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different sizes and of all shapes. Some float virgin-like in silver folds, others voyage in golden groups; some are embroidered with burning crimson, others are like "islands all lovely in an emerald sea." And when the flood of rosy light, as it deepens into bright crimson, brings out into bold relief the circlet of flaming mountain peaks, it is like a gorgeons transformation scene. Stranger still, when the sun sinks below the horizon, and a dull ashen gray has possessed the western heavens, what occasions the hectic flush on the eastern horizon! Gradually the clouds are tinged with light red from the eastern horizon all over the zenith; whence comes the coloring!

It is a strange coincidence that these remarkably fine sunsets have been since the tremendous eruptions at Krakatoa, in the Straits of Sunda. Along with the lava eruption there was ejected an enormous quantity of fine dust. The decks of vessels, hundreds of miles away, were covered with it. Mr. Verbreek computed that no less than 70,000 cubic yards of dust actually fell round the volcano. This will give an idea of the enormous quantity of dust still floating in the atmosphere, and drifting all over the world. In the upper atmosphere, too, there must always be dust, for without the dust no clouds could be formed to shield us from the sun's scorching rays; and of cosmic dust there must be a considerable quantity in the air, produced by the waste from the millions of meteors that daily fall into it. Mr. Aitken has ably shown that the brilliancy and variety of the coloring are due to the suspended dust in the atmosphere.

Observers of the gorgeous sunsets and afterglows have been most particularly struck with the immense wealth of the various shades and tints of red. Now, if the glowing colors are due to the presence of dust in the air, there must be somewhere a display of the colors complementary to the reds, because the dust acts by a selective dispersion of the colors. The small dust-particles arrest the direct course of the rays of light and reflect them in all directions; but they principally reflect the rays of the violet end of the spectrum, while the red rays pass on almost unchecked. Overhead deep blue reigns in awe-inspiring glory. As the sun passes below the horizon, and the lower stratum of air, with its larger particles of dust

which reflect light, ceases to be illuminated, the depth and fulness of the blue most intensely increase. This effect is produced by the very fine particles of dust in the sky overhead being unable to scatter any colors unless those of short wavelengths at the violet end of the spectrum. Thus we see, above, blue in its intensity without any of the red colors. When, however, the observer brings his eyes down in any direction except the west, he will see the blue mellowing into bluegreen, green, and then rose-color. And some of the most beautiful and delicate rose tints are formed by the air cooling, and depositing its moisture on the particles of dust, increasing the size of the particles till they are sufficiently large to stop and spread the red rays, when the sky glows with a strange Aurora-like light.

The dust theory of the splendor of sunset coloring is strengthened by the often glorious afterglows. The fiercely brilliant streaks of red have disappeared; over the mountain ridge a flush of orange hovers, and softens the approaching blue. The western hills, that once stood out bronzed against the glare of light, are sombrehued. But suddenly, as by a fairy's wand, the roseate flush of beauty rises in the east, and stretches its beautiful tints all over the sky. As the sun sinks, but before it ceases to shine on our atmosphere, the temperature of the air begins to fall, and its cooling is accompanied by an increase in the size of the particles floating in it by the condensation of the water-vapor. The particles to the east lose the sun first, and are thus first cooled. Accordingly, the rays in that direction are best sifted by the larger water-clad particles of dust, and the roseate coloring is there more distinct than in the north and south. As the sun sinks further, the particles overhead become cooler, and attract the water-vapor; thus they increase in size, and thereby reflect the red rays. Here the red hues, at first visible in the east, slowly rise, pass overhead, and descend in the west to form the charming afterglow. Sometimes a flood of glory will roll once more along the summits of the hills, entrancing the attention of the artistic spectator.

All examinations of the volcanic dust lately collected from the atmosphere show that a great quantity of it is composed of small glassy crystals. An abundance of

these would quite account for the peculiarity in the visibility of the first glow; and the evidence seems to indicate that the quantity of such crystals is sufficient to produce the result. When these are fully illuminated, they become in turn a source of illumination, and reflect their reddish light all around. In winter sunsets, the water-clad dust-particles become frozen, and the peculiarly brilliant crimson is seen, coloring the dead beech-leaves and red sandstone houses, and making them appear to be painted with vermilion.

If, then, there were no fine dust-particles in the upper strata of the atmosphere, the sunset effect would be paler; if there were no large particles in the lower strata, the beautiful sunset effects would cease. In fact, if our atmosphere were perfectly void of dust-particles, the sun's light would simply pass through without being seen, and soon after the sun dipped below the horizon total darkness would ensue. The length of our twilight, therefore, depends on the amount of dust in one form or another in our atmosphere. Not only, then, would a dustless atmosphere have no clouds, but there would be no charming sunsets, and no thought-inspiring twilights. There is a generally prevalent fallacy that the coloring at sunrise or sunset is much finer when seen from the summit of a mountain than from a valley. To this matter Mr. Aitken has been giving some attention, and his observations point the very opposite way, corroborative of his dust-theory. From the summit of the Rigi Kulm in Switzerland he saw several sunsets, but was disappointed with the flatness and weakness of the coloring; whereas in the valley, on the same evenings, careful observers were enchanted with the gorgeous display. The lower dusty humid air was the chief source of the color in the sunset effects. His opinion is strengthened by the fact that when from the summit he saw large cumulous clouds, the near ones were always snowy white, while it was only the distant ones that were tarnished yellow, showing that the light came to these clouds unchanged, and it was only the air between the far-distant clouds and his eye that tarnished them yellow. On the mountain-top it required a great distance to give even a slight coloring. The larger and more numerous dust-particles in the air of the valley are, therefore, productive of more brilliant

coloring in sunrise or sunset than the smaller and fewer particles on the mountain-top.

It is now admitted that the inherent hue of water is blueness. Even distilled water has been proved to be almost exactly of the same tint as a solution of Prussian blue. This is corroborated by the fact that the purer the water is in nature, the bluer is the hue. But though the selective absorption of the water determines its blueness, it is the dust-particles suspended in it which determine its brilliancy. If the water of the Mediterranean be taken from different places and examined by means of a concentrated beam of light, it is seen to hold in suspension millions of dust-particles of different kinds. To this fine dust it owes its beautiful, brilliant, and varied coloring. Where there are few particles there is little light reflected, and the color of the water is deep blue; but where there are many particles more light is reflected, and the color is chalky blue-green. Along its shores the Mediterranean washes the rocks and rubs off the minute solid particles, which make the water beautifully brilliant.

That this is the case can be illustrated. If a dark metal vessel be filled with a weak solution of Prussian blue, the water will appear quite dark and void of color. But if some fine white powder be thrown into the vessel, the water at once becomes of a brilliant blue color; if more powder be added, the brilliancy increases. This accounts for the changes of depth and brilliancy of color in the several shores of the Mediterranean. In Lake Como, where there is an entire absence of white dustparticles, the water is of a deep blue color, but void of brilliancy; but, where the Lake enters the river Adda, the increase of the current rubs down fine reflecting particles from the rocks; in consequence, there the water is of a finer blue. When the dust-particles carried down by the Rhone spread out into the centre of the Lake of Geneva, the color assumes the deeper blue, rivalling in brilliancy any water in the world.

The phenomenon called a haze puzzled investigators until Mr. Aitken explained it on the principle of the condensing power of dust-particles. Haze is only an arrested form of condensation of water-vapor. If one half of a dusty pane of glass be cleaned in cold weather, the clean part will remain

undewed, while the dusty part is damp to the eye and greasy to the touch. Why is this?

Fit up an open box with two pipes, one for taking in water and the other for taking away the overflow. Inside fix a thermometer. Cover the top edge of the box with india-rubber, and fix down with spring catches (so as to make the box watertight) a glass mirror, on which dust has been allowed to collect for some time. Clean the dust carefully off one half of the mirror, so that one half of the glass covering the box is clean and the other half dusty. Pour cold water through the pipe into the box, so as to lower the temperature of the mirror, and carefully observe when condensation begins on each of the halves, taking a note of the temperature. It will be found that the condensation of the water-vapor appears on the dust-particles before coming down to the natural dewpoint temperature of the clean glass. The difference between the two temperatures indicates the temperature above the dew-point at which the dust condenses the water-vapor. Mr. Aitken found that the condensing power of the dust in the air of a smoking-room varied from 4° to 8° Fahr. above the dew-point, whenever that of the outer air varied from 3° to 54°.

Moisture is, therefore, deposited on the dust-particles of the air which is not saturated, and condensation takes place while the air is comparatively dry, before the temperature is lowered to the dew-point. The clearest air, then, has some haze; and, as the humidity increases, the thickness of the air increases. In all haze the temperature is above the dew-point. And in all circumstances the haze can be accounted for by the condensing power of the dust-particles in the atmosphere, at a higher temperature than that required for the formation of fogs, or mists, or rain.

But whence comes the dust? Meteoric waste and volcanic débris have already been mentioned. On or near the sea the air is impregnated by the fine brine-dust lashed by the waves and broken upon the rocks and vessel-sides. But the most active of all surfaces as a fog-producer in towns is burnt sulphur. No less than 350 tons of the products of the combustion of sulphur from the coal are thrown into the atmosphere of London every winter day. But the powerful deodorizing and antiseptic properties of the sulphur assist in sani

tation; and it is better to bear the inconvenience of fogs than be subjected to the evils of a pestilence. At the same time it should be known that smoke-particles can be deposited by the agency of electricity. If an electric discharge be passed through a jar containing smoke, the dust will be deposited so as to make the air clear. Lightning clears the air, restoring the devitalized oxygen and depositing the dust on the ground. Might it not, then, be possible for strong enough electrical discharges from several large voltaic batteries to attack the smoke in the air of large cities, and especially the fumes from chemical works, so as to bring down the dust in the form of rain instead of leaving it in the form of mystifying fog?

Organic germs also float in the air. Some are being vomited into the air from the pestilential hot-beds of the lowest slums. In a filthy town no less than thirty millions of bacteria in a year will be deposited by the rain upon every square yard of surface. A man breathes thirtysix germs every minute in a close town, and double that in a close bedroom. The wonder is how people escape sickness, though most of these germs are deadly. In a healthy man, however, the warm lung surfaces repel the colder dustparticles of all kinds, and the moisture evaporating from the surface of the airtubes helps the prevention of the dust clinging to the surface.

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From this outline the reader will observe the increasing importance of careful attention to the influence of dust in the economy of nature. As a sickness-bearer and a death-bearer it must be attacked and rendered harmless; as a source of beauty unrivalled we must rejoice at its existence. The clouds that shelter us from the sun's scorching heat, the refreshing showers that clear the air and cheer the soil, the brilliancy of the deep-blue sea and lake, the charms of twilight, and above all the glory of the colors of sunrise and sunset, are all dependent upon the existence of millions of dust-particles which are within the power of man's enumeration. No more brilliant achievement has been made in the field of meteorology than during the past few years by the careful observation and inventive genius of Mr. Aitken in connection with the importance of dust in air and water.-Longman's Magazine.

LUCK, MERIT, AND SUCCESS.

BY GEORGE R. GALLAHER.

Ir was once said of the French Army that every man carried a marshal's baton in his knapsack. Encouraging as such a figure of speech may at first sight appear, it meant nothing more than that no one was precluded from competing for the prize, although probably only one in a hundred thousand of those who entered the ranks ever succeeded in attaining to that much coveted position. Similarly, no natural-born subject of Her Majesty is debarred from aspiring to become Lord Chancellor, Premier, or Primate; whether he will ever get beyond the first rung of the ladder depends much on himself, but not by any means entirely, and the object of this essay is to make an attempt to analyze and classify the principal causes of and obstacles to success.

Success, from the worldly point of view, in which aspect alone it is proposed to regard it in this article, may be defined in a general way as the attainment to a position of comfort, influence, wealth, honors and respect. Wealth, indeed, may be included in influence, as it is nothing more than command over commodities in general, and to a great extent over ease, power, honors and respect. Happiness cannot be included, for while success would probably conduce to happiness, a successful man may yet be very unhappy. Happiness is, perhaps, correctly defined as a continuing placid state of mind resulting from the absence of disquieting conditions and circumstances rather than from the presence of elating and exhilarating causes, which produce the transitory effect called joy. Fortunately for the human race, a high degree of happiness may exist apart altogether from success in life, a lack of material prosperity being frequently more than counterbalanced by domestic felicity, a contented mind, good health, a clear conscience, and the comfort of religious hope. So little is happiness a result of success that it is sometimes the concomitant of a share of this world's goods so meagre as to be almost bordering on poverty, and conjoined with a life of labor and obscurity. Indeed, a quiet life has certainly the advantage of being free from the strife and jealousy of a life of

unsatisfied ambition. The extent of an individual's success is to be estimated, not by his present position in the world, but by the distance between that position and the point of starting. A soldier of humble origin who has risen from the ranks to be a subaltern officer may claim to have achieved very great success, whereas an aristocratic cadet who attains to the same rank has very little to boast of. From whatever position in life one commences his career it will be found on examination that the requisites of success are very similar, differing principally in degree.

Success in life depends upon a combination of merit and luck. Luck, pure and simple, may confer a very great amount of success of a kind, but a man cannot possibly achieve any considerable success on his merits without a large amount of good fortune of some description coming to his aid. By luck or good fortune is not meant merely the operations of chance; the term is here used as a collective expression for all circumstances favorable to a person's success, but not due to any inherent merit of his own.

The good qualities which constitute merit may be divided into two classes: character and ability. The favorable circumstances which we have called luck may likewise be classified under two categories: opportunity and assistance.

It will be convenient, before proceeding further, to again subdivide these four classes, in so far as they include qualities or circumstances which usually contribute to a successful career.

Character is divisible into honesty, sobriety, self respect, morality, punctuality

and thrift.

Ability, for the purpose of advancing one's self, consists of natural talent, education or acquired ability, energy, discretion, address and self-assertion.

Opportunity includes choice of business or profession, removal of obstacles to promotion, health, age, and absence of temptation.

Assistance comprises unearned capital, parentage, friends, marriage, appearance, good report, and the accident of chance.

The whole of the above qualities and

surroundings being favorable to and concentrated in one person would make considerable success a certainty. But it will usually be found that one or more of these various constituents of luck and merit are represented by a negative quantity. Upon the extent of the deficiencies and the number of adverse clements depends failure or success. A small minus quantity of honesty may annihilate every advantage of ability, opportunity and assistance, although a superabundance of discretion and natural talent might reduce its dam. aging effects to a minimum.

It is obvious, from an examination of the qualities and circumstances already enumerated, that women are more dependent upon luck and less on ability than men are. The prevalent form of assisting luck which may give a woman great worldly prosperity and honors at one bound, or may, when the luck is a negative quantity, make her life a dismal failure, is marriage. It may here be noticed that our system of society allows women of ambition to soar to much higher positions in the social scale than men are permitted to attain to. A man of middle-class birth, however immaculate his character and transcendent his abilities, very seldom indeed becomes a peer; and however high the position he may reach in the political world, the basin which surrounds the fountain of honor, even though he attain to the premiership, he must regard an earldom as finality in that direction; whereas, on the other hand, a middle-class woman, with very little merit, may possibly become a duchess. Personal beauty may be, perhaps, the cause of such a rapid rise to one of the highest places of influence, wealth, and honors; but personal beauty is an accident of birth, and is the purest chance. So, it may be said, is natural talent; but there is this difference, that while natural talent is useless, or nearly so, unless cultivated to some extent, natural beauty would probably deteriorate by being subjected to any process of cultivation.

To the vast majority of women the principal road to success in life is only to be found in a satisfactory matrimonial alliance. This dependence upon luck rather than merit is the result of the restrictions which the custom of society formerly rigorously enforced in closing against women almost every channel through which, by means of their abilities, they might pass

on to positions of success and emolument without being dependent upon men. Happily the modern man is evincing a disposition to be less selfish and more just and considerate in this respect than his forefathers. However, as society is at present organized, when we speak of success in life we are principally concerned with the advancement of men, leaving to women, with few exceptions, sometimes very brilliant exceptions, only the reflected glory of a successful husband, father, or son. Nevertheless, many women are compelled to take their places in the great battle of life precisely on the same terms as men, and to such the following rules and remarks are equally applicable.

As previously stated, all the qualities and circumstances favorable to a successful career may be classed under one or other of these four categories: character, ability, opportunity, and assistance.

In commercial life, in the professions, and in most descriptions of service, the great sesame is character. Woe unto the man who has lost his character, or who has none to lose! To him the door of success is closed, bolted and barred.

A man

The chief components of character which most completely ruin a man's chances of success are dishonesty and drunkenness. Of the fearful curse of intemperance it is quite unnecessary to speak; its victims are legion, its havoc terrible, its warnings everywhere. Its action is usually slow but certain. A swifter enemy is dishonesty, it may kill at a blow; but frequently it, too, grows as a habit upon its victim till at last his doom is sealed. Dishonesty is of two kinds : dishonesty that brings one within the law, and dishonesty which does not. may be thoroughly dishonest without actually being a thief. The consequences of being a thief are as well known as the consequences of being a drunkard. But the other form of dishonesty must also be avoided by those who wish to climb the ladder of success. Veiled dishonesty in business, which, for the sake of euphony, is usually called "sharp practice,' secure gain at the time, but tells to one's disadvantage in the long run. Duplicity, untruthfulness, and a want of straightforwardness are forms of dishonesty which often, not always, retard the progress of otherwise gifted men.

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If success in life meant nothing more

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