Gbe Sfc anfc its Color. 137 



The sun is the great lamp that illuminates 

 the world, while the atmosphere, which is filled 

 with particles of various substances, becomes 

 the shade of the lamp which diffuses and 

 softens the light and gives it its color tones, 

 whether of warmth or coldness. We could 

 not well do without the reflected light of the 

 sky. The poetry of life would be sadly 

 marred. The beautiful effects of color and 

 purity of tone would be wanting. We need 

 to bathe in light as much as in water, and the 

 character of the light is almost as important 

 as the character of the water. Imagine a 

 world with an atmosphere devoid of all sub- 

 stances that would in any way reflect light or 

 give to it softness or color tone. Imagine a 

 sun or a moon without visible rays for with- 

 out a reflecting atmosphere there would be 

 none. Imagine a sky that was no sky at all, 

 but only a dark void, with no protecting vault. 

 Think of the shadows, so dark that you could 

 see nothing in them. These would be some of 

 the effects that would come from an atmos- 

 phere that had no sky substance in it. 

 Imagine the world lighted by one great arc 

 light. The reflex action upon the race living 

 in such a light would be anything but desira- 

 ble. The world would develop into an arc- 

 light civilization if one can imagine what 

 that would be like; certainly one of intensely 

 violent contrasts. Look on this picture and let 



