the ocean. These
evidences show that at some period, when the mountains were formed, a
great convulsion of nature raised the bottom of the ocean to thousands
of feet above its level. Evidences of this exist in various parts not
only of the United States, but of the world.

You ask, If this erosion goes on and the mountains and hills are carried
down and filled in to the low places of the ocean, what is the final
destiny of the earth that now appears above the surface of the ocean?
Evidently if the earth should remain without further upheaval, at some
time in the far, far future the land would gradually wear down and be
carried off into the ocean and the ocean would gradually rise, owing to
its restricted area, until it would again cover the whole earth as it
undoubtedly did at one time in the earth's history. This fact need not
occasion any uneasiness on the part of those who are living to-day or
for millions of years to come.

The problem of building a world and then tearing it to pieces is a very
complicated one. There is a constant battle going on between the powers
that build up and those that tear down; and this is as true of
character-building as it is of world-building. The world has never been
exactly alike any two successive days from the time its foundations were
laid to the present moment. It seems to be a fundamental law of all life
and growth, as well as of all decay, that there shall be a constant
change. There is no such thing as rest in nature. The smallest molecules
and atoms of matter are in constant agitation. In the animal and
vegetable world there is a period of life and growth, and a period of
decay and death; and this seems to be the destiny of planets themselves
as well as the things that live and grow upon them. Still, science
teaches us that with all this turmoil and change nothing either of
matter or energy is lost, but that it is simply undergoing one eternal
round of change. Does this law apply to mind and soul? Do we die? Or do
we simply change?

* * * * *

Nature's Miracles:

FAMILIAR TALKS ON SCIENCE.

By PROF. ELISHA GRAY.

VOL. I.--World Building and Life: Earth, Air and Water.

VOL. II.--Energy and Vibration: Force, Heat, Light, Sound, Explosives.

VOL. III.--Electricity and Magnetism.

Elisha Gray is a name known and honored by scientific men the world
over. Farmer's boy, blacksmith apprentice, ship-joiner, carpenter,
self-supporting throu