Human Progress

idra that lie could propcl a vessel up thr the dsuti by the mero forcé of steam at the rale r four miles bh liour - a large vessel- one prfi t would carry n Iwndred men. He was a jiue, and it had worked like a etoam entine . btit when it liad forced out of his mind . ís r ? s.iipe:lous idea, his friends looked at him li fixod eyes and Uien shook their heads ')ut rowfully saying to each oilier ffi a low afti ce: "What a pity Ihat he iscrazy!' In ter ti be protesled tliat lie was not mot! ; and it í went to Trance, and there, at the dinner 17 Ie with the Parisian nobiliiy and aristocray when the wine had pnssed and softened pCi incqtia'ities of rnnk, that youn nnd ennQ isiastic mon iiltcrcd his funatical propoei ti. It sobered in a moment the carrerit of iversation. All eyes werc directed toward yonnjr Amoricon at the foot of the tahle. lleyrnnd et down his plasa nnd said in a midabie tone of inquiry: "Do T undorstand i to ay, that by the mere force of steam, j enn propel a vessel conlnining 100 armed n, in u dead calm, at the rate of (bnr niiles hour!" What n moment for the young "e husiast! ''Yep," replied he, with a faith in Pc Iteart thnt steadieil his voico before the tir ïöëh Btate?man. Fronch politeness represtil 1 the exclamation, 'Wliat a pi:y that he is th izy! ' bul the man of ono idea undoretood av 2 sliruga cf incredulily wliich greeted his Pnnr nilns nn hniir bv sfpnm.' who WOllldre to advance siich n proposiiinn now? Ful. i himself, f alive, wou Id ponounce auch a m( mcrrzy. Nothing short of a iiundred milea " hourby stenm would now be connidered a se upotlion adequate to expreas ihc snnest he rt of reuson. Fnlion's iuëo, thnt half a recked his mmd by its ñngñUüde,nd whicli ie world was not sUong enoiiglt to bear yes irday, as it wére, hns been absorbed und conitutes b:t a minute element n the mijrhty en of 6team power now working Ha inven ve enginery in the human tnind. Thus it i ín every department of this w ;nse propressimi. A few yeara ugo, n jw ditch called a canal, and conductÍQg a n mnll thrend of navigation arotnd the rápida a river, was considered a great event, nnd s] elebrated with (he joyful explosión of rum g( nd powder. Now lalk of n canal, and it is a y ronositiori to onen a river ocross a coniinen1;ilock the Pacific thropgb :he Andes to the tlantic, bearing tall-maud ships laden om the extremest Inde, homoward, as it ere, by Innd. A Railrood, in our frrshest a :mcmbrance, was a tremendons offiiir, f it pened nn iron highway between LowëH and "{ O6ton, Albany nnd Schenectady. Now, the se btv boys on iheir w&y to school, nre projec S, n nublo track rnilwnys s'rniton Ihrongh hi dozen k'mgdoms; and men are disenssing in w alls of legislation whether a hemi-phericu p( olnrc of iron would pny, not wheiher it could e mado. Steann pnwer, with its treiriendoiis apocity of propulsión, 8 even now lagging elnnd the proprñlitica of the agp. The darig thonght of mnn, ín the Icadinif strinLT3 of ! hu Eternal MinJ, s fcrling nnd fondling RiiH oveting an element of omnipotence. It hns ior.=ed man upon the steeds of bis Maker'. F hnriot- the wioás, cïouds, steam, ai-, wnter. t nd all the fiVrcp, wift agencieu that movfl in f lie lieaven nbovc and oinheearth beneath. f Voll, is he contented Nol ho!' See him , iow ín the pasture of the great powers of lipotence. See him with r bridle bchind bis ack, baiting tbc quick, cross-lightning! How .osily he lays his mngnetieing hond upon its 'orkcd, fierylockfr! Tliere! louk, yè anjrpls ! nf Rtrcnglii! - see, he has bitted and enddlcd God's Lighining aiid. antridu tbe red coursor, j' he bids you iry your speed witli him ncrots i Lhe rare-course of ihe world. Cirrtbe ?st in your rank? blow a biasi on liis tnimpct Limt shall be he.ird ihrough tlie universa nnd s iwake the piefping ifcsdj man- ( rnounted umn, v. '1! eod yon the ineMtge fifi y times around thn eá'rlli batoie your loudest k'oicc can rnnrh the omxéit n-rsve. nra:i) rvfT?.tfM23