THE MIDNIGHT SUN.



DOUBTLESS few of the readers ever saw the sun at midnight, and yet these lines may possibly be read by some dweller in the North with the rays of the midnight sun shining on his page. 

In our latitude, the sun is never seen later than 7:41 P. M., nor earlier than 4:22 in the morning. He never reserves less than 8 hours and 41 minutes each day for other purposes than shining on us, and we never see him within 4 hours and 19 minutes of midnight. But away off in the regions of the North, in Iceland, Greenland, and the northern coasts of British America, Europe, and Asia, during a part of the year, the sun does not go out of sight at all.

The picture represents a beautiful ship at rest upon a calm sea, among the northern icebergs, while the sun at midnight is seen swinging low in the north. In the dark lines that rest upon the smooth face of the water, and in the dark form of the ship with its tall masts outlined against the sun streaked sky, the artist has conveyed to us the idea of night as well as he could do, perhaps, with the sun shining right in his face. Hammerfest is the most northern town in Europe. Were you there next June, you might enjoy continual sunshine for several weeks. At noon the sun would be seen in the south, at an altitude of about 42 degrees. 

From that point it would appear to swing downward toward the north-west, where it would appear to be about 20 degrees high at 7:41 P. M., when it would be setting in Michigan. Then it would appear to move in an even curve downward and northward until at 12 o'clock P. M. it would be seen almost down, directly in the north. Then it would seem to rise gently, passing southward around to its place at noon. But you must remember that it is not a motion of the sun that has caused this appearance.

The earth has been turning around, and you have been riding on it.  It must be very pleasant to have the sun shine all the time; and sunshine is much cheaper than kerosene or gas. But there is another side to this picture, which the artist has left out. For every day the people of the North enjoy a constant sun, next winter will deal out to them a frozen day without any sun at all. Thus the people are obliged to take a rather unpleasant average.

Wouldn't you like to live in a country where you might enjoy all the good things you can think of, without having to suffer any disadvantages? Yes. Well, God has promised just such a country to all that love him. Christ has gone to prepare mansions for them to live in, and he is soon coming back to bring his people together and take them to their home. Read John 14. And when at last the earth shall have been made new, and that great city of God shall have been placed upon it, then there will be a day that never shall end. " And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. . . And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there." Revelation 21. Some who read these lines will be there. 




C. W. STONE.