ASTROXOMY WITH AN OPERA-GLASS. 53 



ASTEONOMY AVITH AN OPERA-GLASS. 



' THE STARS OF AUTUMN. 

 By GARRETT P. SERVISS. 



IN the "Fifth Evening" of that delightful, old, out-of-date book of 

 Fontenelle's, on the " Plurality of Worlds," the Astronomer and 

 the Marchioness, who have been making a wonderful pilgrimage 

 through the heavens during their evening strolls in the park, come at 

 last to the starry systems beyond the " solar vortex," and the Mar- 

 chioness experiences a lively impatience to know what the fixed stars 

 shall turn out to be, for the Astronomer has sharpened her appetite for 

 marvels. 



" Tell me," says she, eagerly, " are they, too, inhabited like the 

 planets, or are they not peopled? In short, what can we make of 

 them ? " 



The Astronomer answers his charming questioner, as we should do 

 to-day, that the fixed stars are so many suns. And he adds to this in- 

 formation a great deal of entertaining talk about the planets that may 

 be supposed to circle around these distant suns, interspersing his con- 

 versation with explanations of " vortexes," and many quaint conceits, 

 in which he is helped out by the ready wit of the Marchioness. 



Finally, the impressionable mind of the Marchioness is over- 

 whelmed by the grandeur of the scenes that the Astronomer opens to 

 her view, her head swims, infinity oppresses her, and she cries for 

 mercy. 



" You show me," she exclaims, " a perspective so interminably long- 

 that the eye can not see the end of it. I see plainly the inhabitants of 

 the earth ; then you cause me to perceive those of the moon and of 

 the other planets belonging to our vortex (system), quite clearly, yet 

 not so distinct as those of the earth. After them come the inhabitants 

 of planets in the other vortexes. I confess, they seem to me hidden 

 deep in the background, and, however hard I try, I can barely glimpse 

 them at all. In truth, are they not almost annihilated by the very 

 expression which you are obliged to use in speaking of them ? You 

 have to call them inhabitants of one of the planets contained in one 

 out of the infinity of vortexes. Surely we ourselves, to whom the 

 same expression applies, are almost lost among so many millions of 

 worlds. For my part, the earth begins to appear so frightfully little 

 to me that henceforth I shall hardly consider any object worthy of 

 eager pursuit. Assuredly, people who seek so earnestly their own ag- 

 grandizement, who lay schemes upon schemes, and give themselves so 

 much trouble, know nothing of the vortexes ! I am sure my increase 

 of knowledge Avill redound to the credit of my idleness, and when 



VOL. XXXII. — 4* 



