwing itinto AN USDULATORY MOVEMENT, not unlike what occurs in tho atmosphero in the case of sound. This wave-movement, in due course, reaches the retina of the eye, which co- ordinates from it 2 luminous sensation varyi in tint a to the force, frequency, an duration of the ether vibrations. As no sound could exist in the rbsenve of the auditory ap- paratus, So no light is Roseible without the optic apparatus of the eye. For a proper understand- ing of either sound or light, therefore, it is nec- eséury to study the subject from its physiolog- ical, 2s well a8 its mechanical, aspeots. ‘Tothe sensuous observer the phenomena of light and sound are highly illusory. Nor is this peculiarity confined to optical and auditory | phenomens. AS # matter of fact, all phenom- ena of the physical world are of such an illusory — character as to mis- lead the observer should he take the evidence of bis sensations as his guide, uninflu- enced by the reason or judgment. The sup, for example, appears to revolve around the earth; force seems to be evanescent—subject to dissi- pation; matter appears to be distinct from toree; the particles of solid bodies appear to touch each other, whereas it is demonstrable that they do not. The illusions of physics are still more marked {n the domain of .our sense- mare We seem to feel the properties of fea, whereas we merely feel our own sensa- tions, and can no more come into actual contact with matter than’ we could Iay hold of the Infinite; vision appears to be an objective act, as we have seen, while, in fact, itis a purely subjective one; we are supposed to see colors, to hear sounds, to amell odurs, te taste gustatory qualities, to feel the surfaces of bodies, heat and cold, etc.; but as a matter of fact we do nothing of the kind; the knowled, which we possess of these things being simply that derived from the factsof our impressions and sensations. Thedelusive character of ap- ‘aranices becomes more strongly marked the igber the plane of observation, so that tt may be justly said that a great part of one's early education consists—more or less unconsciously — in learning: how to interpret physical appear- ances, and to AVOID BEING DUPED BY THEM. {n scfence and philosophy the first lesson to learn is, or ‘ought to de, bow to distinguish between the apparent and the actual, the sub-~ fective and the objective. He only is able to think and reason correctly who has made him~ self familiar with these fundamental ideas, and can keep steadily before him tke laws of sense- eroeption. Without this qualification, one may ve eyes and sce not, and ears and hear not, the things which Nature presents to his unex~ panded perceptions. Onc 80 wanting in percep- tion as this mental condition implies, cannot appreciate a tithe of the grandeur of the physical world, and is necessarily debarred, moreover, the highest satisfaction mortals to enjoy—that of descending into the engine-chamber of the universe, studying the workings of its machincry, and discove! the Divine order and purpose which are manifest therein. ‘We pass on, then, to notice some of the theo~ ries which bave been aavanced in etucidation of the nature of light. It {s needless to say that demonstration is on the side of the mechanical hypothesis. This subject has occupied the hu- man mind since ft first begun to distinguish the relations of cause and effect, or to separate the phenomenal from the actual. Thus Empedocles, Greek philosopher, and 2 contemporary of Aristotle, o B.C., held that “light consisted of particles projected from luminous bodies; yet that vision was not performed without the jstance of a certain {ntluence, or emanation transmitted from the eye to the object.” This was only saying in a more thoughtful, philosoph- that certain bodies the prop- erty of shining, and'that the eye was endowed with the property of coordinating luminous im~ preasfons; and while jt afforded no satisfactory explanation of the nature of light, it was a com- prehensive statement of a most palpable fact, that of vision. Sir David Brewster's definition ‘of light i3 not less lucid.—nor more. He says: “Lightisan emanation or something, which proceeds from bodies, and Uemmeans of which we ure enabled to see them.” e theory of Em- vedocies {3 tho earliest record we have of -the so-called Emission _ Hypothesis, afterward elaborated by “Sir Isanc New- ton. ‘The theory, however, was com- batted by Aristotle, who thought that light was AN IMPULSE, RATHER THAN 4 SUBSTANCE; and there are men of science to-day who accept the impulse byporbesis of light a3 effording a more rational expianation of its phenomena than any other. Among the eminent Physicists of modern times, who prefer to regard light ag an impulse communicated to the molecules of matter rather than an emission of substance from them, or as the undulations of an hy- pothetical ether, was tho Jate Prof. Grove, whose demonstrations regarding the mutual con- vertibility—correlation—of physical forces, gave a new impulse to the progress. of scientific dis- covery. in every department of inductive philosophy. “In’a lecture,” says Mr. Grove, “delivered in January, 1442, when I first pabllcly advanced the views Advocatad in this essay. Stated that it appeared with pene ‘hte to reas ‘itgnt esha! ra (atoms of mater ieselty rathor seat ees (1 onslstent |, DS Of woollror us ure herospdéking of the character of tho vi fe Bon wate erie tes Vibrations of ligt, ‘sound, or. dowbtioss very different from each other; dui ly" them so far as thoy Mitetnes ae poe earinE- Sera fae hy berate ho propagation theory has been cons} defectiv Ive by a phi-, Tepephar of high ek » L.cannot see the Trae ie arguments by, Hit hus been assailed; and, therefore, for the'présent, though with dif: fidence, I adhere to ine “impulse” theory, here revived by Mr-Gpdve, seems to us incon.” petent to expliin the°most ordinary facts of Solar physics,—sich, for example, as the trans- | S mission of light through solid bodies, or the Propagation of tho solar impulse tn vacuo Gke impulse | theory, wioreover, requires © existence of tangible matter in fhe _interplanctary sprees, as a condition indispensable to the propagation of vibra tory,/ action, it A CONDITION HARDLY CONCEIVABLE. an explanation of the phenomena of I golres the intervention of a Tnypothetten en 8 substituting a ponderable for an impond one, oven if tho problems jnvalved Ih ths aute | Ject are equally well solved by one as the other, which, iu this instance, is certainly not the case. | o otiing, perhaps, more strixingly shows the force of palpable oreryntlon, and its advantage i¢ demonstration, 1 - fwoon the coniileting hypethoses vat ane let demonstration be what it may. If seflence throws doubt on the existence of light as an entity, reason may loyally accept the doubt, but the individual still Belloves in the palpable reality of “sunshine.” It is so evident Ubat the sun shines, emits luminous particles of imponderable matter, that down to the eighteenth century tho doctrine maintained its own Aapitat the most formidable opposition. Sir isaac Newton held strongly to the hypothesis, With all its absurdittes, and dicd refusing to ad- mit the plausibility of any other. The brilliant discoveries in optics and the laws of light which weaken his contidence in the ‘correctness or validity of tho hypothesis, He gavo it the name of the Emission, or Corpuscular Theory of light, so long and intimately associated with his own great name and fame. The absurdity of the emission hypothesis, however, appears sufticiently obvious in the statement of it. In other words, {t contains the elements of its own refutation; for ais Xn 18 INCONCEIVABLE it @ particle of matter devoid of gravity could travel witb such marvelous Selocity ‘as the | hypothesis presupposes, and pass through in its course, without perceptibly impeding its veloc- ity, ponderable substances like glass and other dizphanous bodies. “Light moves," observes the date Sir David Brewster, “ with a velocity of 182,- milos in a second of time.” Later calcula- tions have modified these figures considerably, but a few thousand miles more or less in @ matter of this kind are of little consequence. “It travels.” continues the distinguished astronomer, “ from the sun to the earth in seven minutes anda half. It moves through a space equal to the circumference of our globe in tho elgbth part of 2 second,—a flight which the three weoks.” In view of the singular credulity | 0 exeroised by men of sclence in accepting such a statoment or proposition as this, it 11] becomes them to marvel at the credulity of theologians. We submit that the ultimate resurrection of tho body. is not a more marvelous doctrine, or the belief in it a ereater tax oD our has long been obsolete in philosophic thought, Its fallacy had been pointed out in Newton's day by Prof. Huyghens, the eminent Dutch astronomer and mathematician; but itremained tor Dr, Thomas Young, a century later, to demonstrate its fallacy, and to substitute In tt: stead the hypathesis first advocated by Huy- ghens, and which is now gonerally known 28 THE WAVE OR UNDULATORY THEORY OF LIGHT. It is superfluous, porbaps, tostate that the un- dulatory hypothesis of light is of itself founded upon an hypothesis. It presupposes what can never be proved, the existence of & thin, clastic ether pervading all space and even the spaces between the particles of solid matter. Under the impetus. of the sun, or other luminous bodies, this ether medium is supposed to be agitated, thrown into concentric vibrations, or waves, very similar to what happens to water when a stone sion of hard bodies. “It Appears in truth abun- dantly certain,” says a dist! ee mathema- tician and contemporary of Young, “that light is, with respect to ether, what sound is with respect to air; and that the rays of light are | § transmitted by the ether, as sound consists in hakings ber of them which occurred in a second of time and an inch of space. He found that the number and aize’ of the “mndulations varied with the various tints or colors embraced inaray of ligbt. In other words, that all the elements of the solar ray had each a force of prepegaticn peculiar to itself. The following table, giving the number of light-waves that occur in an inch of space and a second of tine, is based on the calculations of Young. Though often published, itis of suflicient interest and curiosity to justity a place here: wradeuncaceseren BYSSESEESESZSZEE| 6S eg2 BossEsesay eS gs HeeC8H2: ¢ a gee: 8P25282:2) 32 giererers| gs z E:B: 5:25:38) FS 8: 8! s: 8: ss: & : 3 & nessesepsescsess| FE 4 RESBRSSeSSNRSSES | “=S°* Es 1 AON AT syoty suojqum “SMAVAL-LUOI'L 0 BNOLLVIOOIVD 20 WILVR, spore Diy euonompun fo waqunay Tn the above table of calculations two things appear particularly conspicuous: First, the marvelousness of those tiny ether-undulations; and, second, tho greatness of the foulus that was able to measure and count them. The tat- fer fscortatnly the greater marvel of the tira. Had Young done nothing else to distinguish himself in science, and build for himself an en- during monument, this feat in mathematics alone would be sufficient to perpetuate his name to an immortal renown. ‘That demonstra- tion must forover remain most conspicuous in } J the annals of mathematica. Prof. Tyndall | | characterizes the mathematical geniusof Young | 4 asscarcely inferior to that of Newton: and he } | advances an ingenius geometrical ilustration in his “Lectures on Light” to show his estimate of Young's genius as compared with Newton's: “Let Newton stand erect in his age,” he ob- serves, “and Young in his. Draw a straight line from Newton to Young which shall form a tangent to the heads of both. ‘This line would slope downward from Nowton to Youny, be- cause Newton was certainly thetaller man of the | two, But the slope would not be stcep. for the difference of stature was not excessive. The line I would form what engineers call a gentle grad- from Newton to Young. Place underneath line the biggest man born in the interval { i rete eae er es thi between both: he would not, in my opinion, reach the line; for, if he did, he would be taller intellectually than'Young, and there waa, I be- lieve, none taller.” Yet he was long gathered to his fathery ere his genius received the recog- nition it justly deserved. Smaller and more pretentious men—men with bigh-sounding titles —commanded the ear of the pubtic and oclipsed fora generation the greatness of one who had only genius to commend him to the memory of mankind. : From the point of view offered by science, the force which represents light is the ‘SUM AND QUINTRSSENCE OF ‘ALL FORCE of which the human mind oan coneetve, except that of gravity, and perhaps that ofthe tides. ‘All otuer forces, or forms of energy, ‘tre part of this grand force,—light, or aun-Loreb... Light may exist as heat, electricity, and ectinism: it ig the power that sways the wind and impels the tempest; the foree .ex- hipited by an animal, os well as feam- propeller; the: nerve-force by whith tho codrdinating powers of the brain and sargiionte centres carry on all the marvelous ae 303 Of Hfe,—of locomotion, feeling, and thinkm#,’ of which ahuman being is capable. The furces in the forests, or in vegetation~the y treasured organic produgts which ‘clothe the earth and minister to the wants of animal life,—aro, foree; so Hikewise the force which the ages dave economized and Inid away in subterranean coal- beds is simply-light-foree, rendered latent.— capitalized for ftiture uses. ‘All this, as worlder~ fat as it may adem, ia susceptible of ad easy a demonstration agi any problem in physi¢s, as, for example, the velocity of the planetsor the ether-wayes; tho-revplution ‘of the earth and. other planets; the thickness of the gray film 4. -of a soap-bubble; ‘or the proximate size of the ultimate atom, all of which intricate feats in |. mathematics have.been acgomplished: The facts | ¢ of the correlation and conservation of fore monize ‘ectly With the bypothesis of | Ot. j give powerful sup) | Rabine of Ugoty ue poslueely el he ‘ugg alt the ‘other h; ing [which have Naturo which pevorthelees, be recglved swith ig ut one fuctor in explaining the phe the ory, while at Icast two others "are eves, sury—viz.: we do not sce what ig to be gained by | it with 8 re} @ close of | emotions of he made had the effoct to confirm rather than | solution of faculties, as weil conserva swiftest bird could not perform in Jess than | know if matter, t terest nothing else but the shakings or vibrations {3c thes or vibrations transmitted by the air.” vies - - Thomas Fi Bidila, Delgoin hn) | August fuss. of these light-waves and counted the num- Emily Groene: Or. Young actually measured the length a es in‘explanation of e been broughtforward, i dhls view of Itght-fore 4tion, so exhaustive in its accepted in ‘MAY 9, 1880—SIXTEEN PAGES. that subject @, 80 grand in conog) 1 e mi: ‘tory solution of tho phenomena ps has been yet advanced, shoul, limitations, It ig SENDER AND A RECEIVER, @ receiver is the hich it is conveyed, Tho sonder of tho solar impulse is the incendescent. “body; they egec wave tho medium of communication. the ether-wave and body or object to end which appropri th tes it to its high uses in the economy of ome scientists, it I ad one to suppose that jn all in nature and senge; that it fui is pane rite in a manner to solar ray is tho ail Tnishes a, tution of the impulses of mind and heart, To nay be said uch a statement is confounds the nd sequonce, It ther tuental processes. ig nerve-torce, doubtedly, which is correlated from tadiaat evergy, that enables us to think and perform sthis purpose, writes Prof. Proctor: + the source of all those forms of life ed Stabe which exist upon the earth. That ia no idle dream,” he says, ‘Every form of force on the earth, every action we perfortn, all the forms of forces we know of, even the thoughts we think, coma trom the gun.’”" misleading “in that relations of cause une But it is a manifest error, most confusing to the logical senso, to claim any analogy between uny form of force by pclnes se hee: and the patiine: of spaeee an fuotions. Noone | of lig! utation for mental acumen One must respect the evidence of his senses, | not even Prof. Proctor, would be bold cana seriously to make an attempt to show the anal- ogy between light-force and 2 love sentiment, ora pious emotion; the capacity to anulyze a syllogism, orto construct a grammatical sen- tence. It {is impossible to recognize any analo whatever betweon any form ‘ot force, and the the heart, or the intellectual opera- tions of the brain and mind. sense, in thia instance, acutest reason. The common ig supported by tho Finally we remark that, while the purely in- henomena ductive mind will continue to resolve the unie verse into forms of motion, and to accept such as best accords with ob- sorvation, ti is intuitive ge, eG mind will ag naturally insist upon the necessity of look behind effects or phenomena ing TO THEIR CAUSES, uite evident—namely: f the word, can which, though hidden from the outward sonse, he feels, and in acertain sense knows, must have a veritable existence somehow and in the depths of the unknown, All effects must fave adequute causes; but the final or ultimate cause lies beyond tha scope of our faculties, and probably always will, ine thi is the further oe it.- quires are pushed in the direction of the principle of causation, the more we are bewil- dered by the mystery in which it {s Involyed, and impressed with the finite character of human as the narrowness of the bounds of actual knowledge. Mr. Buckle evi- dently felt the force of this truth whon he wrote: “We talk of the law of gravitation, and yet we know not what. gravitation is; ion of force and the distribution of forces, and we know not what forces are; we talk in complacent ignorance of atomic arrango- ment of matter, and we nolther know what atoms are nor ‘what mattor ls; we don't even in te ordinary sense e we have as yet only broken tho first ground; ae have but touched the crust and surface of nya” e talk of the said to exist; inthe domain of knowledge which most in- ts the reflective mind, we know in fact nothing except that we are a partof the great faculties, than it au imponder- | unknown, and sharers of a destiny which is un- able particle of matter traveling through {| fathomable. Davip A. Gorton, space ba a ey, required by the Newtonian iy pothesis of light. ‘Ne that as it may, tho enalsston theory of ght MARRIAGE-LICENSES. Khe Record for the Week-One Hun- dred and Twelve Honeymoons, Last week the thoughts of love, to which the young man lightly turns In the spring-time, re- sulted in a brisk demand for marriago-license, of which 112 were issued between 10 o'clock Mon- day morning and 5 o'lock yestorday afternoon. Of the fifty-six ladies who took husbands unto thomselves, six had already made matrimoniat experiments, s0 that tho week must be looked upon as one favorable to the widows. The com- bined ages of the youngest couple was 33, cach being 18, while the oldest couple aygreguted US years, their ages also being even—58 each: MONDAY, MAY 3, ig thro’ & - Name. Age. ig thrown into {t, or to the air, by°-the concus: ee Meee, oe Emma Smith. Jefferson L. Dav Maas. RUSter, John Bkafee... Annie Sowa. Geors Jobn Karzinski. fe Milkoschesk: a Michael Lerdes. Elizabeth Liober. Charles H. Ward... L. G. Baughlardt. John Vaughan... --: LizzieG. Bnughardt. ry Miller... Peter Reiter... ‘Thomns Fal Mary O'Malley. Fred H. frish. . Bila Schutt..2277 John Huisenge.... Catherine Dekker. Katie Sampson H.F.VouEddent Agnes A. Sievers Charles Olsen. Ida Johngon.... Willtam Geske. Lena Zetman. Joseph Green..... Ada Dow.... Lorenz Baum. 133. Minnie Cook. oe Sk. Residence, -Chicago. ‘Bale View. +2454 State. +1138 State. .--594 South Halsted. + ++ 1459 State. ++-22,.,.61 Elston road. TUESDAY, MAY 4. +36. 56 South Halsted. ‘Town of Calumet. Town of Calumet, hicago. --Maple Grove, IL. ‘Chicago. ‘Chicago. ‘Toronto, Can, Chicago. WEDNESDAY, MAY 5. Harvey N. Parsons... Mrs. E. Sigler. s Sam H, Brakel.. Annie L. Davis. Chas, H. Hathaway. Laura E. Hammond. Mary Rice.......-+-.20- Fred Jobannes......40. Louisa Gramik......25. John G. Melle. g Alice R. Leithelaser23. deRuchenmelster Mrs. Wile! cl Beeptwisn Ametig Daluga. Chica; Chicago, 83 Hoyne, Chicago. Chicago. ‘Chicago. -Town of Lake. -Town of Luke. ‘51 West Madison, ‘53 West Madison. #1 Eust Sixteenth, 3800 State, Butterfield. reer. a Renpersy. av. . ew! G ‘oFitmay. 2517 Lime, mewhere, :Chicago. .Chicago. 950 Milwaukeo av. ‘Orliens, Neb. ~Chleayo. lary Cursock. Joseph Rittier Dorothea Schui 100 West Water. “il W. Eighteenth. 19% N. San; On. Gertrude Pobnat Wm. C. O'Conno! | Exidius Meyer... Alice Butler... odie weak: FRIDAY, MAY 7, ouis e008 Bertha Kauftma Chienge. Frederick Albrech 35 Howe. ve Stefan Lude. ‘go West Ete 159 West Erie. Jullus Margi Augusta Kelm. William Bertels. 24....710 W. Fout 20.7.5 Canalpart ave” e ‘ BATURDAY, MAY 8 charles J. Westphal..25. icago, Minnte Pappentaien.90..”- cuioeee, Matthew 47 Culumet ay. Mrs. C. Deri Sobn Me ee Maria Browning.. fobn Meas... Pauline Meitz . Frank Arny. Mary Schuenberger. Martin Barret. Madalena Kuti John A. Johnson. Helga Hjelmgren. Josinh W, stiller Agnes E. Watson. Dennis Martin, Mrs, Katie Curey. Ole B. Olson... Ida Mf, A. Bjornskor i { Thomas W. S| iran tS Ruby C. Crandall Wort! Axel G. Renborg. 95 Milton avenue, Sophi« S. Gustav: 95 Milton avenue. Andrew B, Ayer. thicago, Alice Pease nicugo. Patrick A. ‘own of Lake, (eu Ostling: ‘Anna Carlson. {adhe Krapf.. Augusta Ernst. 4 Helnrieh Brann Adeline Pieper. j floxunder Moteda Minnie Teevin . 119. REFORMED SPELLING. The Matter Kefore Congress. In the House, Apri! 30, 1880, Mr. L. M. Ballou, of Rhode Island, from the Comitce on Education and Labor, submitted the folloing report, to ac- company Bill H. R. 5,992. The Committee to whom was referred the me- morials and petitions from the Presidents and Professors of many of our colleges, and some ef the most prominent educators in various sec- tions of the country, for the appointment of a commission on “spelling refurm of the Englisn language,” submit the following report: ‘The subject is deemed worthy of serious con- sideration and careful inquiry, whether tho language, which perhapsis destined to becom universal thru the instrumentalities of the two tmost ugresiy and leading comercial nations of the world, Great Britain and the United States, May not be simplified and abreviated in its orthografy by omiting the silent and uaueces- ary letters and using only those which most Daturally and simply convey the sound of the words when pronounced to the ear. It is curently stated by leading educators that the irregular spelling. of the English language causes # loss of tour years of the school time of ench child, and is a main cause of the alarming illiteracy of our peples tat it involves an ex- pens of many millions of dollars anually for Teachers and for writing and printing supertlu- ous lotters; and that it is un obstacle in many other ways to the progres of education among those speaking the English language and to the spred of the language among other nations. And it is further represeuted by leading edu. cators and teachers of practical experience and fsqciations of lorned scholars that it is posible to make a great reform in the spelling of the English language, and that a system muy be de- ¥ised, to be gradually and wisely introduced, which wil be a great improvment tn facilitating education and @ great saving of expense to the Goyernment and the people in the priatlog of public documents, school-books, and periodic- uls, shuld the system so comend itself as to be generally adopted by them. The Comitee, having great confidence in the experfence and practical wisdom of thoso who camend this subject to the favorable considera- tion‘of Congres, recomend, as a preliminary ste; and for the purpose of having som wel-defin plin and system presented to the pubile before any detinit radical change is made, the passage of the Bill No, 5,902, LR. 5,92—THE BILL TO CONSTITUTE A COMISION ‘TO REPORT ON THE AMENDMENT OF THE OR- THOGRAFY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. ' Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentativa of the United States of America in Cc assembled, That # comision is hereby constituted, to consist of seven comisioners to be apointed by_ the Prosident, whojshul examin the orthog- rafy used in the ‘public documents and in the ublic schools of the District of Columbia, and Inquire how much its defects increase the cost of the public printing and how far they ure an impediment to the ficquisition and use of the English lunguage and to education, and inquire whit amendments in orthografy, if any, may be introduced into the public ddcuments and the schools of the District, of Columbia, and ac- cepted in examinations for the civil servic. and whether it is expedient to mov the Government of Great Britain to unite in constituting a joint comision to consider such amendments; and the comision shal report to Congres at its next sesion. ————— BIRD-SONG, There’s a thousand bappy voices in the wood- lands sweetly singing— Out among the ‘apple-blossoms we can hear them all the day— tud and merry music all the leafy doug! 3 8 are ringing: Gayly sing the Joyous song-birds—how wo won- dey what thoy say! ‘Twitter twitter, twiddle twiddle, like a flute or like a fiddie, Pe-wee pe-wee, ste seesee me, see me twitter all the day, Clinkum clinkum, bobolinkum, clink clink clink, owhiskodinkum, Twit wit wit wit, cheer up cheer up—how we wonder what thoy say! While we look and while wo listen, we can seo their plumage glisten, In among tho Itlag-bushes, down amid the tan- Klod grass; Perched on holly-hock and thistle, we can watch them while they whistle: ‘Thoy go whistling by the window, loudly chirp- ing, as they pass: Twitter twitter, twiddle twiddle, like a flute or like a fddle, Pe-wee pe-wee. see seo sce me, sce me twitter all tho duy, Clinkum clinkum, bobolinkum, clink clink clink, owhiskodinkum, Twit wit wit wit, cheer up cheer up—how wo wonder what they say! Round and round the farm-house flying, loudly screaming, sharply crying, Warbling ‘la Gat Rembling tree-tops, we can hear them all the day. While the morning Nght ts breaking, while the drowsy world is waking, Gyaly sing the Summer song-birds—how we won- ‘der what they say! Twitter twitter, twiddle twiddle, like a flute or “like a fiddle, - Pe-wee pe-wee, see see Ree me, see me twitter all the day, Clinkum clinkum, bobolinkum, clink cling clink owhbiskodit iskodinkum, 7 Twit wit wit wit, cheer up cheer up—now we wonder what they say’ , LAWNDALE, Chicago. Buoese J. Hans. or “Rome's Blind Beggars. A Rome correspondent writes to beware of the blind beggars of Italy. ‘These are bired at so much a year by an uuthentle manager, who wanders the country over with his “ bind’ beg- gar.” Some blind children are even sold to beg- gar managers, who sign an agreement, to pro vide for the blind one during his entire life. When he finds, however, that ne has exhausted his part of the country, he resells his “prop- erty” to another manager in another part of the country, who, in turn, explores that district as tong a8 he can, until he also sells bis blind man or worsan to another, and so on, until the be rean walk no longer. But until the lust he is rought on the road, even if he has to siton a stone, and the older and more [otirm he grows the greater bis value becomes to his manager. The Kimball organ, with its patented im- provements, surpasses every other reed in- ;strument in capacity and range of expres- sion. “My doctor says he always recommends Kid- ‘nes¥ ‘ort for bade cases of eidsey. disease or of - biliousness and consi . ; Kidney-Wort is the great spring medicine. qt. isa ure cure for billousness, torpid bowels, or Jasas back. MUSIC. Phelps, the Tenor, and Banner, the Violinist—Mme, Rive-King’s Return to Chicago, The Thorsby-Ole Ball Combination—Pres- pects of the Cincinnati Mi Festival. ‘Two concerts during the past week have de- veloped two very interesting features, The one was the return of Mr. Phelps, the tenor, to our concert-stage, and the othor the début of Master Michael Banner, the boy violinist. When Mr. Phelps left us, some years a0, he was connected with the Chicago Musical College as a teacher, with which institution, by the way, he has re- sumed the same connection. Ho was known at that time as an accomplished pianist and a tenor with a voice of excellent quality, as was devel- oped in his fine singing of a small partin Schu- mann’s “ Paradise and the Peri,” when that work waa produced by the Apollo Club. He went abroad and studied with Vanuccini and Lam- Perti, we believe, made some appearances on the operatic stage, and returned to this country in the Carlotta Patti troupe, - with which he soon severed his connection, however, juckily,—as it hos since turned out, seeing the fate which overtook ‘that unsavory combination. Naturally enough there was great interest manifested to hear him, especially as ha has settied down among us again. He brings back to us the same clear,rich quality of voico And strength, almost robust, that formerly char- acterized him, and a great improvementinstyle, Phrusing, and expression. In all these points he sings like an srtist, and the intelligence dis- Played In his method is refreshing. The only fault that can seriously Ne aguinst him is the tremolo-he uses, which amounts to a very de- cided waver of the voice, and mars the effects which otherwise would be produced by his nat- urally flue voice and method. ‘The second feature of which we have spoken was the début of Master Michael Banuer, the youthful violinist. He cannot be classed ‘as 8 prodigy, for prodigies are mechanical players as arule, while he displays intelligence, maturity, and, toa large degree, inspiration. His tone is farge and broad, his technique very facile and clear, his intonation true, and hia expression re- markable, fo has all the possibilities of a great artist. Weare glad to know that Mr. Jacob- sohn, 6o.long Theodore Thomas’ concert-master, has agreed to teach him through the coming two years, and we shall took with keen interest to the little fellow's future carcer. THE RIVE-KING CONCERT. ‘Mme. Rive-King will make her return to our concert-stage on Wednesday evening next at Central Music- Hall at the head of a remarkably strong troupe, and will present the following fine program, which will undoubtedly call out a great crowd of her friends and admirers: 1 Flotow—Duo from “ Martha.” Messrs. Fritsch and Cony. 2 Servols—Fantasle brilluate, ‘Af, Adolph Fischer. ‘& Mozart—Aria from the " Magic Flute.” ‘My. George A, Conty, 4, Meyarbeor—“Vane, Vune,” from “ Roberto.” tas Amy Sherwin. 4. Chopin—Proludo In D tat, from op. 3. 5. if Mendelssyhn—Andante snd Hondo trom the Violin Concerto, op. ti. ‘ranscribed fur the plano by Mmo, Hive-King, Mine, Rive-King. 6. Donizett!—Aria from * Lucia.” ‘Miss Marie Litta, 1. Verdi—Trio trom * I Lombardi.” iss Atay Sherwin, Messrs. Fritsch and Conly, 1, Baint-Saens—Second Concerto in G minor, op. 2 . Adolph Fischer, 4 Benedicy—" Carnival of Venice," Aria and Varts- ions. 8. Wagner-Selections froin Bie Walkmere.” er Selections from * Die ere.’ 6 yin oh certants, TN yn i ‘Mf. Adolph Fischer. 7. Borliox~Trio from “ Damnation de Faust.” ‘Biss Marte Litta, Messrs, Fritsch and Conti. THE APOLLO CLUB CONCERT, closing the regular subscription series, will be given on the #7th inst., when the Club will pre- sent its patrons for the first time the grand oratorio of “ The Creation,” which, while one of the most popular of all the oratorios, has curi- ously enough not been heard here in its entirety foranumber of yenrs, the lust performance having been in the old Farwell Hall she yeie be- fore the fire. Itis already apparent that the many hundreds of its patrons who may want to hear the Club in its interpretation of this noble cowpoaition cannot be provided with seats un- less an extra performunce is given, and tl management have under serious consideration the question of a repetition of the work. A special engagement has been made with Sr. lyron Whitney, who will make bis appeuranco here in the oratorio for the first time since he sang it with Parepa Kosa. - FROG OPERA. About the busiest people in the city nowada' are those who are to tako an active pert in the Frog Opera, which will be produced at the Cen- tral Music-Hall next week for the benefit of the Nursery and Half-Orphsa asylum. Rehearsals have been going on successfully, and: those who lave been permitted to see the preliminary actions of the frogs and pal lywogs are enthusiastic in their praise of those who are to assume the different characters. In the cast are represented Prince Frog. Simon, Baron Rut, Sir Thomas Gat, Htabber Kitten, Queen Frog, Baroness Kat, Miss Mouse, and the wee frog. The chorus of ollywogs, rats, mice, and gypsies is selected ‘rom the ranks of leading society people. There are over thirty numbersof music, all introduced with the most ridiculous situations. Elaborate preparations are being made for the scenic and costume effects, the lutter being the designs of Mark Waterman, the well-known Boston urtist. The sale of seats will commence at the Music- Hall box-oftice Friday morning next, when seats will be sold for any ‘part of the house and for either performance, LOCAL MISCELLANY. The Amateur Musical Club hold thelr next meeting on Wednesday next. A fine program is in preparation, Mr. H. Clarence Eddy gave two Mets success- fulorgan recitals in Wheeling, W. Va.,on the 4th and ith inst. The Park Place Pavilion concerts will com- mence June. The first engagement is of Miss Dora Gordon Steele, vocalist. hy Mr. H,S. Perkins, of this city, holds musical conventions at Council Grove. Kas, May Ii, and at Mound City, Kas., Muy 18—21. Jerome Hopkins contemplates delivering his two lectures, *The Music of the Present” and “Some Kinds of Church Music,” in this elty be- fore long. pynepupiis of Sit Bail Liebling, assisted by the pupils o mil Liebling, assisted by Miss Dutton. Mr. Knorr, and Mr. Lewis, at the Union Catholic Livrary rooms on the 13th Inst. ‘Tae first ot a new series of popular instinées, under the management of Mr. C. H. Brittan, was announced for yesterday afternoon at Hershey Hall, with Mrs. Oliver K. Jobuson, Mfr. McWade, Mr. Liebling, and Mr. Eddy as the performers.; Private letters from Mr. Walker, with the Church Choir Pinafore Company, state that the troupe has been doing excellent business in Col- orado. They gave tive performances fa Denver to large houses, any in Leadville with success, and on the 2d left for Georgetown. ‘The testimontul concert to Signor Farin! will lace on the 24th inst. Upon this occasion he will have the assistance of Miss Selika and Sirs. Alice Landis, sopranos; Mrs. H. Cornell. mezzo-soprano; Mrs. Florence Scranton snd Mrs. E. Sickels, altos; Messrs. Hilton and Heath, tenors; and Mr. Bunker, basso; and orchestra and chorus. ‘Tne celebrated Carman Family, of Champaign, TL, will sigg during the Commencement exer- cises of the Chicago Buptist Theological Semi- nary at tho following times and places: Tues- day evening, May Il, at the First Baptist Church; Wednesday at Morgan Purk; Thursday, 10 a. m., at First Baptist Church; Thursday evening at the Central Baptist Church, North Side. Messrs. Root & Sons have received copies of Dudley Buck's contata, * The Golden Legend, the prize composition ut the forthcoming Cin- cinnat{ Festival, bound in very pretty shape. This announcement will not only be of interest to those contemplating going to the Festival, butto all musiciuns and musical connulsseurs who wil} like to possess a copy of Dudley Buck's greatest work. ra At the next popular matinée at Hershey Mu- sto-Hall, Mr. award B. Perry, the celebrated fanist, will give a pianoforte recital He bling y rogram, includiug Souats, op. Bill Bechovens Sonata, op. i Chopin (the ‘one with the celebrated "Murcia Funébre); and Btudes Symphonigues, op. 15 Schumann, Besides smuller pieces, le is sp 8 Oe Ve aekAD In critics in the highest terms pianist. a cert will be given to-morrow evenmng at tne Piymourh Congregational Church by the choir of the cburch, assisted by Mr. Chnrles 8. Lee. baritone, and Mme. De Hoode Rice, the pianist, who ‘will play the Romeo and Juliet waltz and Thalberg’s Moise fantasle. The choir QOfrs. Owens, Mrs. Bartlet>Davis, Mr. Knorr, and Mr. Lambard) will sing an uausually tnter- eating selection of numbers, and Mr. H. G. Bird will conduct. e annual meeting of the Bach and Handel sone y vas held at their _rehcarsal-rooms, cor- ner of Bishop court and Madison streot, last ‘Tuesday evening. Officars for the ensuing year were chosen 28 follows: President, Samuel Kerr: Vice-President, F. Warelrobe; Conductor, Préf. 0. Blackmun; Recording Seci retary, C. G. 7 Financial’ Secretary, W. H. Dudley: Fee: eS kamnons: Livtarans aoe Johnson. Music Committee—Dr. 0.8. Pine, Sam- and Mrs, Marv uel M, Booth, Mra. B, F; Greepa. C. Price. The present musical season will b¢ closed witha public rehearsal at the Washing- tonian Home about the last of May. The parece Hall pro 1m for this afternoon includes ‘the ° follow! numbers: March, “Through Field and Forest overture to “The Masked Ball, d thy Waltz," Gungil; selections from “Car- men"; overture, Leonore No. 3 Beethoven; ‘Theme and variations for flute, performed by A. Oesterie: funtasie from the * bret, BMeyerbeer; potpourri, “An Evening with Bilsc," Sherz; calubraise, “ Air de Ballet,” Roaenhain; and “ Indian Poat Galop,” Lamotte. On Tuesday evening last an entertainment of more than usual excellence was given at the St. Paul's Reformed Episcopul Church. Miss Agnes Crawford, of Hamilton, Canada, furnished the principal part of the interesting program. Her selections were both graveand gay, and rendered ina manner that elicited great applause from the audience. Miss Crawford impersonates well and sings sweetly, and we bespeak for her a widespread reputation. Miss Nellie Bangs per- formed upon the piano in her usual attractive style. A song by BMfrs. Hall was well received and encored. The Thursby-Ole Bull concerts, it is definity announced, will occur on the 2ist and 22d inst., and the character of the company, the prestige of the great artists who head itand ure agso- ciated in the combination, together with the fact that the concerts will close the season of "72-'S0, which has been so;auspicious, and has, in con- nection with our new Music-Hall, been the most brilliant known to Chicago since the tire,—thesa vartous considerations will all Jead to make the brief season of one concert and a matinée the most popular of the many popular entertain- ments given during the winter by Mr. Carpenter. The details and program for the concerts will b® duly announced. ‘THE CINCINNATI FESTIVAL. Aletter from Cincinnati says: “It is truly astonishing to see the interest which our people are taking in this Festival and to witness the zeal with which the preparations for it are be- ing pushed. The Festival only occurs in the second hulf of this month, but everything is even now in such x forward state that it might be held at once with the positive assurance of an artistic as well as financial success. The mass chorus, composed of 600 tlemen and lndies, “bas riven the larger works, notably the Missa Solennis, such earnest study that they al- most know the different numbers by heart; at the same time the orchestra of 150 musicians has been thoroughly prepared by Mr. Theodore ‘Thomus, so that there cun be no doubt that those gigantic masses of tone wilt blend in one harmonious whole, and that the artisticachieve- ments of the coming Festival will eclipse thove of all provious festivals. Of the soloists, several Baye already ucquired » world-wide reputation, 80 that there will be no shortcoming in the solo parts. The pressure for season tickets bas en so great that 3,000 seats in the mammoth bail have already been taken for all the con- certs, and tho entire expenses of the Festival will probably be covered before the first even- ing’ performance takes plice. The hall bus nearly 5,000 seats. Orders from abroad tor scata come to the Secretary by every mall, The ut- tendance from other points will be very | 4 all the roads centering in Cincinnati having agreed to run trains at reduced fares.” MUSICAL NOTES. Miss Cary goes to London immediately after the Cincinnati Festival to fll "Operatic eneage ments with Mapleson. At tho Fifty-seventh Lower Rhine Festival, to be held at Cologne at Whitauntide, a new can- ics, by Verdiaeod Hiller, “Night,” will be per form Miss Anna Mehlig isin London. Her younger sister, Bertha, was to have visited England, but circumstances have occurred that make it prob- able that she will abandon her professional career. Airs. Osgood has been selected to assist Mme, Albani in the chief soprano music to be per- formed during the Leeas Festival, so that both the principal sopranos at this important festival will be American singers. The directors of the Liverpool Philharmonto Socicty have elected Herr Max Bruch us their conductor, in the room of Sir Julius Benedict, resigned. ‘Herr Bruch now spends a large part of bis time in England, whore his works have bo- come very popular. Sig. Ernesto Baldanza, the Strakasch tenor, who wus sbelyed for the inferior singer, Petro= viteh, has married an American lady, and is now enjoying nature on a farm in Maine. He hug Not yet decided whether be will return to the stage next season or not. ‘The Italians in paris have given Verdi a zold- encrown a3 a memorial of the success of his “Alda” in that ity. The decoration is two branches of laurel, bound with » golden ribbon; each laurel leaf bearssome of his operas’ names, ‘The crown rests on a velvet cushion, benring an Egyptian scutcheon, whereon this inscription ig iSnemaveds Al Maestro Verdi, La Colonia Italunt di Parigi, Aida. Matzo, 1850. The New York Trirune says: “ An interesting affair will take place on the 2tth inst., when Sig. Brignoli purposes giving # performance of ‘Don Pasquale’ for his own benettt. The repre- sentation will take place not at the Academy but at Chickering Hall, where scenery will bo set for the occasion and a competent orchewra provided. Donizetti's lvely and pretty work will, therefore, be given somewhat asa parlor opera.” Mme. Marie Réze has accepted an cngaye- nyent to sing next senson in Engilsh opera under the management of Mr. Max Strakoseh. She will appear for tho first time in Enullsh versions of * Aidu” and “Curmen.” The season will open at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York. on the ist of November. Mr. Byron, the tenor de forza, who bas made u reputation in Italy and also in Madrid, has been engaged for the season. Among tho novelties promised is Boito’s *-Meptristophele,”” THE MISSING VOICE. Fair Spring now bids her children Come forth to welcome peerless To borrow charms of beauty rare, Nor aught of loveliness to spare— For ta! ste comes with futry train ‘Yo cheer each heurt, to soothe each pains Yet other gifts, of worth divine, We, kneeling, ask at Mary’s shrine. While fragrant buds rich odors fling, Our hearts their tributes also bring. Isut hark! a cull from yonder sbrine, , As we the myst{c garland twine! * How sweet that suramons to each ear Columbda’s pious children bear! All wiltawly they naste away ‘To grect BY, Our Lady, Queen of May. A chosen group, from these epart, ‘With beaming cye and throbbing heart, A chorus mect for anthems d— Such form our youthbfu choral band. But see! n change comes o'er each face~ Deep tines of thought thereon we trace, ‘As guzing round some friend they miss. You seek in vain our Della’s form; Her spirit, hence by Angels burne, Drinks from celestial fountains pure— Her joys, ber hopes, her crown. secnre. On eurth she knew not sorrow’s night— Scarce dreamed as yet of Autumn's blight, With you, in fervent pray’r and praise, She joined 60 oft in bygone days. Alas! you miss that well-known voice; But O weep not—look up—rejoice! * Tho gentle Delia sings on high, “ ‘With Seraphs bright berond the sky. She loves you still, her friends of yore, And, smiling, points the heav'nly shore. ‘The Spring's fair gracea there abound— ‘Ybro’ yenrs eternal they are found, True child of Mary here below, Ab! who her bliss above can know? Her body rests within the raves Her tiny barque sped o'er Life's wave, Then anchored safe at Mury’s feet— ‘Lhe Quecn, whose praises Saints repeat. ‘Thou art not lost, but gone before. Farewell, sweet child—we'll grieve no moret We claim thee yet, our sister dear; Our Mother's love unites us here. In ev'ry wreath for her we twine We'll sec some floral gift of thine; And when (ve lift, an festive day, Our heart and voice in pious jay, We'll think thy notes all sweetly blend, ‘That with our own they still ascend. Sr. CoLumaa’s SCHOOL. Pe: % ——————— Bismarck and Hamburg. ‘The high-banded attempt of Prussia, or rather Prince Bismarck, to force Hamburg into the Ger- man Zollyerein, meets with muck opposition on the part of the old Hanseatic town, and the issae ig one of Immediate Interest to the commerce of this country. Hamburg {s one of the few sputs on the Continent of Europo which are open to the sea and its trade, while they are separated from the inland by a bigh wallof legal enact- ments and petty regulatious. This extraordi- nary state of affairs began in 1199. when tbe Emperor Frederic L suspended all tolls on the Elbe, a8 fr ns tide-water. This peiv- jer made lambuj & great and induced “ft to i2ti to establian tbo Hanseatic league, thelgreatest commercial union known to history. When ‘Hamburg joined the North German Confederation in 1867 it re- mained a free port, and it is, provably, due ex- clusively to its frcedem that it fg, next to Lon- don, Liverpool, and New York, the greatest commercial centre on the face ef the globe. The district out covered by the German customs regulations includes Hamburg proper. St. Paul's, and Aitona. Everything is imported and exported free of duty, and sub- Ject to sinyularly few regulations,’ while the goods shipped from the district. tw the interior have to undergo inspection, appraisement, and heauydutics. Merchants, therefore, have al- ways found it easy to consign goods intended for Scandinavia or Russia to Hamburg. . Ham- burg is now an international elty, and it is feared that its identificaton with the German Customs Union would re- duce it to the rank of a mere German port. Be- sides this, the home feeling of the Hamburg, ple isinvolved. The principal trade of Ham- burg is with this coun and Jt 1s quite clear that it is easier to trade witha free port than with acity subject to Prussian and German regula- tiona. Butif Prince Bismarck has decided to wipe out the ancient liberties of Hamburg, tha