18 BEYOND THE LIMITS OF VISION. 



As to the materials of tins world-structure, they fell into place 

 as naturally as did the stones in Solomon's temple, for they were 

 fitted for it from the beginning. They could not do otherwise. 

 As to the laws, I will instance only two. And to explain the law 

 of gravitation, allow me to use a homely illustration. If two 

 balls were suspended near each other, and everybody was striking 

 at them, they would naturally receive more blows on the outer 

 and exposed sides than on the inner and somewhat protected sides. 

 Therefore, they would of necessity approach each other. So fhe 

 incessant beating of etherial particles against the unprotected 

 sides of two atoms or molecules near each other would make 

 them approach. And what is true of two, may be shown to be 

 true of twenty, a million or worlds of them. The mathematicians 

 say that the law of this approach would be exactly that of the 

 attraction of gravitation. 



Take again the laws of chemical affinity. We found in the 

 case of the smoke-rings, that there was a constant suction of air 

 through their centers. This might be called their polarity, for 

 they would attract at one end and repel at the other. Now atoms 

 have exactly this polarity ; and if by any means, any two were 

 backed up to each other, with their streams flowing in opposite 

 directions, I think they would hold to each other, not quite in 

 contact. A figure eight vortex ring might hold two simple 

 rings. You see there is opportunity here for the play of any 

 amount of ingenuity. 



But I will remind you again that this theory of the constitu- 

 tion of atoms is only an hypothesis. It may, or it may not, be 

 true. There is no doubt that the materials and conditions suited 

 to it are in existence, and it seems to be a possible and even 

 quite probable supposition. At least, so think some of the most 

 thoroughly scientific men of the present time. 



But if true, what an astounding conception does it give us of 

 the infinitesimal world of matter! Every atom of the countless 

 multitudes that make up even the smallest thing we know of, is 

 itself composed of millions on millions of etherial particles, 

 rolling in ceaseless flow and impelled by the same forces that move 

 the rolling worlds of space. 



