THE SILENT VOICE. UY JOHN SMITH, Once in the sadness of despair I wandered out familiar things to hide, My heart was low—and in the glare Of human smiles, I found no light to guide My troubled soul—iny wearied mind; But only greater darkness, deeper woe I thought parchance my soul could find A balm in kindness whence our pleasures fiow, I wandered out alone that day That others should not suffer of my pain And tried by thinking of hearts gay, To drown my feelings in my thoughts in vain, Concealed grief! Thou stubborn foe! Yield not until blood innocent thou hast! And when the wounds should cense to fiow Fear of men, till hope of life is past! Thus ever were my feelings stirred As long as by my strength alone I fought, But in the forest sounds X heard That whispered news of help I had forgot The winds were playing through the trees, And birds were whistling songs of joy and love And flowers nodding to each breeze Proclaimed to me Almighty God above. Our sinful bodies hold us bound' To sinful thoughts that leave no room for God, We hear the voice of Nature sound And lo I our hearts swell out to love and land, Each flower that comes within my sight Is now n messenger of joy and peace, And each portrays His power and right. My heart and soul from evil to release. I spied a little saxifrage, ’Twas growing from the crevice of a rock That told me of a former age, When life was not in flower nor in flock, The plant so often unobserved, — Poetical in beauty and in name, — Has joy for him alone reserved Who sees the hand of most creative fame. Just to the left of where I stood, I saw a mass of native columbine, The flower a dove resemble should But fact and fancy often fail in fine, Of orange hue the nodding flower Portrnys an humble sinner at his cross, Humility has untold power To make of that a gain we count a loss, THE FREE LANCE. Ah! yes, ’twas in the month of May When every flower is like a new-born hope, When birds sing out their sweetest lay, And buoyant life is seen on every slope, What lovely blue I now disclose In petals of the common violet; It makes me think of him who knows ’No beauty but in wealtli and coronet. It was a joy to live with God, And taste the happiness He has in store, To see how Nature ’beys His rod And sinful men His name and Son adore, Within my heart again is pence I now retire behind th’accustomed smile And know—though human love may cease, The love of God will never man beguile. ENGINEERING may be defined as “ the science and art,of utilizing the forces and materials of nature.” It was formerly classed in two main branches, civil and military. Civil engineering, including all engineering not directly involved in the science of war. So rapid has been the progress of science that to-day civil engineering is understood as the science of bridges, railroads, tunnels, highways, canals, river and harbor improve ments, water supply and sanitation with all of their involved details. What was formerly civil is to-day divided into several distinct parts, each a complete and sufficient study for a man's whole life. The numerous inventions in labor-saving machinery have advanced to such a state that mechanical engineering is a full and'complete science in itself. The development of elec tricity in later years has shown that it is"to take a prominent part in all of our arts and sciences, and bidding fair to revolutionize our present system of motive powers, de mands that a thorough research into some of the deepest of nature’s mysteries, guided by sound mathematical and scientific reasoning. THE AMERICAN ENGINEER.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers