Saturday, June 15, 2013

June 19

THE science of one age proves oftentimes to be the ignorance of a more advanced age. To balance which circumstance, a random guess or flash of insight overlooked or set aside at one moment, does sometimes reappear as the discovery of a later moment.

I know of a little girl who not far from half a centry ago, having heard that oil calmed trouble waters, suggest to her Mother its adoption for such a purpose in case of sea storm.

Her suggestion fell flat, as from her it deserved to fall. Yet nowadays, here is science working out the babyish hint of ignorance!

"Precept upon precept; . . . line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" a hundred times over, and in a hundred ways, we are taught how things hidden from the wise and prudent are once and again revealed unto babes.

1 comment:

  1. I wondered what "science" CGR was talking about--so did a little research and found this site (and others) that tell about the use by sailors of oil to calm stormy seas throughout history. There's an interesting video half-way down the page showing the concept at work.
    http://deepseanews.com/2010/06/pouring-oil-on-troubled-waters/

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