278 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



looped, in fact in every form that smoke or fire 

 could assume. 



About 10,000 of these Nebulae have already 

 been discovered and photographed and charted. 

 In places they seem to be vast outreaching lines 

 or arms of light connecting stars already 

 formed like some great octopus with prehensile 

 faculties of infinite reach feeding on worlds. 

 Most of the Nebulae are too faint to give per- 

 ceptible spectra. But enough is seen by the 

 aid of powerful telescopes and especially by 

 sensitive photographic plates, to reveal their 

 immensity. They fairly dwarf everything else 

 in the heavens into an almost insignificance. 

 Infinity of space and infinity of worlds ! Across 

 the chasm of over forty centuries still rings the 

 old poetic outburst of the venerable Job, "Lo ! 

 these are but the outskirts of His way and how 

 little a portion do we hear of Him? But the 

 thunder of His power who can understand it?" 



We delight in the study of the stars. The 

 passion oft possesses us to stay in our conserva- 

 tory far into the night gazing into the brilliant 

 heavens and talking with the worlds and let- 

 ting imagination and faith and spirit have their 

 splendid revel. "The undevout astronomer is 

 mad," for the universe is God's name writ 

 large ! 



