92 THE PROBLEMS OF ASTRONOMY. 



There is one question connected with these studies of the universe 

 on which I have not touched, and which is, nevertheless, of transcendent 

 interest. What sort of life, spiritual and intellectual, exists in distant 

 worlds? We can not for a moment suppose that our little planet is the 

 only one throughout the whole universe on which may be found the 

 fruits of civilization, warm firesides, friendship, the desire to penetrate 

 the mysteries of creation. And yet this question is not to-day a prob- 

 lem of astronomy, nor can we see any prospect that it ever will be, for 

 the simple reason that science affords us no hope of an answer to any 

 question that we may send through the fathomless abyss. When the 

 spectroscope was in its infancy it was suggested that possibly some 

 difference might be found in the rays reflected from living matter, 

 especially from vegetation, that might enable us to distinguish them 

 from rays reflected by matter not endowed with life. But this hope 

 has not been realized, nor does it seem possible to realize it. The 

 astronomer can not afford to waste his energies on hopeless speculation 

 about matters of which he can not learn anything, and he therefore 

 leaves this question of the plurality of worlds to others who are as 

 competent to discuss it as he is. All he can tell the world is : 



He who through vast immensity can pierce, 

 See worlds on worlds compose one universe; 

 Observe how system into system runs, 

 What other planets circle other suns, 

 What varied being peoples every star, 

 May tell why Heaven has made us as we are. 



