OF INFINITE SPACE. 65 



nothing- there hid in the dark, unfathomable realms? 

 There are some dim hazy spots looming up in the dis- 

 tance. Bring to our aid the telescope Lo ! there burst 

 into view tens of thousands suns and stars ! Here is 

 another Universe burst in upon us, and there is not only 

 one; they are scattered by hundreds and thousands 

 through space. Let any one look out at night and count 

 the stars. You can do it. It has been done. And no eye 

 has ever been able to count above the horizon, at one time, 

 over fifteen hundred stars. How close do they appear to 

 be, one to another, and how numerous their hosts. Yet 

 there, are more of these mighty Universes scattered through 

 space than there are stars in our system.* There is one 

 in the constellation Hercules, which examined with a tele- 

 scope of low power, presents the appearance of a milky 

 spot, but ivith the mighty instrument we use, it is discov- 

 ered to contain one thousand stars, occupying so small a 

 point in space that it would seem you might almost grasp 

 them in your hand. Yet they are so far separated, that 

 light, which travels twelve millions of miles in a minute, 

 requires ten thousand years to cross the diameter of its 

 orbit. These facts are startling ; yet we must receive them, 

 for the evidence is so strong that it becomes perfectly irre- 

 sistible." New York Tribune. 



However marvellous the statement, it is strictly true, that 

 when we gaze upon the heavens, observe the stars, and note 

 down their positions, we are witnessing and chronicling 

 their appearances in by-gone time, and not the present aspect 

 of the phenomena. The ray that meets the eye from the 

 nearest siderial object brings intelligence of its past estate; 

 and that Past includes years in relation to the front ranks of 

 the stellar army, and ages with respect to the general body. 



*"I fearlessly assert," saya Professor Mitchell, "that the day will 

 never come when the centre of the entire Universe will be found by 



