TTbe IRetan of Wenus 21 



As the night darkens, the head of Cygnus appears in 

 the north-east ; Altair brightens, and Gamma Aquilse, 

 immediately above it, can be well seen. I can trace all 

 the Plough stars except Megrez. 



Other stars come out : Capella flashes spectrally in 

 the northern glow as it passes under the Pole. The 

 wings of night are fast being folded over the earth. 



Ten-fifteen ! How beautiful is the night ! There is 

 Cassiopeia opposite to the Plough ; just below are the 

 curved stars of Perseus, above and to the right of 

 Capella. Beta Aquilae, under Altair, is now revealed, 

 completing the three stars which are so often mistaken 

 for the Belt of Orion. Altair is, of course, the 

 brilliant centre star of the trio. Then between Aquila 

 and the horizon I can detect some of the stars of 

 Capricornus ; a few of the Sagittarius stars also can 

 be seen. 



Who can say that all the glorious night-skies belong 

 to the winter season ? Summer has its beauties of the 

 heavens, as it has its beauties of earth. 



THE REIGN OF VENUS 



As leaden-eyed Saturn rules the night-sky, so does 

 Venus now reign o' mornings ; hanging out her silver 

 lamp to guide Aurora with the new-born day. 



Yet heavy-footed was the Aurora she led up the 

 sky's eastern slope one gusty morn last week, for in 

 the semi-obscurity the horizon-rim was lost in darkling 

 clouds ; clouds slashed with bars of amber that but 

 intensified their gloominess. 



Above, shone Venus, proudly radiant, as though 

 defying earthly interference with her ancient mission. 



