142 



Cha j'/n 's / f ^onderfh I Jou I'ncys. 



Perhaps the generally accei)ted theory the earth, this view is reconcilable with a 

 that change of life types from age to age great many of the facts, and generally ac- 

 is due to accidental variation, or to the in- cepted by the learned. r>ut some boys now 



AKCn.r.OrTERVX r.ELTOREU. 



fluence of changing conditions, may not be r.t school may grow up like Newton to put 

 the correct one. Like the early theories of forward a view which will agree with all the 

 the astronomers that the sun moved round facts, and one which everybody will accept. 



T 



CHARLEY'S AV O N D E R F U L 



JOURNEV IX. 



HE old man was sitting down by the 



T O l^ R N E Y S , 



edge of the lake leaning his back 

 against a rock, apparently lost in thought; 

 his eye fixed upon the reflection of the 

 moon's rays upon the water. The moon 

 was at her full, and slowly reaching the 

 horizon as if preparing to plunge into the 

 still waters of the lake, while from right 

 beneath the pale orb of night, a long path 

 of silvery light extended to the old man's 

 feet. 



As soon as the old man hcaril Charley's 

 footsteps on the shingle he sprang to his 

 feet, his face brightening until it shone like 

 a second moon as he advanced to meet him. 



" I have waited ten thousand years," he 

 said, " and kept the boat ready all the 

 time. I knew you would come at last. 

 Now jumj) in." 



" But where am I to go?" said Charley. 



"You just steer right along the moon- 

 beam's track," said the old man, "and you 



will reach the other side at the same time 

 as the moon, and you have only to step 

 ashore. Take these two flower pots, give 

 one to the Man in the Moon, who is my 

 son-in-law, and the other to the Maid in 

 the Moon, who is my daughter, and tell 

 them I am waiting for a tribute of their af- 

 fection." 



Charley jumped into the skiff as he was 

 told, laid the two flower pots by his side, 

 took the rudder, and glided away along 

 the moonbeam's track. 



As he approached, the moon began to 

 grow bigger and bigger, and spread out on 

 both sides of him as far as he could see, 

 and when he came quite close he was on 

 the other side of the water, and it was all 

 moon. 



Where he stepped ashore a broad road- 

 way came right down to the water's edge; 

 walls of solid rock bounded it on either 

 side, making it look like a canal cut out of 



J 



