“Crosses the line” on the 22nd at 10:13 a. m.; in other words, enters
the sign _Libra_, giving us a clearly marked time for the beginning of
another season—Autumn—which lasts 89 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes, nearly.
His greatest elevation above the horizon in latitude 41° 30′ is about 56°
28′, an indication that his time above the horizon is decidedly shorter
than it was last June, when his elevation was a little more than 71° 57′.
And this also is confirmed by the times of his rising and setting, which
are as follows: On the 1st, rises at 5:28 a. m., and sets at 6:32 p. m.;
on the 15th, rises at 5:41 a. m., and sets at 6:09 p. m.; on the 30th,
rises at 5:56 a. m., and sets at 5:43 p. m. Theoretically, on the 22nd,
the day and night should each be exactly 12 hours long; but practically
the daylight is longer than the darkness, on account of the refraction of
light by the earth’s atmosphere, which has the effect of bringing into
view the sun before it actually “rises,” and of detaining it in sight
after it has “set.” Twilight also affords us so much additional light
that we may safely assert that in any given place on the earth’s surface
there is much more “daylight” than “night.” For example, on the 30th,
daybreak occurs at 4:22 a. m., and twilight ends at 7:18 p. m., thus
giving three hours and nine minutes in which to lengthen our daily toil,
if we choose so to do. In the same latitude, and in different latitudes,
as was shown in THE CHAUTAUQUAN for June, the length of twilight varies,
so that in some instances the entire night is only twilight. Are these
facts any indication that we should be awake longer than we sleep? or
that we should labor more hours than we rest? Should we be always
“Up and doing,
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving, still pursuing”?