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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..00a4462 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54913 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54913) diff --git a/old/54913-0.txt b/old/54913-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 36dbf38..0000000 --- a/old/54913-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3836 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories of Starland, by Mary Proctor - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Stories of Starland - -Author: Mary Proctor - -Release Date: June 15, 2017 [EBook #54913] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF STARLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document have - been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - - - - [Illustration: RICHARD A. PROCTOR.] - - - - - STORIES OF STARLAND - - BY - MARY PROCTOR - (Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor) - - - NEW YORK - POTTER & PUTNAM COMPANY - LONDON - G. W. BACON & CO., Limited - - - - - Copyright, 1898, - BY - POTTER & PUTNAM COMPANY. - - - THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS, - RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A. - - - - - DEDICATED - TO THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER - HARRY. - - - - -The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his -handiwork.--Psalms. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -This book has been a labor of love from the beginning to the end, and -I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my little friends Harry and -Nellie. Now that the book is finished, I leave it with regret. - -It is impossible to give all the authorities for my legends of the stars. -Many were told to me by my father when I was a little girl, or I found -them among books in his library, which is now scattered far and wide. -Others are from Grecian mythology, Japanese folk-lore, Hindoo legends, -while some of the American Indian stories were found in musty volumes -of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution. - -As for the descriptive astronomy, among my authorities are Professor -C. A. Young, Professor Barnard, Agnes M. Clerke, Professor R. S. Ball, -Schiaparelli, Flammarion, Professor Todd, Mr. Lowell of Flagstaff, Ariz., -and my father, the late Richard A. Proctor. - -With the kind permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. I have been allowed -to use the following selections: "Why the Stars Twinkle," by Oliver -Wendell Holmes; "The Evening Star," by Longfellow; "Lady Moon," by -Lord Houghton; and "The New Moon," by Mrs. Follen. The editor of _St. -Nicholas_ has kindly given me permission to include the poems "The Four -Sunbeams," by M. K. B.; "Estelle's Astronomy," by Delia Hart Stone; and -"Seven Little Indian Stars," by Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt. I am indebted to -the editor of _Child-Study Monthly_ for the little poem "Is It True?" by -Morgan Growth. The poem on "The Solar System" is taken from the _Youth's -Companion_, with the kind permission of the editor. The verses about -"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" are so familiar to every child that my book -of Stories of Starland would seem incomplete without this poem by Eugene -Field. The illustration of a Part of the Milky Way is from a photograph -taken by Professor Barnard at the Lick Observatory. Mr. Percival Lowell -has also very kindly allowed me to make use of his excellent illustration -of the Canals of Mars, taken from Todd's "New Astronomy," published by -the American Book Company. - -I now submit this little book to my young readers, sincerely hoping its -pages may inspire them with a renewed interest in the wonders of Starland. - - Mary Proctor. - - New York City, June, 1898. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - Light, F. W. Bourdillon, 13 - - THE STORY OF GIANT SUN. - - Ancient Stories of the Sun--Heat of the Sun--Distance of the - Sun--Size of the Sun--The Sun in the Days of Its Youth, 13-33 - - On the Setting Sun, Sir Walter Scott, 29 - - The Four Sunbeams, M. K. B., from St. Nicholas, 31 - - The Sun, 32 - - THE FAMILY OF GIANT SUN. - - What Is a Planet?--Story of Planet Mercury--Story of Planet - Venus, 34-45 - - Estelle's Astronomy, Delia Hart Stone, 47 - - Venus, Milton, 47 - - The Evening Star, Longfellow, 48 - - Mercury, Baker, 48 - - A RAMBLE ON THE MOON. - - Story of the Moon--Story of the Man in the Moon--Story of the - Woman in the Moon--Story of the Toad in the Moon--Scenery on - the Moon--Hindoo Legend, 49-67 - - The New Moon, Mrs. Follen, 65 - - Lady Moon, Lord Houghton, 66 - - A Legend, Taken from the New York Tribune, 67 - - THE PLANET MARS AND THE BABY PLANETS. - - Story of Planet Mars--Story of the Baby Planets, 68-79 - - STORY OF JUPITER AND HIS MOONS. - - Story of Jupiter--Jupiter as Seen through a Telescope--The Moons - of Jupiter--Eclipse of Jupiter's Moons, 80-93 - - Jupiter, Moore, 92 - - A Lesson in Astronomy, Youth's Companion, 92 - - THE GIANT PLANETS. - - The Planet Saturn--The Planet Uranus--Difference between a - Planet and a Star--Discovery of Planet Neptune, 94-103 - - Is It True? Morgan Growth, from Child-Study - Monthly, 102 - - COMETS AND METEORS. - - Story of Comets--Story of Meteors--Story of a Shooting Star, 104-114 - - Starlight at Sea, Amelia B. Welby, 113 - - STORIES OF THE SUMMER STARS. - - Legends of the Great Bear--Stories of the Great Dipper--Story - of the Dragon--Stories of the Northern Crown--Story of the - Lion--The Milky Way--A Swedish Legend--Legend of the Swan-- - Meeting of the Star-Lovers, 116-146 - - The Stars and the Violets, 145 - - The Nights, Adelaide Proctor, 145 - - The Calling of the Stars, 146 - - STORY OF THE WINTER STARS. - - Story of the Royal Family--Story of the Fishes--Story of the - Pleiades--Story of the Seven Little Indian Boys--Why the Stars - Twinkle--Flowers of Heaven--Number of the Stars--Distance of - the Stars--What Are the Stars Made of?--Our Island Universe, 147-179 - - Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, Eugene Field, 177 - - Seven Little Indian Stars, Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt, from St. - Nicholas, 178 - - Why the Stars Twinkle, Oliver Wendell Holmes, 179 - - "GOD BLESS THE STAR!" - - "God Bless the Star!" 181-186 - - Crossing the Bar, Tennyson, 185 - - Ye Golden Lamps of Heaven, Doddridge, 185 - - - - - [Illustration: "HARRY."] - - - - -STORIES OF STARLAND. - - - - -LIGHT. - - - Night has a thousand eyes, - And the day but one; - Yet the light of the bright world dies - With the dying sun. - - The mind has a thousand eyes, - And the heart but one; - Yet the light of the whole life dies - When love is done. - - --F. W. Bourdillon. - - - - -THE STORY OF GIANT SUN. - - -"Sister, come here and talk to me. I am so tired of being alone." - -His sister Mary at once closed her book, and took a chair beside Harry's -couch. Poor little Harry was not like other boys. He could not play and -run about as they did, for he was a cripple. All the long weary days -he had to lie on a couch which was placed under the shady trees during -the warm summer season. He had learned to love the flowers and trees, -and the bright blue sky overhead, and his sister often told him pretty -stories about them. She was just thinking of telling him one now, when -he said gently: - - -ANCIENT STORIES OF THE SUN. - -"Sister, you have told me so many stories of the flowers. I wish you -would tell me something about the sky. I have been looking at it for such -a long time, watching the little white clouds floating across it like -boats with silver sails; and then I tried to look at the bright yellow -sun, but it dazzles my eyes. Won't you tell me about it, and where it -goes in the evening when we cannot see it any more? Is it always ready -in the morning to give us light? Is it ever late, do you think? What -would we do if it forgot to come round the edge of the earth and give -us light?" he continued anxiously. - - [Illustration: EARTH SUPPOSED TO BE FLAT.] - -"There is no fear of that," said his sister Mary, laughing at the idea. -"But a long time ago people asked the very same question. In those days -they thought the earth was flat, and surrounded by an ocean without -end. The Hindoos supposed that the earth rested upon four elephants, -and the four elephants stood on the back of an immense tortoise, which -itself floated on the surface of an endless ocean. It was thought that -the sun plunged into the ocean when it disappeared in the evening, and -some people said they heard a hissing noise when the red-hot body went -under the waves. - -"But if the sun dropped into the water each evening, how did it happen -that next morning it was seen again, as hot and bright as ever? The -people could not tell why, so they said that during the night the gods -made a new sun to be used the next day." - -"That must have kept them busy," said Harry, laughing. - - [Illustration: ANCIENT IDEA OF THE EARTH.] - -"The good people made up another story about the sun, so that the same -one could be saved each night. Just as it was dropping into the ocean, a -god named Vulcan, who had a great boat ready, caught it, and all night -long he paddled with the blazing sun. Next morning he was ready at -sunrise to send the sun up into the sky in the east. He threw it with -so much force that it would go very high, and when it came down on the -other side in the west, he stood ready to catch it again." - -"But where does the sun really go to at night?" asked Harry curiously. -"I should like to know." - - -HEAT OF THE SUN. - - [Illustration: ILLUSTRATING DAY AND NIGHT.] - -"We live on a big round globe called Earth," replied his sister, "and -we travel round the sun, which gives the earth light and heat. The sun -is like a great lamp in the sky, and when you face the lamp you see the -light, but if you turn away from it you are in darkness. As the earth -goes around the sun, it whirls around like a huge top; first one side -and then the other is turned to the sun and gets sunlight, and so we -have day and night. If the sun, or the lamp in the sky, went out and -stopped shining, all the light would go out on the earth, and we would -miss its heat as well. - -"It is so hot that if it kept coming nearer and nearer until it was as -far from the earth as the pretty bright moon, the earth would get warmer -and warmer and melt like a ball of wax." - - [Illustration] - -"Just like Nellie's doll, then," said Harry, "when she left it on the -grass the other day. The sun was so hot that day that when Nellie picked -up her doll, she found that its wax face had melted and the eyes had -fallen in. So the sun did that," continued Harry, laughing heartily. -"Poor Nellie! I must tell her that the next time I see her." - -"I can show you something else to prove how hot the sun is," said Mary, -as she picked up a leaf from the ground. "Just wait a moment while I go -into the house and get a magnifying-glass." - -In a few minutes she returned, holding the glass in one hand and the -leaf in the other. She held it so that the sun shone directly upon the -glass and passed through it onto the leaf. In a few seconds the leaf -began to smoke, and then burn, until a little hole could be seen. - -Harry was so surprised that he had to try it for himself, and he looked -forward with much delight to a visit from his cousin Nellie. - -"Won't I have a lot to tell her?" he said to his sister: "all about the -sun's melting her dollie, and how to make the sun burn a hole through -a leaf. But the sun cannot be very far away, can it?" he asked. - - -DISTANCE OF THE SUN. - -"Yes, it is very far away," replied Mary. "If a railroad could be made -from the earth to the sun, and a train started going at the rate of a -mile a minute, it would take days and weeks and years to get there. - -"Let me see," said Mary, making a little note in her note-book. "There -are sixty minutes in an hour, and twenty-four hours in a day, and three -hundred and sixty-five days in a year. Why, Harry, do you know it would -take that train nearly one hundred and seventy-five years to get there?" - -"It must be very far away, then," said Harry, "more than a hundred miles." - -"It is more than a million miles," said Mary. "It is nearly ninety-three -millions of miles away. Now let us suppose you want to go to the sun. -You would call at the railroad office and ask for a ticket to Sunland. -The officer in charge would appear a little surprised, because that is -quite a long trip. Then he would look up the cost of the journey in his -book, and hand you a mileage book, saying: 'Sir, if you want to save -money on this trip, you had better take a mileage book with you, costing -two cents for every mile. Even then your fare will be nearly two million -dollars.'" - -"Then I would say: 'Dear sir, I cannot go, as I know my sister could not -spare all that money. I think I would rather walk to the sun.' How long -would it take me to walk there, supposing I could walk?" asked Harry -thoughtfully. - -"Dear, you would have to keep walking a very long time before you would -ever get there. Supposing you walked four miles an hour, and ten hours -a day, and kept this up for hundreds of years, you would be more than -six thousand years on the way. When you reached the sun you would be -footsore and weary, and as old as the hills." - -Harry laughed heartily at the idea, and thought again of poor Nellie's -doll and the melting wax running like tears down its cheeks. - -"But suppose," he asked, his eyes bright with excitement, "someone fired -a big cannon at the sun. Would the cannon-ball ever get there?" - -Again Mary brought out her little note-book, and, with rather a look -of surprise, she said: "Supposing the cannon-ball went as fast as it -could go, it would take nine years to reach the sun, and the sound of -the explosion would reach there in fourteen years. The cannon-ball would -come along first, and five years afterward, if you were living on the -sun, you would hear the sound made when the cannon was fired off. - -"It takes time for me to walk from the garden to the house, so it takes -time for sound to travel from the earth to the sky; and sound travels -only one-fifth of a mile in a second. Do you remember the thunderstorm -the other day, Harry, that frightened you so?" - -"I shall never forget it," said Harry, trembling at the thought. "You -said, 'Count slowly'; and I counted one, two, three, four, five, up to -fifteen." - -"Then I said: 'Don't be afraid, brother; the storm is three miles away.'" - -"Yes, I remember," said Harry; "and I thought you were very clever, and -wondered how you knew." - -"It was not so wonderful, after all, was it?" said Mary, laughing. - -"Now tell me, sister," said Harry. "Supposing I had a very long arm, -and stretched it out toward the sun, and touched it with the tip of my -little finger. What would happen?" - -"You would never know that you had burned it, for the pain of burning -would be one hundred and fifty years going along your little finger, -and down your giant arm nearly ninety-three millions of miles long, -before it at last reached your brain. Then it would let you know that -one hundred and fifty years before you had burned your little finger." - -Harry stretched out his little arm in the direction of the sun, and, -looking at it critically, laughed at the idea of a giant arm millions -of miles long. - -"It is too short by several inches," said his sister, reading his -thoughts, and joining in the laugh. "It would take hundreds and hundreds -of little arms as long as yours, would it not? Now what else do you want -to know about the sun?" - - -SIZE OF THE SUN. - -"If you are not very tired, sister," said Harry coaxingly, "I should -like to know how large it is. Is it as large as the earth?" - - [Illustration] - -"Ever so much larger," replied Mary. "It is so large that if it were -cut up into a million parts, each part would be larger than the earth. -If we could weigh the sun in a pair of giant scales, it would take over -three hundred thousand globes as heavy as the earth to make the scales -even. If the sun were hollowed out, and the earth placed in the center, -there would be room for the moon as well. Now the moon is thousands of -miles from the earth, and yet the edge of the sun would be thousands of -miles from the moon, as you will see in the picture. If a tunnel could -be made through the center of the sun, and a train started going at the -rate of a mile a minute, it would take six hundred days for the train -to reach the other side of the tunnel. If this same train went around -the edge of the sun it would take five years. A train going around the -earth would take seventeen days to complete the journey." - -"But suppose we went around the sun in a big steamer, like the one Uncle -Robert came over in; how long would that take?" asked Harry curiously. - -"Only fifteen years," said his sister, laughing. "If you had started when -you were a little baby you would still have five more years to travel -before you would get back again to the starting-point." - -"Then the sun must be very large," said Harry thoughtfully. "Let us call -it GIANT SUN. Has it always been as large as it is now?" - - -THE SUN IN THE DAYS OF ITS YOUTH. - -"Ever so much larger," replied Mary. - - [Illustration: THE SUN AND PLANETS FORMING OUT OF STAR-MIST.] - -"Once upon a time it was a ball of glowing gas reaching as far as the path -of the last planet. The ball whirled around rapidly and the outer edge -cooled. A ring formed and separated from the ball and whirled around on -its own account, until it broke up into fragments. One of the fragments -drew all the others toward it, and another ball was formed, but quite a -small ball this time, called a planet. Just like the central ball, the -planet kept whirling around, threw off a ring, the ring broke up into -little pieces, and the pieces, coming together, made a little moon. The -planet is Neptune, and it still has only one moon. Meanwhile the ball in -the center kept whirling around, other rings formed other planets with -their attendant moons, completing the family of Giant Sun. - -"The Sun is in the center and his planets circle around him. Next to him -is playful little Mercury, then beautiful Venus, then our own planet -Earth. Beyond it, we find ruddy Mars, the four hundred and fifty baby -planets, giant planet Jupiter, the ringed planet Saturn, and the last -two planets, Uranus and Neptune. All these planets are under the control -of the sun, and cannot get away from him." - -"What is the sun made of?" asked Harry. - -"Of iron and copper and silver, and many other things we can find on -earth; but the sun is so hot that they are melted together into a mass -like glue. This is the center of the sun. Outside is a shell of bright -clouds, from which rosy flames leap to a height of thousands of miles -above the surface of the sun. All around the edge of the sun, and reaching -millions of miles beyond it, is the pearly light of the corona like a -crown of glory. The pearly corona fades away into a soft beam of light." - -"How beautiful the sun must be!" said Harry, as he listened attentively -to his sister. "But is it all alone in the sky, and does it not have -any little stars to play with?" - -"It is not at all lonely," said Mary, laughing at the idea of the stars -as playthings for Giant Sun, "and is kept quite busy looking after its -large family of planets. I will tell you about them to-morrow, or nurse -will scold me for tiring you. And now, good-by, my dear. Don't forget -all I have told you about Giant Sun." - -"Forget! how could I, sister? It is better than any fairy tale I have -ever heard. Giant Sun! Why you have told me enough to keep me thinking -all day and all night. Here comes Nellie. Hello! Nellie, come here and -let me tell you all about GIANT SUN, and how he melted your dollie for -you the other day." - -"Melted my dollie!" said a pretty little golden-haired girl, as she -tripped like a little fairy up the garden-path. "So he melted my dollie, -did he? I should like to see him do it again!" Tears came into her eyes -at the thought of her sad experience. Since then, however, a china head -had replaced the melted wax, and Nellie's fickle little heart had been -comforted. So the tears soon vanished in a smile as she showed her new -treasure to Harry. - - -ON THE SETTING SUN. - - Those evening clouds, that setting ray, - And beauteous tint, serve to display - Their great Creator's praise; - Then let the short-lived thing called man, - Whose life's comprised within a span, - To Him his homage raise. - - We often praise the evening clouds, - And tints so gay and bold, - But seldom think upon our God, - Who tinged these clouds with gold. - - --Sir Walter Scott. - - [Illustration: GIANT SUN AND LITTLE EARTH.] - - -THE FOUR SUNBEAMS. - -BY M. K. B. - - Four little sunbeams came earthward one day, - Shining and dancing along on their way, - Resolved that their course should be blest. - "Let us try," they all whispered, "some kindness to do, - Not seek our own pleasuring all the day through, - Then meet in the eve at the west." - - One sunbeam ran in at a low cottage door, - And played "hide-and-seek" with a child on the floor, - Till baby laughed loud in his glee, - And chased with delight his strange playmate so bright, - The little hands grasping in vain for the light - That ever before them would flee. - - One crept to the couch where an invalid lay, - And brought him a dream of the sweet summer day, - Its bird-song and beauty and bloom; - Till pain was forgotten and weary unrest, - And in fancy he roamed through the scenes he loved best, - Far away from the dim, darkened room. - - One stole to the heart of a flower that was sad, - And loved and caressed her until she was glad, - And lifted her white face again; - For love brings content to the lowliest lot, - And finds something sweet in the dreariest spot, - And lightens all labor and pain. - - And one, where a little blind girl sat alone, - Not sharing the mirth of her playfellows, shone - On hands that were folded and pale, - And kissed the poor eyes that had never known sight, - That never would gaze on the beautiful light - Till angels had lifted the veil. - - At last, when the shadows of evening were falling, - And the sun, their great father, his children was calling, - Four sunbeams sped into the west. - All said: "We have found that in seeking the pleasure - Of others, we fill to the full our own measure," - Then softly they sank to their rest. - - --St. Nicholas, December, 1879. - - -THE SUN. - - Somewhere it is always light; - For when 'tis morning here, - In some far distant land 'tis night, - And the bright moon shines there. - - When you've retired and gone to sleep, - They are just rising there; - And morning o'er the hill doth creep - When it is evening here. - - And other distant lands there be - Where it is always night; - For weeks the sun they never see, - The stars alone give light. - - But though 'tis dark both night or day - It is as wondrous quite - That when the night has passed away, - The sun for weeks gives light. - - Yes, while you sleep the sun shines bright, - The sky is blue and clear; - For weeks and weeks there is no night - But always daylight there. - - - - -THE FAMILY OF GIANT SUN. - - -The next morning, when Mary came out in the garden to sit with Harry, -she was surprised to see an audience of three instead of one: Harry, -whose face beamed with delight when he saw her; Nellie, who was seated -in a tiny rocking chair beside him, and Nellie's doll. - -"You see, dollie wants to know all about Giant Sun, too," Nellie gravely -informed Mary. "I never could remember all, and she might remember what I -forget. Besides, she must learn some day. That is what mamma said about -me. I heard her," Nellie continued wisely, as she looked up at Mary. -"Do you mind telling me about the sky-people too?" - -"Mind? Why you little bit of a doll baby," laughed Mary, as she picked -her up, doll and all, and hugged her, "if you and dollie promise not -to go to sleep, you can stay here as long as you want to. But does Aunt -Agnes know you are here, Nellie; or have you run away from home?" - - [Illustration: GIANT SUN AND HIS FAMILY.] - -"No, I have not run away," said Nellie earnestly, "but my dollie has. -Nurse brought me over here, but she did not know my dollie was here. I -forgot all about her yesterday, while Harry was telling me about Giant -Sun, and I left her out on the grass. But she didn't melt a bit. I knew -you wouldn't, dear little dollie, would you? Now, dollie, sit up straight, -and listen to Cousin Mary talk. My, how she can talk, too! Can't you?" - -"I'll try," said Mary, laughing. "So you want to hear about Giant Sun -and his family. He has such a large family, and he has to give them all -plenty of light and heat. If he put out his big lamp in the sky, it would -be always dark here, and we would shiver with cold and die. When I come -to your room at night, Harry, to say good-night, I always carry a lamp -in my hand so that I can see you; but supposing a puff of wind blew it -out, then I could not see you at all. - -"Now this light is not only for us, but for the rest of the sun's family -as well. First, there is little Mercury, who was named after the god -of thieves; and he deserves this name, because he steals more light and -heat from the sun than any of the other planets." - - -WHAT IS A PLANET? - -"What is a planet?" asked Harry. - -"A planet is just like this earth we are living on, and only shines with -the light it borrows from the sun. If we lived on planet Mercury, and -could look at our earth, we would see it shining like a bright star in -the sky; but all the light comes from the sun." - -"Do we live on a star, then?" asked Nellie, her little eyes wide open -with amazement. - -"No; we live on a planet. We could not live on a star, as a star is -blazing hot. That is the difference between a star and a planet. A star -is hot and bright and shining and gives light to the planets, if it has -any. Planets are little globes like the earth that circle around the sun." - -"Then the sun must be a star," said Harry, "as you told me yesterday -that it is very hot." - -"That is right," said Mary; "and every star in the sky is a sun." - -"And has lots of weensy-teensy planets going all around it?" asked Nellie -excitedly. - - -STORY OF PLANET MERCURY. - -"Some of them have, I am sure," said Mary. "But now we are running along -too fast, and I must tell you about our own sun first, and its nearest -planet Mercury. Well, Mercury is a very warm little world, and it gets -so near the sun that sometimes it is about nine times as warm as here, -and at other times it is only four times as warm. You see, Mercury does -not go round the sun in a perfect circle, so at times it is farther away -than at others. Now, the sun is like a great fire in the sky, and the -nearer we go to it the warmer we are. How would you like to live on a -little world where it is nine times warmer than it is here?" - -"I should not like it at all, would you, dollie?" said Nellie; "we would -roast if we went to world Mercury." - -"But we don't know whether there are any people there," continued Mary, -"and if there are, they might not mind the heat at all. You can get used -to the heat, just as Uncle Robert did when he went to India. Don't you -remember how he felt the change when he came home, and how he shivered? -He missed the heat just as we would suffer from it if we went to India -for the first time." - - [Illustration: COMPARATIVE SIZE OF SUN AS SEEN FROM THE PLANETS.] - -"Then Uncle Robert would not mind going to Mercury," said Harry, laughing, -"if he is getting to like the heat in India. But I do not want him to -go yet, as he might never come back again; and what would we do without -him?" - -"What would we?" said Nellie mournfully, her eyes filling with tears at -the very thought. - -"Is a planet made of earth and stones and trees and flowers, just like -planet Earth?" asked Harry. - - [Illustration: COMPARATIVE SIZE OF THE PLANETS.] - -"Yes, dear," replied his sister; "only some planets, like Jupiter and -Saturn, are still wrapped up in a blanket of clouds and steam, and we -cannot see them yet. They are very hot indeed, and all the water that -will make the oceans and seas and bays is now steam and clouds hiding -the true planet from view. Water could no more rest on the surface of -the planets Jupiter and Saturn than it could rest on red-hot iron. Don't -you remember, the other day, when nurse upset a cup of water on the hot -stove, how the water sizzled and turned into steam in a moment? - -"Now planet earth, a long time ago, when it was a very young world, was -very hot like Jupiter. All the lakes and seas and oceans were turned into -steam and blankets of cloud. It would have been a very uncomfortable world -to live on then. But it became cooler and cooler, and the clouds changed -into the oceans and seas and lakes that make our earth so beautiful. - -"Some day this little world will grow old, and the oceans will get -smaller and smaller, and the earth colder and colder. Then there will be -scarcely any air to breathe, and we would gasp, and die just like that -poor fish that Uncle Robert caught last week and threw in the bottom of -the boat. Don't you remember, Nellie, how the poor little thing gasped -and jumped around? It could not live out of the water, so it died. Now, -we cannot live without air, and if this earth had not any air we would -die. But this will not happen for a very long time." - -"Are you quite sure?" asked Harry, with an anxious look on his face; -"because I don't want to die yet, sister." - -"Quite sure, my little brother," she said, kissing him tenderly; "for -hundreds and hundreds of years must pass away before anyone will have -any idea that the earth is growing old." - -"And what will become of the poor little fishes when the oceans dry up?" -asked Nellie sadly, as she clasped her dollie closely in her arms, as -though to protect it from the coming trouble. - -"I expect they will all die," said Harry wisely; "because you know, -Nellie, they can't live out of water. Can they?" - -"Or else that fish Uncle Robert caught would have lived," said Nellie. -"But please tell us a story about Mercury, Cousin Mary, and the other -little planets." - -"Well, Mercury is a very little planet, and instead of taking a year of -three hundred and sixty-five days, it goes around the sun in eighty-eight -days. That is, it goes round the sun four times while we go round it -only once. Some think Mercury always keeps the same side turned to the -sun, so that it is always day on one side and night on the other, but -we are not quite sure about this yet." - -"I should like to live on Mercury, wouldn't you, Harry?" said Nellie, -clapping her hands with glee. "Just think of day all the time, and never -having to go to sleep!" - -"But you would get very tired of that," said Mary, "and long for the -night to come. And, besides, would you not miss seeing the moon and the -beautiful stars?" - -"I would live on the edge of Mercury," said Harry thoughtfully, "so that -when I was tired of day I might slip around it and have night. It must -be very cold on the other side, where the sun does not shine, if Mercury -gets all its heat from the sun." - -"I suspect it is," said Mary, "and I don't believe we should like to live -on Mercury, after all; so let us try the next planet, which is called -Venus." - - -STORY OF PLANET VENUS. - -"What a pretty name," said Nellie; "and is Venus very warm, like Mercury?" - -"It is not so near to the sun," replied Mary, "but it is about twice as -warm and bright as our planet. Venus is nearly as large as the earth, -and sometimes she is called her twin sister. - -"Like Mercury, she may probably always turn the same face to the sun, -and get baked on one side and frozen on the other. She looks like a -beautiful silver globe in the sky. Sometimes we see her early in the -morning as a morning star, or just about twilight as an evening star. -Like Mercury and the earth, she borrows all her light from the sun. We -only see her because the sun is shining on her. Next to Venus is our -own planet, earth, and around it circles the moon, but I must tell you -about that another time." - - [Illustration: EARTH IN SPACE.] - - -ESTELLE'S ASTRONOMY. - -BY DELIA HART STONE. - - Our little Estelle - Was perplexed when she found - That this wonderful world - That we live on is round. - - How 'tis held in its place - In its orbit so true - Was a puzzle to her, - With no answer in view. - - "It must be," said Estelle, - "Like a ball in the air - That is hung by a string; - But the string isn't there!" - - --St. Nicholas, March, 1896. - - -VENUS. - - Fairest of stars, last in the train of night, - If better thou belong not to the dawn, - Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn - With thy bright circlet. - - --Milton. - - -THE EVENING STAR. - - Lo! in the painted oriel of the West, - Whose panes the sunken sun incarnadines, - Like a fair lady at her casement, shines - The evening star, the star of love and rest! - And then anon she doth herself divest - Of all her radiant garments, and reclines - Behind the somber screen of yonder pines, - With slumber and soft dreams of love oppressed. - - O my beloved, my sweet Hesperus! - My morning and my evening star of love! - My best and gentlest lady! even thus, - As that fair planet in the sky above, - Dost thou retire unto thy rest at night, - And from thy darkened window fades the light. - - --Longfellow. - - -MERCURY. - - First, Mercury, amid full tides of light, - Rolls next the sun, through his small circle bright; - Our earth would blaze beneath so fierce a ray, - And all its marble mountains melt away. - Fair Venus next fulfills her larger round, - With softer beams and milder glory crowned; - Friend to mankind, she glitters from afar, - Now the bright evening, now the morning star. - - --Baker. - - - - -A RAMBLE ON THE MOON. - - -The moon was shining brightly and flooding Harry's room with its rays. -He was suffering so very much, and had tried in vain to sleep. Presently -he asked his nurse if she would not let Mary come and talk to him. "It -will not tire me," he begged earnestly; "and it does tire me to lie here -hour after hour with no one to talk to." - -His nurse understood him so well, and her heart ached for the lonely -child who had so little to amuse him in life. She never refused a request -if it were at all possible to grant it. So she called his sister Mary, -who hastened at once to his room, and brother and sister were soon far -away on a ramble in starland. - -"We shall go to the moon this evening," she began, "and find out what -a queer old world it is." - -"Old?" asked Harry; "why do you call it old, when it looks so bright -and new? See, sister, how it seems to be looking right into the window -and watching us. I wonder if it knows what we are saying about it. Now -what would it think if it heard you calling it old?" - - [Illustration: THE MOON.] - -"But it is," said Mary, laughing; "and very old indeed. Its face is -wrinkled and scarred, and is just like that of the old dried-up apple -we found in the orchard the other day." - -"What makes it so bright, then, if it is so old?" asked Harry, as he -looked curiously at the moon. - -"It borrows its light from the sun," replied his sister; "if the sun -were to stop shining you would not be able to see the moon at all. It -would be as dark as night and twice as gloomy." - -"Do you think there are people on the moon?" asked Harry excitedly. - -"No, dear, not even the 'Man in the Moon,' though I am going to tell -you some stories about him presently. Besides, no one could live on the -moon, as there is not any air to breathe, and you cannot live without -air. There is not any water to drink; in fact, there is not a drop of -water on the moon." - -"Then it must be very old," said Harry thoughtfully, "because you know -you told me, sister, some time ago, that if a planet grows very old all -the oceans and bays disappear." - -"Yes, the moon is very old; it is a dead world. If you could go there, -you would find it a very gloomy spot. There are no trees or flowers; -and there is not even a blade of grass. The sky is always black and the -stars shine night and day. The shadows are so black on the moon that -it would be a fine place to play hide-and-seek. The moment you stepped -into a shadow you would become invisible." - - [Illustration: SCENERY ON THE MOON.] - -"Just like the prince in the fairy tale who put on a little cap and no -one could see him," said Harry. - -"Yes; that prince would not need the cap on the moon. If he did not want -anyone to know he was there, all he would have to do would be to keep -in the shadow. No one would hear his footsteps, as not a sound can be -heard on the moon. It would be useless to speak, as there is no air to -carry the sound of a voice." - -"I should not like to go to the moon, then," said Harry seriously, -"because you could not tell me any stories, sister, could you? What -would I do then?" - -"I really cannot imagine," said Mary, laughing; "but perhaps you might -come across the Man in the Moon and talk to him in sign-language." - -"Like the deaf-and-dumb people?" asked Harry. - -"If he could understand it," said Mary; "but then, we know there is -really not any Man in the Moon." - -"But there is a story about him," said Harry coaxingly, "and I do wish -you would tell it to me, just now while the moon is looking at us from -the sky." - - -THE MAN IN THE MOON. - -"Well, once upon a time," began Mary, in true fairy-story fashion, -"there was a man who went out into the woods and picked up sticks on a -Sunday. That was very wicked of him, you know, because Sunday is a day -of rest, and picking up sticks is work. He tied the sticks together into -a bundle, and, putting them on his shoulder, started to walk home with -them. On the way he met a handsome stranger, who said to him: - -"'What are you picking up sticks for on Sunday?' - -"'It does not matter to me whether it is Sunday or Monday,' replied the -man roughly. 'I pick up sticks when I want to.' - -"'Very well, then,' replied the handsome stranger sternly, 'since you -will not observe Sunday as a day of rest on earth, you shall have an -everlasting moon-day in heaven.' Next moment he went whirling away to -the sky, and landed on the moon, where you can still see him with his -load of sticks on his back at full moon." - -"Can I see him now, sister?" asked Harry. - -"Not to-night," she replied, "because there is only a quarter moon. But -perhaps you can see the face of the woman in the moon, if you look very -carefully. See her sharp chin and pointed nose and shaggy eyebrows." - -"Why, is there a woman in the moon, too?" asked Harry, as he looked -intently at the moon, trying to see all his sister had pointed out, but -having to rely largely upon his imagination. - - -THE WOMAN IN THE MOON. - -"I have heard a story of an old woman who was sent to the moon." - -"Why, what had she done?" asked Harry. - -"She was very unhappy while on earth, because she could not tell when -the world would come to an end; that is, when it would get old and dead -like the moon, so that no one could live on it any longer. For this she -was sent to the moon. She has been weaving a forehead strap ever since. -Once a month she stirs a kettle of boiling hominy, and her cat sits -beside her unraveling her net. So she keeps on weaving and weaving, and -the cat unravels her work as soon as it is done. This must continue to -the end of time, for never till then will her work be finished." - -"Poor old woman!" said Harry; "I wonder she does not hide her work from -the cat, or send the cat away. But then, that is only a story. Can you -tell me another?" - -"Do you never tire of stories?" asked Mary, smiling. - -"Never, when you tell them to me, sister. And you seem to know such a -lot of them." - -"But these stories are only fairy-tales," said Mary, laughing; "these -moon-stories, I mean." - -"I don't mind," said Harry roguishly; "we must have a little make-up story -now and then, or I would get tired. Do you make them all up yourself, -sister?" - -"No, indeed," said Mary. "I find them here and there and everywhere; -sometimes right in the middle of a big book on astronomy, or in the -corner of an old newspaper, or hidden away in a book covered with dust -on the top shelf in the library." - -"Where did you find that story about the old woman and the cat?" - -"In a book of Indian legends, and the story is told by the Iroquois -Indians. Here is another one I found. Would you like to hear it?" - -"You know I would, dear," said Harry, nestling closer to his sister, as -she clasped his hand in hers. - - -THE TOAD IN THE MOON. - -"Once upon a time a little wolf fell very much in love with a toad, and -went a-wooing one night. Just like the frog, 'he would a-wooing go.' -You remember, Harry, don't you?" - -"'Whether his mother would let him or no,'" continued Harry; "of course -I remember all about him. So the wolf went after the toad and----" - -"He prayed that the moon would light him on his way," continued Mary; "and -his prayer was heard. By the clear light of the full moon he ran after -the toad, and he nearly caught her, when, what do you think happened?" - -"Oh, go on, sister; tell me quickly!" said Harry excitedly. - -"Why, the toad jumped right onto the face of the moon, and, turning -round to the wolf, said: 'How's that, Mr. Wolf?' And she is laughing at -the wolf to this day." - -"That was a clever little toad," said Harry, laughing; "and how vexed -Mr. Wolf must have been! Are there any more people on the moon--I mean -story people?" - -"Yes, there is one we read about in the legend of Hiawatha. Don't you -remember how Nokomis tells about a warrior - - "'... Who very angry - Seized his grandmother, and threw her - Up into the sky at midnight, - Right against the moon he threw her: - 'Tis her body that you see there.'" - -"Do you think he meant the black marks you can see all over the moon, -sister?" - - [Illustration: EARTH AS SEEN FROM THE MOON.] - - -SCENERY ON THE MOON. - -"Very likely," replied Mary; "and perhaps you would like me to tell you -what those black marks are. They are enormous plains and gloomy caverns -on the moon. A long time ago, perhaps, these plains were bays and seas. -At least, a great astronomer named Galileo thought they were, and he -gave them such pretty names--the Sea of Serenity, the Bay of Dreams, -the Ocean of Storms. But he lived in the days before it was known that -there is not any water on the surface of the moon. Then the caverns on -the moon may once have been volcanoes pouring forth hot lava and ashes, -just as the active volcanoes on the earth. But the volcanoes in the moon -have gone out. They are now like huge dark caverns, some of them more -than fifty miles across. One is three miles deep, and it is named Tycho, -after a great astronomer of olden times. - -"Then there are mountains on the moon just like the mountains on earth, -and quite as high. In walking over the moon you would find it very rough -and uneven, but you would not mind this very much, as you would weigh -so much less. Just think, Harry, you would weigh only one-sixth as much -as you do here." - -"And what would Uncle Robert weigh?" asked Harry, with a gleam of mischief -in his eye. - - [Illustration: PLANET EARTH AND THE MOON.] - -"He would only weigh forty pounds," said Mary, laughing; "and if he -played football on the moon, a good kick would send the ball six times -as far away as here. Supposing we were on the moon now, you could throw -a stone at Uncle Robert's house on the other side of the grounds, six -hundred yards away, and hit one of the windows." - -"I expect Uncle Robert may be glad then we are not on the moon," said -Harry, laughing; "because I am afraid I should be throwing stones at the -windows all the time. I can see the windows plainly from here. There is -a light in the library." - -"Then it must be very late," said Mary, looking over at the house; -"because uncle said he would not be home till nine o'clock. So I can -only tell you one more little story about the moon, and then I must let -you go to sleep. This story is told by the Hindoo people, and gives the -reason why the moon shines with such a soft, silvery light." - - -THE HINDOO LEGEND. - -"The Sun, the Moon, and the Wind had been invited to dinner one day by -their uncle and aunt, Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the -most distant stars you see far up in the sky) waited patiently at home -for the return of her children. Sad to relate, the Sun and Wind were -both greedy and selfish, and, while enjoying the good feast, forgot all -about their poor hungry mother at home. - -"But the gentle Moon did not forget, and whenever a dainty dish was -placed before her she would put part of it aside for the Star who waited -so patiently at home. When the Sun, Moon, and Wind returned home, the -Star, who had kept her bright little eye open all night long, said: - -"'Dear children, have you brought anything home for me?' - -"Then the Sun, who was the oldest, said: 'I have brought nothing home -for you. I went out to enjoy myself with my friends, not to get a dinner -for my mother.' - -"And the Wind said: 'Neither have I brought home anything for you, mother. -You could scarcely expect me to think of you when I merely went out for -my own pleasure.' - -"But the gentle Moon said: 'Mother, see all the good things I saved for -you,' and she placed a choice dinner before her mother. - -"Then the Star turned to the Sun, and said: 'Because you went out to -amuse yourself with your friends, without any thought of your poor, -lonely mother at home, you shall be cursed. Henceforth your rays shall -be ever hot and scorching. They shall burn all they touch, and men shall -hate you and cover their heads when you appear.' That is why the sun is -so hot to this day. - -"Then she turned to the Wind and said: 'You also, who forgot your mother -while you were enjoying yourself, shall be punished. You shall always -blow during the hot, dry weather, and shall parch and shrivel all living -things. Men shall detest and avoid you from this time till the end of the -world.' That is why the wind is so disagreeable during the hot weather. - -"But to the gentle Moon she said: 'Daughter, because you remembered your -hungry mother at home, you shall be cool, calm, and bright. No dazzling -glare will accompany your pure rays, and men will call you "blessed."' -That is why the moon's light is so soothing and beautiful." - -"Is that all?" asked Harry, as his sister finished the story. - -"That is all," said Mary; "but here is a little good-night lullaby by -Eugene Field, and then you must go to sleep: - - "'In through the window a moonbeam comes, - Little gold moonbeam with misty wings, - All silently creeping, he asks, "Are you sleeping, - Sleeping and dreaming, while the pretty stars sing?"'" - - -THE NEW MOON. - -BY MRS. FOLLEN. - - Dear mother, how pretty - The moon looks to-night! - She was never so cunning before; - Her two little horns - Are so sharp and bright, - I hope she'll not grow any more. - - If I were up there, - With you and my friends, - I'd rock in it nicely, you'd see; - I'd sit in the middle - And hold by both ends; - Oh, what a bright cradle 'twould be! - - I would call to the stars - To keep out of the way - Lest we should rock over their toes; - And then I would rock - Till the dawn of the day, - And see where the pretty moon goes. - - And there we would stay - In the beautiful skies, - And through the bright clouds we would roam; - We would see the sun set, - And see the sun rise, - And on the next rainbow come home. - - --Taken from Child-Life, edited by Whittier. - - [Illustration] - - -LADY MOON. - -BY LORD HOUGHTON. - - Lady Moon, Lady Moon, where are you roving? - Over the sea. - Lady Moon, Lady Moon, whom are you loving? - All that love me. - - Are you not tired with rolling, and never - Resting to sleep? - Why look so pale and so sad, as forever - Wishing to weep? - - Ask me not this, little child, if you love me; - You are too bold; - I must obey my dear Father above me, - And do as I'm told. - - Lady Moon, Lady Moon, where are you roving? - Over the sea. - Lady Moon, Lady Moon, whom are you loving? - All that love me. - - --Taken from Child-Life, edited by Whittier. - - -A LEGEND. - - A moonbeam once fell on the bell of a flower, - Way down by a silvery rill; - 'Twas cradled to sleep in a rapturous hour, - When all the green forest was still. - - That flower, when golden and glad was the morning, - Was shriveled and wilted and thin; - But on the next night, all its chalice adorning, - The moonbeam still lingered within. - - Since then has the flower been tender and creamy, - Wherever its petals have blown, - All fragile and pearly and dainty and dreamy - Is the night-blooming cereus known. - - --Taken from the New York Tribune. - - - - -THE PLANET MARS AND THE BABY PLANETS. - - -Next morning Harry and his little cousin Nellie, with her doll, awaited -Mary. Harry had told Nellie about his delightful ramble on the moon the -evening before, and she was delighted with the stories of the man, the -woman, and the toad in the moon. - -"I wonder what cousin Mary will tell us about this morning," she said. - -"I am going to tell you about a pretty little planet named Mars," said -Mary, as she came into the room and overheard Nellie's remark. Picking -up Nellie, and placing her on her knee, she began the story of Mars as -follows: - - -STORY OF PLANET MARS. - -"Next door to our own planet earth is a beautiful little world tinted -with red. It has snow-white caps at the north and south poles just like -our earth, and trees and flowers perhaps far prettier, for all we know. -But there is not much water on Mars, because Mars is an old planet." - -"How do you know it is old?" asked Harry. - - [Illustration: THE PLANET MARS.] - -"I know it is old," replied his sister, "because the older a planet -is, the smaller are the seas and lakes and the amount of water on its -surface. As the planet gets older and older, the water disappears, until -not a drop is left. But there are wonderful canals all over Mars, and if -there were boats up there, you could go all over Mars by means of these -canals. When Mr. Lowell looked at Mars through his fine telescope, he -not only saw the canals, but round spots where the canals meet." - -"Perhaps the spots are landing-places where the captains take new -passengers aboard," said Harry earnestly. - -"Perhaps, Harry," said his sister, laughing; "that is, if there are any -people on Mars, and captains and boats. How you would enjoy going in a -yacht up and down these canals, seeing the lovely flowers and scenery -on Mars, for I am sure it must be a very beautiful little world. - -"It is not quite as bright on Mars as it is here, since it is farther -away from the sun and only gets one-half as much light and heat. The -year is also nearly twice as long and lasts six hundred and eighty-seven -days, instead of only three hundred and sixty-five. Therefore, the summer -season is nearly twice as long, but not nearly as warm as here." - -"Then the winter must be twice as long and much colder than here," Harry -said. "I do not think I should like that. But perhaps the canals freeze -over in the winter time, and there may be fine skating up there?" - - [Illustration: CANALS OF MARS (LOWELL).] - -"No, the canals disappear altogether during the winter time," replied -Mary; "or, rather, we cannot see them until they reappear again as -faint dark lines in the spring-time. They get wider and wider until the -summer season, then they get narrow again and disappear. Some of them -are double, but the double lines we see may mean only grass and ferns -on each side of a large canal fifty miles wide. When the canals double, -the little round spots at the junctions of the canals darken. Perhaps -these spots are like little islands in a desert, and they are covered -with grass during the summer time." - -"I should like to live on one of those little islands," said Harry. -"Wouldn't you, Nellie?" - -"If I could take my dollie with me," she replied, as she gazed at it -tenderly. "And we might go for little boat-rides all around the islands. -Do you think there are any little girls on Mars who have beautiful -dollies like mine?" - -"I really do not know," replied Mary; "but if there are any people living -on Mars, I do know they are not like us. We could not live there, as -there is not enough air for us to breathe. We would gasp just as that -poor fish did the other day, when Uncle Robert hauled it up out of the -lake and threw it into the boat. We must have air, and plenty of it, if -we want to live." - -"So we could not live on Mars, could we, sister?" said Harry. - -"It would not be comfortable," replied Mary; "besides, it is not nearly -as warm as here. Poor Uncle Robert would nearly freeze during the long -winter. He would also find another surprise awaiting him if he went to -Mars. Mars is a smaller world than the earth, so everything weighs less." - -"Ah! I see," said Harry, clapping his hands with glee. "Uncle would -not be so heavy on Mars. How glad he would be to go there! Poor Uncle -Robert! He is so heavy he just shakes the house when he walks across -the floor. Next time I see him I shall say: 'Go to Mars, Uncle Robert, -and see what will happen to you there.' How much would he weigh on Mars?" - -"He weighs two hundred and forty pounds here, and would weigh only ninety -pounds there, and you would weigh only thirty pounds. So I could pick -you up, couch and all, and carry you as easily as Nellie carries her -doll in its doll-carriage." - -"Then dollie would weigh nothing at all," said Nellie, looking at her -doll curiously. - -Harry looked puzzled, and after thinking a moment, he said to his sister: - -"I cannot see why I would weigh less if I went to Mars." - - [Illustration: MARS AND THE EARTH.] - -"Because the planet being smaller than the earth, it has less power -to attract you and to hold you down to its surface. The earth is like -a great magnet, and if there were not something drawing us to it and -keeping us there, we would be greatly puzzled. Tables and chairs would -not stand firm, and we would stagger about for want of weight, just as -when a diver tries to walk in deep water. He has to have heavy weights -fastened to him so as to keep him in place. A stone that would be quite -heavy on earth would weigh only a few ounces on Mars. Nellie could carry -this large rocking-chair I am sitting in and eight or ten dollies as -well. Do you remember seeing the men at the circus jumping over bars five -feet high? Well, on Mars they could jump fifteen feet, while the clumsy -old elephant we saw there would probably be as graceful and nimble as -a deer." - -"How would football be on Mars?" asked Harry. - -"Very unlike football here, dear. A good kick would send the ball much -farther than here." - -"Is Mars very far away?" asked Nellie. "If we could go there in a train, -would it take us ever so long going?" - -"About sixty years," said Mary, laughing, "if the train went a mile a -minute. If you tried to walk it, going four miles an hour and ten hours -a day, it would take you more than two thousand years to get there. So, -I don't think we can take that trip, little girl, can we? But let us -call on the next-door neighbor or neighbors to Mars, for there are about -four hundred and fifty of them." - - -STORY OF THE BABY PLANETS. - -"Four hundred and fifty little worlds?" asked Harry. - -"Where can there be room for them all, and don't they knock against each -other in the sky?" - -"No, there is plenty of room for them up there. Besides, they are so -small, some of them being only ten miles wide." - -"Why, Uncle Robert walked ten miles the other day," said Harry; "he could -walk all around those little worlds. And if they are so little, I suppose -he would weigh scarcely anything at all if he lived on one of them. I -should think he would be almost like the giant with the seven-league -boots. Don't you remember, Nellie, you were reading about him the other -day. Poor little Jack the Giant Killer would not have much chance there, -but perhaps he could fly if he weighed so little. And how would football -be on these little worlds?" - -"You might give the ball such a kick that it would leave the planet -altogether and circle around the sun as a planet on its own account." - -How Harry and Nellie laughed at the idea of a football circling around -the sun as a planet! - -"And is this really true?" inquired Harry. "Why, this is better than -any fairy story I ever heard. Now, tell me some more. Don't you think -we might be able to fly on these tiny worlds?" - -"If you could get someone to make you a pair of wings up there, it would -be quite easy to fly. Our bodies would only weigh a few pounds, so we -ought to be able to flap a pair of wings strong enough to keep us flying. -That is, if the air around these little worlds is as dense as ours." - -"Don't I wish I lived there, then," said Harry regretfully, "because -it would not matter about my being lame. And I could put on my wings -whenever I wanted to see you, Nellie, and fly across the park, and way, -way up into the sky, and----" - -"Oh, don't! Harry," said Nellie, throwing her doll on the ground and -catching hold of her cousin in dismay; "if you go you must take me with -you too. And poor little dollie," she continued, suddenly remembering -her precious charge, "and Cousin Mary and Uncle Robert and Aunt Agnes -and everybody in the world. What would we do if you flew away from us?" - -"But I can't," said Harry, laughing at her dismay; "and it's just like a -little girl to think I would go and leave her all alone. No, we'll all -go some day, won't we?" he continued, turning to his sister Mary; "and -we'll be with the angels--and have wings. You and Nellie and I--why, we -will all fly, and I shall forget I ever was lame on planet earth then." - -"And will father have wings, too?" asked Nellie curiously. "He will want -a very big pair, something like the big eagle's down at the aquarium." - -"Will he, you little rogue?" exclaimed the loud, good-natured voice of -her father, as he appeared on the scene. "So this is where you are, and -I have been looking for you all over the house and grounds." - -"I told nurse I would be back in a minute," she replied. - -"A minute!" said her father, laughing heartily; "why, you have been -here nearly an hour. So you want your father to have wings, do you, you -little rogue! Wait till I show you how you would fly if you had wings." -The next moment he put her up on his shoulder, dollie and all, and ran -with her across the meadow at full speed, while she laughed merrily and -clapped her hands with delight. - -"So the party is broken up," said Harry's nurse, who came to look after -her charge. - -"Yes; one of the audience has flown," said Harry, laughing. - -"And I must fly, too," said Mary, as she kissed Harry lovingly. "And I -shall tell you about the rest of Giant Sun's family to-morrow. Good-by." - - - - -STORY OF JUPITER AND HIS MOONS. - - -It was several days before Mary could see Harry again and tell him -"sky-stories," as he called them, for he had been suffering much pain. -Even her gentle voice irritated him, and perfect quiet was ordered by -the doctor until the little sufferer was better. At last he was able -to enjoy the sunlight and the flowers and the song of the birds again, -and one bright morning he was all ready, as he told his sister, to take -another trip to Starland. As Mary arranged the pillows on the couch for -him, and a large sunshade, so that the glare of sunlight would not hurt -his eyes, he caught hold of her hand and, pressing it lovingly, he said: - -"Darling, what should I do without you? You are so good to me." - -"How can I help it, little sweetheart!" said Mary, as she turned her head -aside to keep him from seeing the tears that would come to her eyes; -"how can I help it, when I love you so dearly. Besides, you are my own -dear little brother, and you don't know how I missed you all last week." - -"Did you really, sister? And I was dreaming away all day long about the -wonderful stories you have been telling me. I played football on Mars, -and had beautiful wings when I lived on the baby planets, and flew from -one to another, and now I want to know something about the giant planets. -You said they lived next door to the little tiny planets." - - -STORY OF JUPITER. - -"Yes, next door to the baby planets we come to the largest of all, -the giant planet Jupiter. If a tunnel were made through the center of -Jupiter, eleven globes as large as the earth, placed side by side, would -reach from one side to the other. You could make thirteen hundred globes -out of planet Jupiter as large as the earth. If the earth were a large -snowball, and a giant could roll thirteen hundred such snowballs into -one, he would have a ball to play with as large as planet Jupiter. If -it were made of the same material as the earth, it would be more than -three hundred times as heavy." - -"It would take a very big giant to play with that snowball, wouldn't -it?" said Harry, smiling at the thought. "There would not be much room -in the sky for him to play in, would there?" - - [Illustration: GIANT JUPITER AND THE EARTH.] - -"Plenty of room," replied his sister, laughing; "room for millions and -millions of balls as large as Jupiter, and much, much larger." - -"What a wonderful place the sky must be!" said Harry, in awe. "Now, -tell me some more about Jupiter. Didn't you tell me last week that he -is hidden away among blankets, and very, very hot?" - -"That is right, Harry, but some day he will cool down, and the blankets -will change into beautiful oceans and seas and lakes. Then it will be -a world like ours, with trees and flowers, and perhaps people will live -there." - -"The sun is so much further away from Jupiter than from the earth that -it gives it only one twenty-seventh as much light and heat. If you can -imagine the sun as a bright lamp in the sky, and someone turning down -the wick of the lamp till its light is only one twenty-seventh as bright -as it is now, you can imagine how dim the light and small the amount of -heat must be on Jupiter." - -"How long does Jupiter take in going round the sun?" asked Harry. - -"About twelve years," replied Mary; "and the day is only about ten hours -long, instead of twenty-four as here." - -"What a short day!" said Harry, in surprise. "Then you could work only -five hours and sleep five hours. I believe I would sleep all day, and -all night, too. I must tell Nellie about that next time I see her." - -"Why did not she come this morning, I wonder?" said Mary. "Perhaps she -has gone for a walk with her nurse." - -"I'll tell her about my trip," said Harry generously, "when she comes -over here again. And now what else is there about Jupiter?" - - -JUPITER AS SEEN THROUGH A TELESCOPE. - -"If you look at it through a large telescope you will see that it is -beautifully colored, as if Uncle Robert had taken his paint-box, and -dipped his brush into browns and reds, and tinted the cloud-belts around -Jupiter here and there with touches of yellow and orange, olive-green -and purple. Only an artist could get such beautiful effects. If we could -journey to one of the little moons of Jupiter----" - -"Has Jupiter moons also?" asked Harry, delighted at the thought. - -"Five of them," said Mary; "and I shall tell you about them later. -Supposing we could journey to one of these little moons, what a glorious -sight Jupiter would be! From the nearest moon it would look thousands of -times larger than our moon. The colors we see only faintly through our -telescopes would present a magnificent sight when seen at close range, -while constant changes would be taking place, as varied as the changes -in the clouds flitting across a summer sky. Great cloud-masses drift -hither and thither with enormous speed, driven by winds of hurricane -force. By watching the changes that take place in the clouds, we know -there must be winds blowing at the rate of nearly two hundred miles -per hour. Do you remember the cyclone Uncle Robert told us about, when -several houses were blown down and trees uprooted?" - -"Yes, indeed, I do," replied Harry, "and his poor little dog Fido was -nearly killed by a falling chimney." - -"Poor little Fido would not have much chance on Jupiter. The storms -there are ever so much worse than here. The strongest buildings would -be blown down in a few moments; sturdy oaks would be uprooted and blown -about by the wind like straws." - -"Do the storms last very long?" asked Harry. - -"They last six and seven weeks at a time," replied Mary, "so that Jupiter -would scarcely be a comfortable world to live on yet. Besides, it is -still in the fiery stage." - -"Won't you tell me some more about the little moons of Jupiter?" asked -Harry. - - -THE MOONS OF JUPITER. - -"They are not so little, after all, brother, except the first one, which -is only one hundred miles wide. It is such a shy little moon that it keeps -hiding behind Jupiter, or gets so close to him that it is lost in the -glare of light from the giant planet. We had no idea it was there at all -until an American astronomer, Professor Barnard, caught sight of it one -evening. It was playing hide-and-seek as usual, but Professor Barnard, -with his keen eyes, spied the little speck of light. It is now known -as the fifth moon of Jupiter. It was only discovered in 1892, and just -think, that for the hundreds and hundreds of years it has been there, -yet no one had seen it. The French people were so delighted because -Professor Barnard caught sight of the little truant that they gave him -a beautiful gold medal." - - [Illustration: JUPITER AND HIS MOONS.] - -"Won't you show the little moon to me sometime?" said Harry. "I should -like to see it so much." - -"You can only see it through a very large telescope; but I can show you -the other four moons if Uncle Robert will lend us his telescope." - -"Here he comes," said Harry, in great glee, as he saw Uncle Robert -crossing the meadow. "Won't you bring over your telescope this evening?" -said Harry pleadingly, as he told him what Mary had just said. - -"Certainly, my little man," his uncle replied; "but we can only see -three of the moons this evening as one of them is eclipsed." - -"What's that?" said Harry, in surprise at the strange word. - -"Eclipsed means hidden," said Mary, laughing. "If Uncle Robert stands -right in front of you, as he is doing just now, he hides me from you, -so I am eclipsed." - -"Very true," said Uncle Robert, laughing heartily at the hint. "Planet -Mary is eclipsed by Uncle Robert, and poor little Planet Harry cannot -see her till Uncle Robert gets out of the way." This he immediately -proceeded to do, and next moment he was pursuing Fido, who was having -a not over-friendly encounter with a strange cat in a neighbor's garden. - -"Oh, dear," said Harry, in distress, "where were we? We were up in the -sky among the planets, and now Uncle Robert has brought us back again -to earth. Do listen to poor Fido." He certainly seemed to be getting -the worse of the encounter with Pussy; but when Uncle Robert came to the -rescue the enemy vanished, and Fido, nothing daunted, went in search of -other prey. When peace and quiet were once more restored, Mary resumed -her story. - - -ECLIPSE OF JUPITER'S MOONS. - -"Do you know, the appearance and disappearance of the little moons of -Jupiter once gave a great deal of trouble to astronomers. They had a -way of appearing a little too soon or a little too late. They were very -seldom on time. This was very provoking, as astronomers were rather -proud of being able to tell exactly when these little moons could be -seen. At last they found out what was the matter, and that they were to -blame and not the moons. We see the little moons on account of their -light, and light takes time to travel. Don't you remember, I told you -sound travels a mile in five seconds. Light travels even more quickly, -for it only takes a little over a second in coming to us from the moon. -It takes about eight minutes in coming to us from the sun; but Jupiter -is about five times as far away from us as the sun, so that light takes -about half an hour in coming to us from Jupiter. We do not see it as -it is, but as it was more than half an hour ago, when its rays of light -started out to Planet Earth. - -"Now, Jupiter, in going around the sun, is sometimes on the same side -of the sun as we are. Then the light from the moons reaches us in about -thirty-two minutes. But when Jupiter is on the opposite side of the -sun, and as far away from us as it can be, then light takes as much as -forty-eight minutes in coming here--over a quarter of an hour longer. So -a clever astronomer decided that when Jupiter and his moons are nearest -to us, it does not take as long for their light to reach us as when they -are farther away, and this is because light, like sound, must have time -to travel. - -"Even though light can go round the earth seven times in a second, -traveling at the rate of about 186,000 miles a second, yet, as Jupiter -is millions of miles away, it takes light about half an hour, and some -times forty-eight minutes, for it to cross that great distance. It is -just the same as if Uncle Robert were in India. It would take him a much -longer time to come and see you than if he were at his home just a few -hundred yards away. It takes time for him to travel here, just as it -takes time for light to travel from the little moons of Jupiter." - -"I wish we had five moons shining on our earth," said Harry; "how pretty -it would be! Does it take the moons as long as our moon to get around -Jupiter?" - -"They are much livelier than our moon," replied Mary; "and the second -moon flies right around Jupiter in a little more than a day and a half, -and even the outside moon only takes about two weeks; so there must -always be a moon shining in the sky for Jupiter. These moons, except -the moon discovered by Professor Barnard, are all larger than our moon, -and the fourth one is nearly as large as Mars. But I hear the bell for -lunch, Harry, and I must run away now. I will tell you about the other -planets later." - -"How many are there?" said Harry, as his sister kissed him good-by. - -"Only three," replied Mary; "and I shall tell you about them to-morrow, -if you are not too tired." - -"Too tired!" said Harry. "I am never too tired to listen to you." - - -JUPITER. - - Oh! that it were my doom to be - The spirit of yon beauteous star, - Dwelling up there in purity, - Alone, as all such bright things are; - My sole employ to pray and shine, - To light my censer at the sun! - - Moore: Loves of the Angels. - - -A LESSON IN ASTRONOMY. - - The solar system puzzled us, - Miss Mary said she thought it would, - And so she gave us each a name, - And made it all into a game, - And then we understood. - - Theresa, with her golden hair - All loose and shining, was the sun, - And 'round her Mercury and Mars, - Venus, and all the other stars - Stood waiting, every one. - - I was the earth, with little Nell - Beside me for the moon so round, - And Saturn had two hoops for rings, - And Mercury a pair of wings, - And Jupiter was crowned. - - Then when Miss Mary waved her hand, - Each slow and stately in our place, - We circled round the sun until - A comet, that was little Will, - Came rushing on through space. - - He darted straight into our midst, - He whirled among us like a flash, - The stars went flying, and the sun, - And laughing, breathless, wild with fun, - The "system" went to smash. - - --Youth's Companion. - - - - -THE GIANT PLANETS. - -THE PLANET SATURN. - - -Harry had spent a most delightful evening looking through Uncle Robert's -telescope at the little moons of Jupiter, and he also had seen the planet -Saturn, with its rings and moons. Next evening when his sister came to -talk with him he had many questions to ask her. First of all he wanted -to know what the rings were made of. - - [Illustration: THE RINGED PLANET SATURN.] - -"Millions of little moons," replied his sister. "I wish you could see -Saturn and its rings through the great telescope at the Lick Observatory. -It makes such a pretty picture. Like Jupiter, the planet Saturn is -surrounded by clouds; but they are tinted with blue at the poles, yellow -elsewhere, and dotted here and there with brown; purple, and red spots. -Around the center is a creamy white belt. Then, there are eight moons -that accompany Saturn in its journey around the sun; but they give very -little light to the planet, since if they could all be full together -they would give but a sixteenth part of the light we receive from the -moon." - -"Why is that?" asked Harry. - - -THE PLANET URANUS. - -"Because Saturn is so far away from the Sun," replied Mary. "Next to -Saturn we find Uranus. This planet was first seen by William Herschel, -who afterwards became one of the greatest astronomers the world has ever -known. When Herschel was a little boy his home was in Hanover. He had -great talent for music, and when he was fourteen years old he joined the -band of the Hanoverian Guards. What a proud boy he was when he dressed -in his new uniform! However, pride must have a fall, and it was not very -long before he wished he had never entered the army. Just about this -time war broke out between France and England, and as Hanover belonged -to the English it was attacked by the French. The Hanoverian Guards were -badly defeated. Herschel spent the night after the battle hiding away in -a ditch, and next day, assisted by his friends, he ran away to England. -There he continued his musical studies, and some years later he became -a fine organist." - -"Did he have to play a big organ like the one in our church?" asked Harry. - -"Something like that, I suppose," said Mary; "and he played very well -indeed. He learned more and more about music, and in the evenings when -going and coming from the church he used to notice the beautiful stars -overhead, and he wished to learn something about them." - -"Just the way I feel," said Harry. "I get nurse to pull up the window -curtain at night so that I can see the stars from my bed, and they seem -to laugh and wink their little eyes at me as if they knew I was watching -them. Did Herschel have a telescope like the one Uncle Robert has?" - -"He was not so fortunate, but he wanted one very much indeed. So he -borrowed a telescope from a friend, and every night after practicing in -the church he would amuse himself looking at the stars. He longed to -have a telescope of his own; but he found that they cost more than he -could afford to pay, so he decided to make one. He bought all that was -necessary, and turned his home for the time into a workshop. He had a -dear, good-natured sister named Caroline, and she did all she could to -help her brother. Sometimes he was too busy to eat and she used to feed -him. When he was tired she would read to him from the 'Arabian Nights.'" - -"The same book I have?" asked Harry, in surprise. - -"The very same; and this helped to pass away the time while Herschel -polished away on the great mirror of his telescope. When the telescope -was finished people came from far and near to see it. One evening when -Herschel was gazing at the stars with this magic glass he spied a star -not marked down on his charts. 'Something wrong here,' thought Herschel; -'this must be a comet.' But after noticing it for a while he found that -it was not a comet, but a planet or wanderer among the stars." - - -DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PLANET AND A STAR. - -"How could he tell the difference?" asked Harry. "When I looked at Planet -Jupiter last night it looked like the stars, only rounder and bigger." - -"The planets are so much nearer to us than the stars that we can follow -them as they slowly creep between us and the stars in their journey -around the sun. The stars are so far away that we would have to watch -them for thousands of years before they would seem to move at all, yet -we know they are moving." - -"Are the stars moving?" said Harry, in surprise. - -"Yes, they are moving, just as distant steamers seen at sea are moving; -but they are so far away that they seem motionless. Don't you remember how -we used to watch them from the seashore. Still they were going as fast -as steam could take them. We might compare the steamers to the stars, -and the little boats nearer shore were more like the planets. We could -easily follow the boats with our eyes as they danced over the waves, and -in the same way we can easily follow the planets as they creep across -the sky, because they are so much nearer to us than the stars." - -"The new planet was called Uranus, although at first the friends of -Herschel wanted to name it after him. Next to Uranus comes the planet -Neptune, which was discovered before it was ever seen." - - -THE DISCOVERY OF PLANET NEPTUNE. - -"How could that happen?" asked Harry. - -"Because Uranus behaved so strangely," replied his sister. "The planets -attract each other; for instance, the earth is swayed to and fro by -Jupiter and Venus, and a great struggle is always going on among the -planets in the family of Giant Sun. It could be plainly seen that Saturn -was taking part in the struggle and dragging Uranus toward it, but -something beyond the newly discovered planet was pulling it the other -way. 'There must be another planet,' said the astronomers, and they were -right. After puzzling over the problem two astronomers found the truant, -and announced exactly when and where it was to be seen. And there it was, -nearly exactly where these learned men said it would be. The new planet -was christened Neptune, and it takes about one hundred and sixty-four -years to go around the sun. It is so far away from the sun that it only -receives one nine-hundredth of the amount of light and heat we receive -on planet earth." - -"Then it must be very cold on planet Neptune?" said Harry. - -"And very dark also," said Mary, "since from this planet the sun only -looks as large as an electric light seen at a distance of a few feet." - - [Illustration: SIZE OF PLANETS, COMPARED WITH THE SUN.] - - -"IS IT TRUE?" - -BY MORGAN GROWTH. - - - She stood where the winter sunlight - Seemed opening into the skies-- - (She was only a little girl, you see, - And her teacher was old and wise). - - "You never can be promoted," - That wise, wise teacher said, - "For the lesson you need the most of all - You leave unlearned, little maid." - - "I didn't like to say it"-- - Her answer was grave, and slow-- - "That the earth goes whirling 'round like a ball, - For I don't see how they know. - - "I'll write it down on my paper, - (The one that I hand to you) - But when I die I shall find the Lord, - And ask Him if it's true." - - The classes were called without her, - And the schooldays come and go, - And other children wonder and wait-- - It is hers alone to know. - - Sometimes, in the empty schoolroom, - The teacher is left alone - With the echoes that linger about the place - And call from stone to stone. - - And, lo, with this world's learning - Before his wondering view, - He goes to his Lord--his all-wise Lord, - And asks Him if it's true. - - --From Child-Study Monthly. - - - - -COMETS AND METEORS. - - -A few evenings later Mary had a wonderful story to tell her brother -about some visitors from space who often visit the kingdom of Giant Sun. -"They are called comets, or hairy stars, but I rather enjoy calling them -'celestial tramps.'" - -"What are they like?" asked Harry. - - -STORY OF COMETS. - -"They usually have a bright golden head, sometimes as large as the earth, -and as they approach the sun they adorn themselves with a glittering train -millions of miles in length. Some of the comets are regular visitors, -and we know just when to expect them; others come, and do not return -for hundreds of years, while a few visit the sun never to return again." - -"Where do they come from?" asked Harry. - - [Illustration: A COMET.] - -"We scarcely know," replied Mary, "except that it is from outer space, -just like tramps on earth. We do not know where tramps come from, nor -do we expect to see them again. If they do revisit us, however, we can -usually recognize them. Do you remember the old man who came to the -kitchen door the other day and begged for food? You felt so sorry for -him. You would know him if you saw him again on account of his long -white beard, white hair, and shabby clothes. - -"When a celestial tramp returns, however, it is not so easy to recognize -it. When it first greeted us it may have had a large head and a gorgeous -train millions of miles in length. Next time we see it, how it has -changed! Its head may be small, its train may have vanished, or it may -be the proud owner of three or four trains. A comet usually changes its -appearance at every visit. Just as if the old man we saw the other day -were to cut off his beard, dye his hair black, and wear Uncle Robert's -dress-suit. We should not know him, should we, Harry?" - - [Illustration: OLD PICTURE OF A COMET.] - -"I should think not," said Harry, laughing at the very idea. "Then how -can you tell when the same comet visits us again?" - -"Because it has a regular path marked out for it in the sky," replied -Mary, "and it travels along that path unless something happens to it on -the way. It may go too near giant planet Jupiter. Just like our tramp -again. Let us suppose he has a regular path marked out and it takes him -across Uncle Robert's farm and leads to our kitchen door. We may expect -to see Mr. Tramp to-morrow, but as he crosses the farm a dog bites him -and frightens him away. Perhaps then we may not see him again." - -"Poor old man," laughed Harry. "I hope that won't happen to him. Do the -'celestial tramps' travel very quickly through the sky?" - -"Not very quickly until they come close to the sun. Then they rush around -it ever so much faster than an express train; but as they recede from -the sun they go more slowly until they seem only to creep along, as if -worn out by their long journey. They also lose their trains after they -go away from the sun, and the train becomes shorter and shorter, till -the comet looks like a round, fluffy ball, just as it did before it came -too near the sun. It is the sun's heat that drives the particles from -the head of the comet and forms a train." - -"What are comets made of?" asked Harry. - -"Of millions of tiny little particles covered with coats of glowing gas. -These particles are made up of carbon, sodium, iron, and magnesium. You -will find plenty of sodium in the sea, while common table salt is partly -sodium. You know what magnesium is. Some of that medicine doctor gives -you is made of it." - -"So if I get some iron and salt and coal and some of my medicine, and -put them all together, I should have a bit of a comet," said Harry. - -"But you must remember the coal, iron, sodium, and magnesium must be very -much heated, and don't forget the coat of gas. Sometimes a comet breaks -into pieces, and the fragments travel along by themselves as meteors." - -"Sometimes the earth plunges through swarms of meteors, which journey -in regular paths around the sun. At such a time, the bright masses seem -to fall in showers from the sky. There are three great showers which -we always know when to expect. Some come in August, some on the 13th -or 14th of November, and there is another shower which always appears -within a day or two of the 27th of November. - - "'If you November's stars would see, - From twelfth to fourteenth watching be, - In August too stars shine from heaven, - On nights between nine and eleven.'" - - -STORY OF METEORS. - -"What are meteors?" asked Harry. - -"Meteors are great masses of stone or iron which sometimes weigh several -tons. Lieutenant Peary found one not long ago in the Arctic regions, -and it weighed about eighty tons. It is lucky for us that many meteors -do not fall on the earth, or we should have to walk about with iron -umbrellas over our heads as a protection. When they do fall on earth, -they are much prized and placed in our museums as curiosities. - -"A story is told about a meteor that fell on a farm some time ago. The -landlord said it belonged to him, for when he rented the farm to the -tenant he claimed all minerals and metals found in the ground. - -"'But it was not on the farm when the lease was made out,' said the tenant. - -"'Then I claim it as flying game,' replied the landlord angrily. - -"'But it has neither wings nor feathers, so I lay claim to it as ground -game,' said the tenant in reply. - -"While the dispute was going on the custom-house officers seized the -meteorite, because, as they said, it had come into the country without -paying duty." - - [Illustration: A METEOR.] - -"That is not a true story, is it?" asked Harry, laughing. - -"Scarcely," replied Mary; "but it was a good joke on the landlord. And -now we come to the very smallest members of the family of Giant Sun. I -mean the shooting stars." - -"Those bright little flying stars we can see at night?" asked Harry. - - -STORY OF A SHOOTING STAR. - -"Yes," replied Mary; "and if they could only talk, what a wonderful story -they would have to tell! A shooting star is very much smaller than a -meteor, and the largest does not weigh more than a quarter of an ounce. -You could easily hold one in your hand, for it is like a small stone, -only, unlike a stone, it is always on the move. It hurries along through -space ever so much faster than an express train, and all goes well as -long as it keeps above the blanket of air that surrounds the earth. If -it comes too near, however, it is sure to be destroyed. It dashes into -the air at the rate of twenty-five miles a second, rubbing against every -particle it meets on its way. This makes it intensely hot, until it -glows with brilliant light. We see it for a few moments as it flashes -out against the dark sky; but the light soon fades and all that remains -of the shooting star is its ashes. Sometimes they sift down upon the -earth and settle on the tops of high mountains, or sink into the ocean, -or float in through an open window and rest upon tables and books as -fine dust. But when our good housekeeper finds it there she carefully -removes it with her duster. She does not know nor does she care where -it came from; it certainly has no right there, and she treats it with -small ceremony." - -"I wonder what she would say if she knew that the dust had come from -the sky," said Harry. - -"I do not think it would make any difference," said Mary, laughing. "And -now I am going to tell you a little story about a shooting star, and -then I must say good-night. - -"It is said that the evil genii--you remember reading about them in the -Arabian Nights, don't you, Harry?" - -"Indeed I do," he replied. - -"Well, at night they are said to fly up to the gates of heaven and listen -to the conversation of the angels. When the angels see their hidden foes, -they hurl fiery shooting stars at them and with so good an aim that for -every shooting star we may be sure there is one spirit of evil less in -the world." - - -STARLIGHT AT SEA. - - Overhead the countless stars - Like eyes of love were beaming, - Underneath the weary Earth - All breathless lay a-dreaming. - - The twilight hours like birds flew by, - As lightly and as free; - Ten thousand stars were in the sky, - Ten thousand in the sea. - - For every wave with dimpled face - That leaped upon the air - Had caught a star in its embrace - And held it trembling there. - - --Amelia B. Welby. - - [Illustration: LICK OBSERVATORY.] - - - - -STORIES OF THE SUMMER STARS. - - -It was a glorious night in June, and the stars sparkled like gems against -the dark background of the sky. - - [Illustration: THE GREAT BEAR.] - -Harry was enjoying the scene, as the doctor had allowed him to spend -the warm summer evenings out on the lawn in front of the house. This -was a royal treat to him. He could see all the sky at once, he said -to his sister, and could look at the stars while she told him stories -about them. First of all, there was the Great Dipper in the North, and -the Little Dipper with the Pole Star. He was surprised when his sister -said that the Great Dipper formed part of the group of stars known as -the Great Bear, and he listened intently while she related the story as -told in olden times by the Grecians. - - -LEGENDS OF THE GREAT BEAR. - -"The Great Bear was said to be Calisto, the beautiful daughter of Lycaon, -king of Arcadia. Juno, the wife of Jupiter, was jealous of Calisto, -and threatened to destroy her beauty. Fearing that Juno would harm her, -Jupiter changed her into a bear. - - "'Her arms grow shaggy and deformed with hair, - Her nails are sharpened into pointed claws, - Her hands bear half her weight, and turn to paws; - Her lips, that once could tempt a god, begin - To grow distorted in an ugly grin; - And, lest the supplicating brute might reach - The ears of Jove, she was deprived of speech.' - -"Calisto had a son named Arcas, who became a great hunter. One day he -roused a bear in the chase, and, not knowing that it was his mother, -was about to kill her, when Jupiter, taking pity on them both, changed -Arcas into the Little Bear." - -"Who was Jupiter?" asked Harry. - -"In the olden times, he was supposed to live on the top of Mount Olympus, -with his beautiful wife Juno. When Jupiter was angry with people, it -is said he would hurl thunderbolts at them, and when he was pleased he -placed them after death among the stars." - -"So he was pleased with Calisto and her son?" said Harry. - -"So the story says," replied Mary. "But he also seemed to be afraid of -his jealous wife Juno. - -"A modern Greek legend gives another account of this constellation or -group of stars. It is supposed that at one time the sky was made of -glass and it touched the earth on both sides. It was soft and thin, and -someone nailed a bear skin upon it, and the nails became stars; and the -tail is represented by the three bright stars known as the handle of -the Great Dipper. - -"Another story is told about a princess who was turned into a bear on -account of her pride in rejecting all suitors. For this her skin was -nailed to the sky as a warning to other proud maidens. - -"Would you like to hear what the Indians tell about the Great Bear?" -asked Mary. - -"Indeed I should," replied Harry. "I had no idea the Indians looked at -the stars." - -"They spend so much time on the open plains that they cannot help noticing -them," said Mary; "and they tell many strange legends about them. The -Iroquois Indians tell the following story about the Great Bear, which -must have seemed like a Bear to them, just as it did to the Grecians. - -"Once upon a time a party of hunters who were in pursuit of a bear were -suddenly attacked by three monster stone giants who destroyed all but -three of them. These, together with the bear, were carried up to the -sky by invisible hands. The bear is still being pursued by the first -hunter with his bow, the second hunter carries a kettle, and the third -is carrying sticks wherewith to light a fire when the bear is killed. -Only in the autumn does the hunter pierce the bear with an arrow, and -it is said that it is the dripping blood that tinges the autumn foliage." - -"I like that story," said Harry. "Don't you know another bear story?" - -"I can tell you one," replied his sister, "that is told by the Fox -Indians of Louisiana. In the days of long ago the Indians believed that -the trees were able to walk about at night and talk to each other. One -dark night as a bear was wandering homeward through a lonely wood, he -was very much surprised to see the trees walking about, nodding their -heads and whispering to each other. - -"At first Mr. Bear thought it was only the wind; but where he saw a -mighty oak before him, the next moment it was far behind him or on the -other side of the road. Presently he happened to run against a tree. It -was the oak, the lord of trees. The oak was angry and reached out one of -its long branches and grabbed the bear by the tail. The bear struggled -all night long to get away, and at last the oak, losing all patience, -gave his tail a final twist and hurled him up into the sky. They say -his tail was stretched in the struggle." - - -STORIES OF THE GREAT DIPPER. - -"That is a funny story," said Harry, enjoying the account of Mr. Bear. -"Are there any stories about the Great Dipper? I wonder why it is called -the 'Dipper'?" - - [Illustration: THE GREAT DIPPER AND THE LITTLE DIPPER.] - -"Because it is supposed to look like a dipper," replied Mary. "You can -see the four large stars representing the dipper and the three stars that -form the handle. It is known as the 'Saucepan' in the South of France, -and in other parts of France it is called the 'Chariot of David.' In -England it is called the 'Plow' and sometimes 'Charles's Wain.' That -means wagon. In Italy it is known as the 'Car of Bootes.' Bootes was -supposed to be an ox-driver and inventor of the plow--the Dipper. One -day the driver, oxen, and plow were suddenly lifted off the earth and -placed in the sky. You can see Bootes now, and in front of him are the -seven stars of the Great Dipper, which he must drive around the Pole -Star for all eternity. - -"A pretty story is told of a peasant who met our Saviour near the shores -of Galilee and gave Him a ride in his wagon. As a reward he was offered -a home in heaven; but he preferred to drive his wagon from east to west -for all eternity, and his wish was granted. There stands his wagon in -the sky, and the brightest of the three stars is called 'The Rider.' - -"In North Germany 'The Rider' is supposed to start out on his journey -before midnight, and to return twenty-four hours later, his wagon turning -round with a great noise. He urges on his horses with loud cries of 'hi! -he!' which it is said have sometimes been heard by lucky mortals." - -"Hush, sister," said Harry softly; "let us see if we can hear him now." - -"No, you could only hear him at midnight," replied his sister--"that -is, if the story were true." - -"It is only like a fairy story, then?" asked Harry. - -"All these stories are fairy stories," replied Mary; "and here is another. - -"A Basque legend relates that a certain husbandman had two oxen stolen -from him by two wicked thieves. He sent his laborer after them, but he -did not return. Then he sent his housekeeper, and his dog, and finally -he decided to go after the thieves himself. He was so angry that he lost -his temper, and in punishment for the remarks he made he was condemned -to continue his search through the sky for all eternity. There you can -see him now. The two oxen are the first two stars, then follow the two -thieves, and lastly the two servants, the husbandman, and the little dog." - -"Where is the little dog?" asked Harry. - -"Look at the three stars in the handle of the Dipper," replied Mary. -"Now look at the middle star, and if you have good eyes you can see a -little star close beside it. Here, look through this opera-glass and -you can see it better." - -"I see it now," said Harry, as he looked through the glasses. "So that -is the little dog?" - -"Yes," replied his sister; "and the Arabians gave it the name of Alcor." - -"Dear little Alcor," said Harry, as he continued looking at him, "I am -going to look for you every evening now, because I can see the Great -Dipper from my window." - -"So you can," replied Mary; "I forgot that it faced north. - -"The American Indians tell a quaint story about the Little Dipper. Would -you like to hear it?" - - [Illustration: THE LITTLE BEAR.] - -"If you are not tired, sister," said Harry. - -"You will get tired first, for I enjoy telling you these stories, if -they amuse you, dear. Well, here is one that I came across some years -ago among a collection of Indian legends. - -"Once upon a time a party of Indians went out hunting in a strange -country and lost their way. They wandered about for many moons." - -"What does that mean?" asked Harry. - -"I suppose they did not know anything about our months, so they counted -from full moon to full moon. This shows how much they observe the sky. -But, as I was saying, they wandered about for many moons, and at last the -chiefs decided to hold a council and pray to the gods to show them the -way home. During the dance that preceded the council, while the flames -of burnt offerings were ascending to the gods, a little child appeared -suddenly in their midst and said she had been sent as their guide. - -"She said she was the Spirit of the Pole Star, and that if they followed -where it led them they would reach their home in the far North. The -hunters thanked the child, and following her advice they soon reached -home. Here they held another council, and decided to call the Pole Star, -'the star which never moves,' by which name it is known among these -Indians to this day. - -"When the hunters died it is said they were taken up to the sky, and we -can see them still following the Pole Star. The hunters are supposed to -be the stars that form the Little Dipper." - -"They are smaller than the stars of the Great Dipper," said Harry, "and -the dipper is smaller, but I can see it quite well. And what are the -stars between the two Dippers?" - - -STORY OF THE DRAGON. - -"They curve in and out like a great dragon," said Mary; "and two bright -stars mark its eyes." - -"Yes, it does look something like a dragon," said Harry. "What is its -name?" - -"It is called the Dragon, as that was the name given to it by the Grecians -long ago. This was supposed to be the dragon that Juno placed as guardian -of a tree covered with golden apples. No one dared to touch the tree -while the dread monster was there. But a brave man named Hercules was -not afraid, and killed the dragon. To reward it for guarding the tree -Juno placed it among the stars. - -"See the two bright stars that mark the eyes of the Dragon, and quite -close to it is Hercules, represented in the olden maps as crushing the -head of the dragon under his foot. Bootes, who drives the Great Bear -around the Pole Star, is very near Hercules. There you can see him, with -his hunting dogs." - - [Illustration: BOOTES AND HIS HUNTING DOGS.] - -"Where, sister? I cannot see him," said Harry. - -"Look right overhead, and to the west you will see Bootes with a very -bright star; and to the east is Hercules, or the Kneeler, as he is -sometimes called. Now, in between there is a pretty little half-circle -of stars like a crown. This is called the Northern Crown." - - -STORIES OF THE NORTHERN CROWN. - -"I can see that very well," replied Harry, "for it is exactly overhead, -and I cannot help seeing Hercules and the Bear-driver. They are large -enough," he continued, laughing. "Why are the little stars called the -Northern Crown?" - -"This was supposed to be a beautiful crown of seven stars given by -Bacchus to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, second king of Crete. - - "'Her crown among the stars he placed, - And with an eternal constellation grac'd, - The golden circlet mounts, and as it flies - Its diamonds twinkle in the distant skies.' - -"There is a pretty legend told about it by the Shawnee Indians. They call -this group of stars the 'Celestial Sisters,' on account of the story, -which is as follows: - -"White Hawk was a great hunter, handsome, tall, and strong. One day, -while wandering through the forest in search of game, he suddenly found -himself on the borders of a prairie. It was covered with grass, and -flowers, and a ring was worn through the grass, without any path leading -to or from it. White Hawk was surprised at this, so he hid behind some -bushes and watched. - - "'Soon he heard, high in the heavens, - Issuing from the feathery clouds, - Sounds of music, quick descending, - As if angels came in crowds.' - -"Looking up he saw a small speck in the sky which gradually became -larger and larger. It was a silver basket containing twelve beautiful -maidens, who leaped out as it touched the ground. They danced around in -the ring, beating time on a silver ball. White Hawk gazed at the fairies -in wonder, and, rushing out from his hiding place, tried to capture the -youngest and prettiest. But the sisters were too nimble for him, and, -jumping into the basket, they were soon far away in the sky. - -"White Hawk was vexed, but he came again next day. This time he disguised -himself as a rabbit, but one of the little sisters saw him creeping -toward them. She gave the alarm just in time for them to escape. - -"Next day White Hawk disguised himself as a mouse, and hid in the stump of -a tree that he had moved close to the fairy ring. The sharp-eyed little -fairy noticed that the stump was not in the same place, and warned her -sisters, but they only laughed at her. They even ran around it striking -it in fun. Out ran White Hawk, caught the youngest and prettiest, and -took her home as his bride. - -"For a while they were happy, but the 'Celestial Sister' became homesick, -and longed for her sisters in the sky. One day when White Hawk was out -hunting she made a silver basket and, taking it to the fairy ring, she -stepped into it, while she sang a magic chant. White Hawk was returning -home across the fields just as the basket rose above the tops of the -trees, and, hearing the music, he knew what had happened. - -"But his wife did not forget him, and her father sent for him and invited -him to come to the sky, where he is now one of the bright stars shining -near the Northern Crown." - - [Illustration: THE NORTHERN CROWN, AND BOOTES, THE BEAR-DRIVER.] - -"That must be the brightest star in Bootes," said Harry. "What is it -called?" - -"Arcturus," replied his sister. "Near Bootes is Virgo, the Virgin who -lived on Earth during the Golden Age when people were very good. Near -her are the scales in which she weighed the good and evil deeds of men." - - -STORY OF THE LION. - -"Just above the Virgin, in the west, you can see some stars that look -like a sickle," said Mary. - - [Illustration: LEO, THE LION.] - -Harry looked in the direction pointed out by his sister, and there he -saw the sickle plainly outlined by a few bright stars. - -"Is there a story about it, sister?" he asked. - -"Yes," replied his sister; "or rather there is a story not about the -sickle, but about the group of stars to which it belongs, known as the -constellation of the Lion. - -"You remember how jealous Juno was, and she was even displeased with -a brave man named Hercules, because he was afraid of nothing. She told -her cousin to command Hercules to bring him the skin of a fierce lion -that roamed at large through the forests. Hercules was not afraid, and -attacked the lion. Finding he could not kill it with his club and arrows, -he strangled the animal with his hands. He returned home carrying the -dead lion on his shoulders, but Juno's cousin was so frightened at the -sight of it and at this proof of the great strength of the hero that -he ordered him to tell the story of his brave deeds in future at a safe -distance outside the town." - -"What a coward Juno's cousin must have been!" said Harry disdainfully. -"I suppose Hercules laughed at him." - -"Of course he did," said Mary. "But he was not the only brave man Juno -disliked. Orion, the mighty hunter, also aroused her anger because he -boasted that nothing could harm him. She sent a scorpion out of the earth, -and it stung him, causing his death. See the heart of the scorpion, -marked by a bright red star named Antares. Above it is the serpent and -the serpent-holder." - - [Illustration: THE SCORPION.] - - -THE MILKY WAY. - - [Illustration: THE MILKY WAY IS CROWDED WITH STARS.] - -"Now look at the band of silvery light reaching from the north to the -south. That is the Milky Way, and it is made up of millions of bright -stars. There are large stars and little stars, and Professor Barnard -thinks that there may be some very small stars forming out of the -star-mist. These little stars glitter in vast beds of glowing gas. As -scientists believe, this gas is the matter from which worlds and suns -are made. The stars at these points in space seem to be actually growing -out of the star-mist now surrounding them. I shall show you to-morrow -some fine photographs Professor Barnard has taken of the Milky Way where -you can see this star-mist in the background of the stars. - -"According to a French legend, the stars in the Milky Way are lights -held by angel-spirits to show us the way to heaven. The Grecians called -the Milky Way the road to the palace of heaven. On the road stand the -palaces of the illustrious gods, while the common people of the skies -live on either side of them. - -"Even the Algonquin Indians had something to say about it, for they -believed that it was the 'Path of Souls' leading to the villages in the -sun. As the spirits travel along the pathway, their blazing camp-fires -may be seen as bright stars. Longfellow refers to this in his poem -'Hiawatha,' in describing the journey of Chibiabos to the land of the -hereafter. - -"While hunting deer he crossed the Big Sea Water and was dragged beneath -the treacherous ice by evil spirits. By magic he was summoned thence, -and, hearing the music and singing, he,-- - - "'Came obedient to the summons, - To the doorway of the wigwam, - But to enter they forbade him. - Through a chink a coal they gave him, - Through the door a burning fire-brand. - Ruler in the Land of Spirits, - Ruler o'er the dead they made him, - Telling him a fire to kindle - For all those who died hereafter, - Camp-fires for their night encampments, - On their solitary journey - To the kingdom of Ponemah, - To the land of the hereafter.'" - - -A SWEDISH LEGEND. - -"According to a Swedish legend, there once lived on earth two mortals who -loved each other. When they died they were doomed to dwell on different -stars, far, far apart. But, 'as they sat and listened to the music of -the spheres,' they thought of building a bridge of light that should -reach from star to star, till it spanned the distance separating them -from each other. - - "'They toiled and built a thousand years in love's all-powerful might, - And so the Milky Way was made a bridge of starry light.' - -"Now, Harry, look at the Milky Way in the northern part of the sky, and -what do you see?" asked Mary. - -"Some stars that look like a W," replied Harry; "and just below it is -another but larger W." - -"The small W is Cassiopeia," said Mary, "and the large one is Cepheus; -but I shall tell you their story another time, as it is getting late -now. Under the large W, you will see some stars that look like a large -cross. This is sometimes called the Northern Cross, but it is better -known as the Swan." - - -LEGEND OF THE SWAN. - -"The 'Swan' is supposed to represent a wonderful musician named Orpheus. -Apollo gave him a magic harp, which he played with such sweetness that -the wild beasts of the forest were tamed by its sounds, rapid rivers -ceased to flow, and mountains and trees listened to the music. - -"One day Orpheus met a beautiful maiden named Eurydice, and won her for -his bride. But their happiness did not last long, as a serpent lurking -in the grass stung her foot, and she died of the wound. - -"Orpheus mourned her sadly, until at last he died and his spirit met -hers in the kingdom of Pluto. Afterward Orpheus and Eurydice were placed -among the stars. You can see the harp beside Orpheus, and it is adorned -with a sparkling blue star named Vega. - -"And now one more story," said Mary, as she heard the church clock chime -nine, "and then we must say 'good-by' to the stars for to-night." - - [Illustration: THE SWAN.] - -"It has been lovely," said Harry. "I could listen to these stories all -night long. How I shall enjoy the stars since you have told me so much -about them! What are you going to tell me now?" - -"Just under the Swan can you see a bright star, and a little star on -each side of it?" asked Mary. - -Harry looked, and after a few moments he found them. When his sister had -made sure that he could see the stars she meant, she began her story as -follows: - - -MEETING OF THE STAR-LOVERS. - -"The Japanese call the Milky Way the Silver River of Heaven, and they -believe that on the seventh day of the seventh month (7th of July), the -Shepherd-boy star and the Spinning-maiden star cross the Milky Way to -meet each other. Vega, the bright star in the harp, is supposed to be -the spinning-maiden, and on the other side of the Milky Way, crossing -over where you see the bright star and the little star on each side, -you will find the shepherd boy, otherwise known as the Goat. These stars -are known among the Japanese as the 'boy with an ox' and 'the girl with -a shuttle,' about whom the following story is told: - -"There once lived on the banks of the Silver River of Heaven a beautiful -maiden who was the daughter of the Sun. Night and morning she was always -weaving, blending the roseate hues of morning with the silvery tints of -evening. That is why she was called the Spinning maiden. The Sun-king -chose a husband for her. He was a Shepherd boy who guarded his flocks -on the banks of the celestial stream. - -"After meeting him the Spinning maiden ceased to work, and the bright -hues of morning were left to take care of themselves, while the silvery -tints of evening hung like ragged fringe on the dark mantle of night. -The Sun-king, believing that the Shepherd boy was to blame, banished -him to the other side of the Silver River, telling him that only once a -year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, could the Spinning maiden -come to see him. - -"The king called together myriads of doves and commanded them to make a -bridge over the river of stars. Supported on their wings, the Shepherd -boy crossed over to the other side. No sooner had he set foot on the -opposite shore than the doves flew away, filling the heavens with their -billing and cooing. The weeping wife and loving husband stood awhile -gazing at each other from afar, and then they separated, one in search -of another flock of sheep, the other to ply her shuttle during the long -hours of daylight. - -"Thus the days passed away, and the Sun-king rejoiced that his daughter -was busy again. But when night comes, and all the lamps of heaven are -lighted, the lovers stand beside the banks of the starry river and gaze -lovingly at each other, eagerly awaiting the seventh day of the seventh -month. As the time draws near the Japanese are filled with anxiety. What -if it should rain, for the River of Heaven is filled to the brim, and -a single raindrop would make it overflow! This would cause a flood, and -the bridge of doves would be swept away. - -"But if the night is clear, then the Spinning maiden crosses over in -safety, and meets her Shepherd boy. This she does every year except when -it rains. That is why the Japanese hope for clear weather on the 7th of -July, when the 'meeting of the star-lovers' is made a gala day all over -the country." - - [Illustration: THE EAGLE.] - -"Sister, I can see the Spinning-maiden star, and the Shepherd boy, but -where is the bridge of doves?" asked Harry. - -"Across the Milky Way," said Mary. - -"See the bright star, which is called Altair, and one little star on -each side. We call that the Eagle, so if you change the story a little -you can say the Eagle takes the Spinning maiden across the Silver River -of Heaven." - - -THE STARS AND THE VIOLETS. - - When the sky was first made and suspended - From the far and invisible bars, - It enveloped the world, and God fashioned - Small windows, and these are the stars. - - And the bits of the sky, through the evening, - Fluttered down to the sod and the dew, - And behold! in the morn they had blossomed, - And these are the violets blue. - - -THE NIGHTS. - - Oh, the Summer night - Has a smile of light - And she sits on a sapphire throne; - Whilst the sweet winds load her - With garlands of odor, - From the bud to the rose o'erblown! - - But the Autumn night - Has a piercing sight, - And a step both strong and free; - And a voice for wonder, - Like the wrath of the thunder, - When he shouts to the stormy sea! - - And the Winter night - Is all cold and white, - And she singeth a song of pain; - Till the wild bee hummeth, - And the warm spring cometh, - When she dies in a dream of rain! - - --Adelaide Proctor. - - -THE CALLING OF THE STARS. - - God's presence through the twilight stillness glides, - To spirits vocal--silent to the ear; - He calls by name each fair star where it hides, - And each star brightens, as it answers 'Here!' - - Though we too call the stars, they answer not, - They do not softly come like children shy - At a fond parent's calling, for, I wot, - We do not know what names God calls them by. - - [Illustration: THE GREAT TELESCOPE AT LICK OBSERVATORY.] - - - - -STORIES OF THE WINTER STARS. - - I heard the trailing garments of the night - Sweep through her marble halls, - I saw her sable skirts all fringed with light - From the celestial walls. - - --Longfellow. - - -Winter had come with its cold north winds and frosty air. The stars -glittered like gems against the dark velvet sky, and seemed reflected -in the mantle of pure white snow that covered the earth. Mary had asked -Harry's nurse to move his couch into her room so that he might see the -stars from the windows, one looking south, the other east. Impatiently -Harry now awaited his sister, who had promised to take him on another -trip to starland. The room was in total darkness, and nurse had raised -the curtains. Looking right into one window was the mighty giant Orion, -while the Twins peeped into another. - - -STORY OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. - -"It is as good as a play," said Harry, as his sister started to tell -him about them. - -"First of all," she said, "I am going to tell you the story of the Royal -Family, although we cannot see them from this window. You can get a -glimpse of Cepheus from your own room, but the rest of the Royal Family -are overhead. You would have to make a hole through the roof if you -wanted to watch them while I told their story." - -"If we could go out-of-doors, as we did last summer, could we see them -overhead?" asked Harry. - -"Yes," replied his sister; "but it is too cold now to look at them except -from a warm, cozy room. To-morrow I shall show you a map of these stars, -and when the days grow warm again we can look for them in the sky." - -"Can you see them during the summer-time as well as the winter?" asked -Harry. - - [Illustration: QUEEN CASSIOPEIA.] - -"Yes, we can see them all the year round, just as we can always see -the Pole Star and the Great Dipper. The Royal Family consists of King -Cepheus, Queen Cassiopeia, and her daughter Andromeda, sometimes called -the 'Chained Lady.' Perseus, the rescuer, is at the feet of Andromeda, -while her head rests upon the shoulder of the winged horse Pegasus. - -"The Grecians told a wonderful story about this family. It appears that -Cassiopeia boasted of her beauty, and said she was more attractive than -Juno, the wife of Jupiter. As for her daughter Andromeda, not a nymph in -the sea could compare with her in good looks. You may imagine how Juno -and the sea-nymphs felt when they heard this vain boast! - -"They determined to have revenge, and Juno asked Jupiter to punish -Cassiopeia. So she was sent away from the earth and placed among the -stars with her husband Cepheus. - - [Illustration: KING CEPHEUS.] - -"As for Andromeda, the sea-nymphs asked Neptune to send a sea-monster -to devour her. She was chained to a rock so that she might not escape -this terrible fate; but just as the monster was approaching a brave hero -named Perseus came to her rescue. - - [Illustration: THE FAIR ANDROMEDE.] - -"Perseus was returning through the air on his winged horse Pegasus -from a terrible encounter with the Gorgons. These were three sisters -who frightened everyone that saw them. Serpents were wreathed around -their heads instead of hair, their hands were of brass, their bodies -were covered with scales, and their eyes had the power of turning all -they looked at to stone. Perseus had cut off the heads of one of these -terrible beings, and when he saw the monster approaching Andromeda, -he turned the head which he still held in his hand toward it, and in a -moment it turned to stone. - -"As a reward for his bravery, he was placed after his death among the -stars, and near the fair Andromeda. He still holds the head in his hand, -and a star named Algol, or the Demon, as the Arabs call it, marks the -evil eye. Sometimes it is bright, but in a few hours it will grow dim, -as though winking at the people on earth. For this reason it is called -a variable or changing star." - - [Illustration: PERSEUS.] - -"What is that, sister?" asked Harry. - -"A star that is brighter one time than another. Supposing someone kept -turning the wick of the lamp up and down so that at one moment the room -would be very bright and the next moment quite dim. You would call that -a changing light. So it is with these stars, only in the case of Algol -it is a planet that goes around it and at times cuts off part of its -light. For two days and a half it is very bright, then during three or -four hours it begins to get dim, and remains so for twenty minutes and -then it gets bright again. - -"Supposing you were trying to read by lamplight, and I should now and -then hold a book between the lamp and you. Each time I did so the light -on your book would grow dim. There is another variable or changing star -named Mira, in the group of stars called Cetus, which is no other than -the sea-monster which was sent to devour Andromeda. You can see it if -you look out of the window facing south, and you will notice that it is -at a safe distance from Andromeda, who is almost exactly overhead just -now." - - -STORY OF THE FISHES. - -"Not far from the sea-monster are the Fishes, and the story about them -is as follows: - -"One day when Venus and her little son Cupid were walking beside the -banks of a river they were frightened at seeing a terrible giant named -Typhon. Flames flashed from his eyes, and as he glared at Venus and -Cupid they were overcome with fear and called on Jupiter to help them. -He changed them into fishes, and afterward placed them among the stars. - -"Between Cetus and Orion you can see some stars winding in and out, and -they are part of the River Eridanus. A daring youth named Phaeton tried -to drive the chariot of the sun through the sky one day. Jupiter struck -him with a thunderbolt, and hurled him from heaven into the river below. - - [Illustration: RIVER ERIDANUS.] - - "'At once from life and from the chariot driven, - Th' ambitious boy fell thunderstruck from heaven. - - * * * * * - - The breathless Phaeton, with flaming hair, - Shot from the chariot like a falling star - That in a summer's evening from the top - Of heaven drops down, or seems at least to drop.' - -"His sisters mourned his unhappy end, and were changed by Jupiter into -poplars, which are still to be seen on the banks of the River Eridanus. - - "'All the night long their mournful watch they keep, - And all the day stand round the tomb and weep.'" - -"Poor Phaeton," said Harry, as Mary finished the story. "And is that -Phaeton with those three bright stars near the river?" - - [Illustration: CLOUD OF STAR-MIST IN ORION.] - -"No; that is Orion," replied his sister, "and the three bright stars mark -his belt. Under it you can see a small cloud of mist, if you look at it -through your opera glass. It is clinging around one of the faint stars -in the sword. This is star-mist, from which other stars are being made, -and it looks small only because it is so far away from us; but there is -enough star-dust there to make thousands of bright stars. Astronomers -called these clouds nebulæ." - -"Who was Orion?" asked Harry. "Won't you tell me more about him?" - -"He was a mighty hunter, and in the old maps you can see him represented -as warding off the attack of the Bull, which is glaring at him with its -bright red eye named Aldebaran. A story was told by the Grecians about -this bull: - -"Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl named Europa, and she -was a princess of PhÅ“nicia. One day she was playing with some friends and -gathering flowers in a meadow near the seashore. Suddenly a snow-white -bull appeared, and the little children were very much afraid. But the -princess was not afraid. She made a pretty garland of flowers and placed -it around the bull's neck. When it knelt down in front of her as though -to thank her, she jumped on its back, and it ran away with her down -to the sea. Plunging under the waves, it swam with her to Crete. The -Grecians thought they saw the bull outlined among the stars in the sky, -but only its head and shoulders are there." - - [Illustration: THE BULL, AND THE PLEIADES.] - -"But there are not any animals really in the sky, are there?" said Harry. - -"No," said Mary, laughing at the question; "but if you look at the stars -you can imagine you see outlines of bulls and serpents and all kinds of -strange animals. Only you have to imagine very much, and this is exactly -what the Grecians did. - -"In the shoulder of the bull is the pretty little cluster of stars known -as the Pleiades." - - -STORY OF THE PLEIADES. - -"What is a cluster of stars?" asked Harry. - - [Illustration: A BALL OF SUNS.] - -"Hundreds and thousands of stars forming a family party, as it were; -and seen from earth they seem to be closely packed together. But if we -could draw near to them, however, we should find that they were very far -apart. If you look at the Pleiades through your opera glass you will see -quite a number of little stars, and if you could see it through the large -telescope at the Lick Observatory you would be able to count hundreds -of stars. When the cluster had its photograph taken, not long ago, six -thousand stars were counted, so you might call the Pleiades a 'ball of -suns.' There are hundreds of these clusters, or 'family parties,' in -the sky--mighty regiments marching across the star-depths." - -"What do you mean, sister?" asked Harry in surprise. - -"All the stars are moving," replied his sister. "Some in one direction, -some in another; but the stars in the Pleiades are all drifting in the -same direction. - -"The Pleiades were said to be the seven daughters of Atlas, and were -so beautiful that Orion pursued them across wood and dale, till the -sisters called on Jupiter to help them. He changed them into doves, and -afterward placed them among the stars. Orion still seems to be pursuing -them among the stars; but, strange to say, they are drifting toward him -now instead of away from him." - - [Illustration: ORION, THE GREAT HUNTER.] - -"Then he will soon catch them," said Harry, laughing at the idea. "I -once heard something about the 'Lost Pleiad.' What does that mean?" - -"One of the seven stars supposed to represent the sisters does not shine -as brightly as the rest, so the Grecians called it the 'Lost Pleiad.' - -"Some say the Lost Pleiad is Electra, who hid her face in her hands -so that she might not see the burning of Troy. But she seems to have -recovered from her fright, as her star now glows as brightly as the -rest. Others said it was Merope, who married a mortal while her sisters -married gods. - -"An Iroquois legend accounts for the Lost Pleiad by saying it is a little -Indian boy in the sky who is very homesick. When he cries he covers his -face with his hands and thus hides his light." - -"Do tell me about him," said Harry, looking forward to a treat, as he -always enjoyed these Indian stories. - -"The story is as follows," said Mary: - - -STORY OF THE SEVEN LITTLE INDIAN BOYS. - -"Once upon a time seven little Indian boys lived in a log cabin in the -woods. Every evening when the stars peeped out of the sky these children -would take hold of hands and dance around, while they sang the 'Song of -the Stars,' and the stars learned to love them. They would often beckon -to the little boys, inviting them to come up to the sky; but the children -loved their home on earth too well. - -"But one day they found fault with everything. The oatmeal was too -hot at breakfast, there was an absence of pie at dinner-time; and the -distressing news that they were only to have corn and beans for supper -was a climax to their 'tale of woe.' - -"Meanwhile their mother calmly ate her supper, while her seven little -boys looked on in hungry dismay. When supper-time was over they filed -slowly and sadly out of the cabin. Their mother felt sorry for them, it -is true; but she knew that if she gave in now she would have to give in -always. She watched her boys as they danced as usual that evening and -sang their song to the stars; and then she hurried into the cabin and -cleared away the uneaten corn and beans. - -"Alas! she did not hear the song her children sang to the stars. When -the stars beckoned as usual to the little boys, inviting them to come up -to the sky, they had accepted the invitation. As they danced round and -round their heads and their hearts grew lighter, and in a few moments -they were soaring like birds through the air. Just then their mother -went to the cabin door to tell them it was time to come home; and imagine -her horror when she saw her children slowly disappearing in the sky! - -"And now every evening the lonely mother gazes at seven bright stars in -the sky, which she fondly believes are her seven little boys, but which -are really the seven stars known to us as the Pleiades. One star in the -group does not shine as brightly as the rest, and this must be one of -the little Indians who is homesick." - -"I shall never forget that story," said Harry, who had enjoyed every -word of it; "and now I wish you would tell me about that very bright -star on the other side of Orion. I can only just see it, but it is so -beautiful. It is bluish-white, and twinkles so brightly." - -"That is Sirius, the brightest star in this part of the sky," replied -Mary, "and ever so much larger than the sun." - -"What makes it twinkle?" asked Harry. - - -WHY THE STARS TWINKLE. - -"When we look at the stars we have to see them through the great ocean of -air that surrounds the earth," replied Mary. "Like the Atlantic Ocean, -when the ocean of air is disturbed there are waves, and we have to look -at the stars through the waves. That is why their light seems to dance -about so. When the air is still then the starlight is steady, but when -it moves the stars twinkle. If we could go to the moon, where there is -not any air, we would not see the stars twinkle." - -"Then I should rather stay here," said Harry, "because I like to watch -them dancing about. They seem so merry, I am sure they are laughing at -us, sister. Is there a story about Sirius?" - -"It is part of a group of stars named the 'Great Dog,'" she replied; -"and higher up you will see the 'Little Dog.' These are the hounds that -Orion always took with him when he went hunting. They seem to have even -followed him to the sky. - - [Illustration: THE GREAT DOG.] - -"Sirius is also known as the Dog-star, because when it was seen by the -Egyptians in the east just before dawn it was thought to announce the -overflow of the Nile. Therefore the Egyptians watched this star, which -warned them, like a faithful dog, of the coming deluge. It was their -watch-dog or sentinel. - -"Now I am going to tell you about the Twins, two brothers who loved each -other dearly while on earth. They were named Castor and Pollux. Castor -was killed in battle. Pollux could not bear to remain on earth without -him, so Jupiter placed him in the sky next to his brother. - - [Illustration: THE HEAVENLY TWINS, CASTOR AND POLLUX.] - -"If you look through the glass you can see that Pollux is a golden-yellow -star and Castor has a green tinge." - -"Are all the stars colored?" asked Harry. - - -THE FLOWERS OF HEAVEN. - -"Yes," replied his sister, "and they are as varied in color as the -flowers of the earth. The stars may be called 'The flowers of heaven.' -Longfellow says so beautifully: - - "'Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven - Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.' - -"Some of the natives of Australia believe that when the flowers die -on earth they rise on the winds and float away to the fair fields of -heaven, where they flourish forever in immortal beauty. We cannot see -the colors of these flowers of heaven very well, on account of the air -that surrounds the earth. If it were removed, then the dark sky would -seem to be covered with starry flowers of all the colors of the rainbow." - -"How beautiful!" said Harry thoughtfully. "How I wish we could see them -that way!" - -"But even as it is," said his sister, "you can see some of these colors. -Look at white Sirius, that sometimes seems to me tinged with blue, and -then at red Aldebaran in the eye of the bull, and a creamy star called -Capella just near the Twins. So you can see some of the colors. And now -a few more words about Castor, which is a double star. That is, it is -made up of two bright stars, and they go around each other. - -"Professor Ball was once showing the stars through his telescope to some -friends, when he pointed out this double star to them. First of all, he -told them to note the different colors of the stars, for one was white, -the other green. All double stars are of complementary colors. One may -be green and the other red, one blue and the other orange. - -"Then Professor Ball told his visitors that the stars went round each -other. - -"'Oh, yes!' said one of the visitors. 'I saw them going round in the -telescope.' - -"But it was the twinkling that made the stars appear to dance around -each other. In reality, he would have had to remain with his eye at the -telescope more than a hundred years before he could have seen the stars -go completely around each other." - - -NUMBER OF THE STARS. - -"I wonder how many stars there are in the sky, sister," said Harry. "Do -you think we could count them?" - -"I read somewhere," replied his sister, "that the stars are as plentiful -as the sands on the seashore. Still, in the whole sky, the number bright -enough to be seen without a telescope is only from six to seven thousand -in a clear, moonless sky. With an opera glass you can bring the number -up to one hundred thousand. A small telescope can show about three -hundred thousand, while with a telescope such as the one at the Lick -Observatory the number would be nearly one hundred million. But it is -possible to photograph the stars, and millions of stars have had their -pictures taken. Probably we would never have known anything about them -but the camera caught them, and now they are being named and labeled, -so that they cannot escape us again. In fact, some of the stars are so -far away that if we had not captured them in this way they would have -remained hidden to us forever." - -"What do you mean, sister?" said Harry, his eyes filled with surprise. - -"I mean, dear, that some stars are so far away that their light has -not yet reached us. Don't you remember what I told you about Jupiter's -moons: that they are so far away that light takes about half an hour -in coming from them to the earth. Well, the stars are hundreds of times -as far away as Jupiter's moons. So far away are they that even from the -nearest--a star seen in the southern hemisphere--light takes four years -and four months in reaching us, although light travels more than 186,000 -miles a second." - - -DISTANCE OF THE STARS. - -"Look at the Pole Star some night, and you will not see it as it is now, -but as it was more than sixty-two years ago. All this time its light -has been on its way to Planet Earth. If a planet travels around the Pole -Star, or Polaris, as it is sometimes called, and an astronomer on that -planet looked at the earth he would not see it as it is now, but as it -was more than sixty-two years ago. There are other stars so far away that -light takes hundreds of years in coming here. Perhaps they faded out -long ago, but the message is still on its way. It does seem strange to -think of people who may be living on distant worlds in space, watching -our little world, but we need not fear. The earth is so small that it -could not be seen at all, even from the nearest star. At that distance -Giant Sun would not look quite as bright as Sirius does to us, and giant -Planet Jupiter would only appear as a faint speck of light near the sun." - -"How far away everything seems to be!" said Harry. "Yet you said just -now that we could tell what the stars are made of. How can we do that?" - - -WHAT ARE THE STARS MADE OF? - -"The stars are made of iron, copper, zinc, and other such metals, but -the heat is so intense that these metals are turned into vapor. You have -seen the steam coming from the spout of a kettle when water is boiling, -and you know then that the water is scalding hot. But imagine heat so -great that masses of iron and copper are not only melted but turned -into vapor. Then you have some idea of the intense heat that prevails on -the stars. The rains that fall on earth are made up of drops of water, -but the rainfalls on the stars must be drops of melting iron, while the -clouds that form are sheets of molten metal." - -"How wonderful!" said Harry; "and how do we know this, as the stars are -so far away?" - -"By means of a little instrument known as the spectroscope, or -light-sifter. But you must wait till you are a little older before I can -explain that to you, as it is something very difficult to understand. -At any rate, I can tell you this, that when we want to find out what -a star is made of we catch a ray of its light and examine it with the -light-sifter. As Professor Ball quoted in one of his lectures: - - "'Twinkle, twinkle, little star, - Now we find out what you are, - When unto the midnight sky - We the spectroscope apply.'" - -"And can you tell how old the stars are?" asked Harry; "because when you -were talking about the planets you said some are old and some are young." - -"This same little spectroscope tells us that as well, and we can recognize -the stars that are in their infancy, and others that are middle-aged or -nearly worn-out." - -"How strange to think of worn-out stars," said Harry; "yet I suppose -they must grow old sometime, just as we do; only I suppose they take -ever so much longer growing up." - -"Hundreds of years," said Mary, laughing at the idea of grown-up stars. -"There are young stars and old stars, and even the star that gives us -light and heat will grow cold and dead some day, and not warm its planets -any longer. But that will be millions of years hence, long after we are -dead and gone." - - -OUR ISLAND UNIVERSE. - -"So it is all over the heavens. Our little universe is like an island in -space. There are other islands like our own, with their millions of stars -and star-clusters and star-mist, passing through the periods of youth, -middle age, old age, and decay. Our little universe is not eternal. It -cannot last forever, but as long as it does we should feel glad that we -are here to enjoy it. - -"Now, Harry, I really think we have had quite a long ramble in starland -for one evening, and I believe two little stars I know need a rest." - -"They are a little tired," said Harry, smiling; "two little worn-out -stars, sister; and perhaps they do want to let the curtains down over -them for awhile." - -"I believe they do," said Mary softly; and the stars were hidden by -their curtains almost before she had said the words. - - -WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD. - - Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, one night - Sailed off in a wooden shoe-- - Sailed on a river of crystal light - Into a sea of dew. - "Where are you going, and what do you wish?" - The old man asked of the three. - "We have come to fish for the herring-fish - That live in this beautiful sea. - Nets of silver and gold have we," - Said Wynken, - Blynken, - And Nod. - - The old Moon laughed and sang a song - As they rocked in the wooden shoe, - And the wind that sped them all night long - Ruffled the waves of dew. - The little stars were the herring-fish - That lived in the beautiful sea, - "Now cast your net wherever you wish, - Never afeared are we." - So cried the stars to the fishermen three, - Wynken, - Blynken, - And Nod. - - All night long their nets they threw - For the stars in the twinkling foam; - Then down from the sky came the wooden shoe, - Bringing those fishermen home. - 'Twas all so pretty a tale, it seemed - As if it could not be. - And some folks thought 'twas a dream they dreamed - Of sailing that beautiful sea. - But I shall name you the fishermen three, - Wynken, - Blynken, - And Nod. - - Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, - And Nod is a little head, - And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies - Is a wee one's trundle-bed. - So shut your eyes while mother sings - Of wonderful sights that be; - And you shall see the beautiful things - As you rock in the misty sea, - Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three, - Wynken, - Blynken, - And Nod. - - --Eugene Field. - - -SEVEN LITTLE INDIAN STARS. - -BY MRS. S. M. B. PIATT. - - Seven little Indian boys were they, - Dancing with the moonbeams on a mound, - In the wind they all were whirled away, - And the fireflies searched the dews around. - - Seven little Indian stars are they, - Seven, and only one, my child, is dim. - That's the Singer, their sad stories say; - That's the Singer--let us pity him. - - Oh, the little Singer! (You can see - He's not shining as the others are.) - Once, when all the stars made wishes, he - Wished he didn't have to be a star. - - --St. Nicholas, March, 1890. - - -WHY THE STARS TWINKLE. - -BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES. - - When Eve had led her lord away, - And Cain had killed his brother, - The stars and flowers,--the poets say,-- - Agreed with one another - - To cheat the cunning tempter's art - And show the world its duty, - By keeping on its wicked heart - Their eyes of love and beauty. - - A million sleepless lids, they say, - Will be at least a warning; - And so the flowers will watch by day, - The stars from eve to morning. - - On hills and prairies, fields and lawn, - Their dewy eyes upturning, - The flowers still watch from reddening dawn - Till western skies are burning. - - Alas! each hour of daylight tells - A tale of shame so crushing, - That some turn white as sea-bleached shells, - And some are always blushing. - - And when the patient stars look down, - On all their light discovers, - The traitor's smile, the murderer's frown, - The lips of lying lovers, - - They try to shut their saddening eyes - And in the vain endeavor - We see them twinkling in the skies, - And so--they wink,--forever. - - --Taken from The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. - - - - -"GOD BLESS THE STAR!" - - -"Darling, I am feeling so tired this evening, won't you sit beside my -bed and hold my hand in yours while you tell me about the stars?" - -His sister Mary suggested lighting the lamp and reading a story, but he -held her hand with gentle force, saying: - -"Do not light the lamp. Leave the curtain up so that I can see the stars -from my window, and tell me in your own words that story you told me -of a star the other day--Dickens' story of a star. Don't you remember, -sister?" - -Still holding his little hand in hers, and giving it a loving pressure, -she rested her head on the pillow beside his, and began, in low soft -tones: - -"There was once a beautiful bright star that shone down upon the home -of a little boy and girl who wondered at its light. They learned to -know it so well that every evening the one who saw it first would say, -'I see the star,' and before they went to sleep at night they would say -'Good-night' to the star, and, 'God bless the star!' - -"But the little girl, while she was still very young, became very weak -and feeble, so that she was unable to go to the window and look at the -star, so the brother would stand there alone and watch for it. As soon -as he saw it he would turn round to his sister, and say, 'I see the -star,' and the little sister would answer gently, 'God bless my brother -and the star!' One evening the brother looked at the star alone, for his -little sister had passed away to her home among the stars. That was a -sad and lonely evening for the brother, and at night he dreamed of his -sister. Her face seemed to be looking at him from the bright star, and -he could see a pathway of light reaching from it to his room. - -"Along the pathway were people passing from this earth to the stars. -Angels waited to receive them, and as they reached the star people came -out to welcome them. Kissing their friends tenderly, they went away -together down avenues of light. But there was one who waited patiently -near the entrance of the star and asked the guide who led the people -thither if her brother had not yet come. - -"'Not yet,' he replied kindly, and as she turned sadly away the little -brother reached out his arms toward her, and said, 'Here I am sister; -I am coming to you.' - -"As she turned her beaming eyes on him, the star was shining into the -room, and he could see its rays of light through his tears. From that -hour the child looked on that star as his future home, where he would -some day meet his angel sister again. - -"And he waited, oh! so patiently, and the years rolled slowly by. He -grew to manhood, and still the star shone down upon him at night. Then -he grew to be an old man with gray hair and wrinkled face, and his steps -were slow and feeble. Others had gone before him to the star. A little -brother who died while he was young--his mother--his daughter--and now -surely his own time had come. - -"One night he lay upon a bed of sickness, and as his children gathered -around him he suddenly cried out, as he had long ago, 'I see the star.' -Then they whispered to each other, 'He is dying,' and he heard them, and -said: 'I am. My age is falling from me like a mantle, and I move toward -the star as a child. And, O my Father, now I thank thee that the star -has so often opened to receive those dear ones who await me!' - -"And next day the star was shining, and it still shines, upon his grave." - - * * * * * - -Harry had been lulled to sleep by the sound of his sister's voice, and -in the dim light Mary could see that he was smiling in his dreams. Were -his dreams, she wondered, about Stories of Starland? - - -CROSSING THE BAR. - - Sunset and evening star, - And one clear call for me! - And may there be no moaning of the bar, - When I put off to sea. - - But such a tide, as, moving, seems asleep, - Too full for sound and foam, - When that which drew from out the boundless deep - Turns again home. - - Twilight and evening bell, - And after that the dark! - And may there be no sadness of farewell, - When I embark. - - For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place - The flood may bear me far, - I hope to see my Pilot face to face - When I have cros't the bar. - - --Tennyson. - - -YE GOLDEN LAMPS OF HEAVEN. - - Ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell, - With all your feeble light; - Farewell, thou ever-changing Moon, - Pale empress of the Night. - - And thou, refulgent Orb of Day, - In brighter flames arrayed; - My soul, that springs beyond thy sphere, - No more demands thine aid. - - Ye stars are but the shining dust - Of my divine abode, - The pavement of those heavenly courts - Where I shall reign with God. - - Father of eternal light - Shall there his beams display, - Nor shall one moment's darkness blend - With that unvaried day. - - --Philip Doddridge. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories of Starland, by Mary Proctor - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF STARLAND *** - -***** This file should be named 54913-0.txt or 54913-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/9/1/54913/ - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Stories of Starland - -Author: Mary Proctor - -Release Date: June 15, 2017 [EBook #54913] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF STARLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="tnbox"> -<p class="center"><b>Transcriber's Note:</b></p> -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. -Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation in the original -document have been preserved.</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" width="437" height="550" alt="Cover" /> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-001.jpg" width="450" height="636" alt="Richard Proctor" /> -</div> - -<p class="caption">RICHARD A. PROCTOR.</p> - -<h1 class="p6"> -STORIES OF STARLAND -</h1> -<p class="p4 center doublespace"> -BY<br /> -<span class="b12">MARY PROCTOR</span><br /> -(<i>Daughter of late Richard A. Proctor</i>) -</p> - -<hr class="l15 p4" /> - -<p class="p4 center">NEW YORK<br /> -POTTER & PUTNAM COMPANY<br /> -LONDON<br /> -G. W. BACON & CO., <span class='smcap'>Limited</span> -</p> - -<p class="p4 center doublespace"> -Copyright, 1898,<br /> -BY<br /> -POTTER & PUTNAM COMPANY.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="p4 center s08"> -THE MERSHON COMPANY PRESS,<br /> -RAHWAY, N. J., U. S. A.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="p4 center doublespace"> -DEDICATED<br /> -TO THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER<br /> -HARRY. -</p> - -<p class="p4"> -The heavens declare the glory of God; and the -firmament sheweth his handiwork.—<span class='smcap'>Psalms.</span> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_7' name='Page_7'>[7]</a></span> -</p> - -<h2 class="p4"> -PREFACE. -</h2> - -<p> -This book has been a labor of love from the beginning -to the end, and I have thoroughly enjoyed conversing -with my little friends Harry and Nellie. Now that the -book is finished, I leave it with regret. -</p> - -<p> -It is impossible to give all the authorities for my -legends of the stars. Many were told to me by my -father when I was a little girl, or I found them among -books in his library, which is now scattered far and wide. -Others are from Grecian mythology, Japanese folk-lore, -Hindoo legends, while some of the American Indian -stories were found in musty volumes of the Bureau of -Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution. -</p> - -<p> -As for the descriptive astronomy, among my authorities -are Professor C. A. Young, Professor Barnard, -Agnes M. Clerke, Professor R. S. Ball, Schiaparelli, -Flammarion, Professor Todd, Mr. Lowell of Flagstaff, -Ariz., and my father, the late Richard A. Proctor. -</p> - -<p> -With the kind permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. -I have been allowed to use the following selections: -"Why the Stars Twinkle," by Oliver Wendell Holmes; -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_8' name='Page_8'>[8]</a></span> -"The Evening Star," by Longfellow; "Lady Moon," -by Lord Houghton; and "The New Moon," by Mrs. -Follen. The editor of <i>St. Nicholas</i> has kindly given me -permission to include the poems "The Four Sunbeams," -by M. K. B.; "Estelle's Astronomy," by Delia Hart -Stone; and "Seven Little Indian Stars," by Mrs. S. M. -B. Piatt. I am indebted to the editor of <i>Child-Study -Monthly</i> for the little poem "Is It True?" by Morgan -Growth. The poem on "The Solar System" is taken -from the <i>Youth's Companion</i>, with the kind permission of -the editor. The verses about "Wynken, Blynken, and -Nod" are so familiar to every child that my book of -<span class='smcap'>Stories of Starland</span> would seem incomplete without -this poem by Eugene Field. The illustration of a Part -of the Milky Way is from a photograph taken by Professor -Barnard at the Lick Observatory. Mr. Percival -Lowell has also very kindly allowed me to make use of -his excellent illustration of the Canals of Mars, taken -from Todd's "New Astronomy," published by the -American Book Company. -</p> - -<p> -I now submit this little book to my young readers, -sincerely hoping its pages may inspire them with a renewed -interest in the wonders of Starland. -</p> - -<p class="left60"> -<span class='smcap'>Mary Proctor.</span> -</p> -<p> -<span class='smcap'>New York City</span>, June, 1898. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_9' name='Page_9'>[9]</a></span></p> - -<h2> -CONTENTS. -</h2> - -<hr class="l15" /> - -<table summary="Table of Contents"> -<col style="width:40%" /> -<col style="width:30%" /> -<col style="width:10%" /> - -<tr> -<td class="tdr s08" colspan="3">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#P13">Light,</a></td> -<td><i>F. W. Bourdillon</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">13</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P13">The Story of Giant Sun.</a></span> -</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Ancient Stories of the Sun—Heat of the Sun—Distance of the Sun—Size -of the Sun—The Sun in the Days of Its Youth,</td> -<td class="tdr">13-33</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#P29">On the Setting Sun,</a></td> -<td><i>Sir Walter Scott</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">29</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><a href="#P31">The Four Sunbeams,</a></td> -<td> <i>M. K. B., from St. Nicholas</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">31</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><a href="#P32">The Sun,</a></td> -<td class="tdr">32</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P34">The Family of Giant Sun.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -What Is a Planet?—Story of Planet Mercury—Story of Planet Venus,</td> -<td class="tdr">34-45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P47">Estelle's Astronomy,</a></td> -<td><i>Delia Hart Stone</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">47</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P47b">Venus,</a></td> -<td><i>Milton</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">47</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P48">The Evening Star,</a></td> -<td><i>Longfellow</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">48</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P48b">Mercury,</a></td> -<td><i>Baker</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">48</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P49">A Ramble on the Moon.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Story of the Moon—Story of the Man in the Moon—Story of the Woman -in the Moon—Story of the Toad in the Moon—Scenery on the Moon—Hindoo -Legend,</td> -<td class="tdr">49-67</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P65">The New Moon,</a></td> -<td><i>Mrs. Follen</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">65</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P66">Lady Moon,</a></td> -<td><i>Lord Houghton</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">66</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P67">A Legend,</a></td> -<td><i>Taken from the New York Tribune</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">67</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P68">The Planet Mars and the Baby Planets.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Story of Planet Mars—Story of the Baby Planets,</td> -<td class="tdr">68-79 -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_10' name='Page_10'></a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P80">Story of Jupiter and His Moons.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Story of Jupiter—Jupiter as Seen through a Telescope—The Moons of -Jupiter—Eclipse of Jupiter's Moons,</td> -<td class="tdr">80-93</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P92">Jupiter,</a></td> -<td><i>Moore</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">92</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P92b">A Lesson in Astronomy,</a></td> -<td><i>Youth's Companion</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">92</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P94">The Giant Planets.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -The Planet Saturn—The Planet Uranus—Difference between a Planet -and a Star—Discovery of Planet Neptune,</td> -<td class="tdr">94-103</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P102">Is It True?</a></td> -<td><i>Morgan Growth, from Child-Study -Monthly</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">102</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P104">Comets and Meteors.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Story of Comets—Story of Meteors—Story of a Shooting Star,</td> -<td class="tdr">104-114</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P113">Starlight at Sea,</a></td> -<td><i>Amelia B. Welby</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">113</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P116">Stories of the Summer Stars.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Legends of the Great Bear—Stories of the Great Dipper—Story of the -Dragon—Stories of the Northern Crown—Story of the Lion—The -Milky Way—A Swedish Legend—Legend of the Swan—Meeting of -the Star-Lovers,</td> -<td class="tdr">116-146</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"> -<a href="#P145">The Stars and the Violets,</a></td> -<td class="tdr">145</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P145b">The Nights,</a></td> -<td><i>Adelaide Proctor</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">145</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"> -<a href="#P146">The Calling of the Stars,</a></td> -<td class="tdr">146</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -<span class='smcap'><a href="#P147">Story of the Winter Stars.</a></span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="tdh"> -Story of the Royal Family—Story of the Fishes—Story of the Pleiades—Story -of the Seven Little Indian Boys—Why the Stars Twinkle—Flowers -of Heaven—Number of the Stars—Distance of the Stars—What -Are the Stars Made of?—Our Island Universe,</td> -<td class="tdr">147-179</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P177">Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,</a></td> -<td><i>Eugene Field</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">177</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P178">Seven Little Indian Stars,</a></td> -<td><i>Mrs. S. M. B. Piatt, from St. Nicholas</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">178</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P179">Why the Stars Twinkle,</a></td> -<td><i>Oliver Wendell Holmes</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">179</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="tdc"> -"<span class='smcap'><a href="#P181">God Bless the Star!</a></span>"</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"> -"God Bless the Star!"</td> -<td class="tdr">181-186</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P185">Crossing the Bar,</a></td> -<td><i>Tennyson</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">185</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> -<a href="#P185b">Ye Golden Lamps of Heaven,</a></td> -<td><i>Doddridge</i>,</td> -<td class="tdr">185</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-011.jpg" width="600" height="392" alt="HARRY." /> - -<p class="caption">"HARRY."</p> -</div> - -<h2> -STORIES OF STARLAND. -</h2> - -<hr class="l15" /> - -<h3 class="notop"><a id='P13' name='P13'></a> -LIGHT. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_13' name='Page_13'></a></span> -<p>Night has a thousand eyes,</p> -<p class="i1">And the day but one;</p> -<p>Yet the light of the bright world dies</p> -<p class="i1">With the dying sun.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The mind has a thousand eyes,</p> -<p class="i1">And the heart but one;</p> -<p>Yet the light of the whole life dies</p> -<p class="i1">When love is done.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>F. W. Bourdillon.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<h2> -THE STORY OF GIANT SUN. -</h2> - -<p> -"Sister, come here and talk to me. I am -so tired of being alone." -</p> - -<p> -His sister Mary at once closed her book, and -took a chair beside Harry's couch. Poor little -Harry was not like other boys. He could not -play and run about as they did, for he was a -cripple. All the long weary days he had to lie -on a couch which was placed under the shady -trees during the warm summer season. He had -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_14' name='Page_14'>[14]</a></span> -learned to love the flowers and trees, and the -bright blue sky overhead, and his sister often told -him pretty stories about them. She was just -thinking of telling him one now, when he said -gently: -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -ANCIENT STORIES OF THE SUN. -</h3> - -<p> -"Sister, you have told me so many stories of -the flowers. I wish you would tell me something -about the sky. I have been looking at it for -such a long time, watching the little white clouds -floating across it like boats with silver sails; and -then I tried to look at the bright yellow sun, but -it dazzles my eyes. Won't you tell me about it, -and where it goes in the evening when we cannot -see it any more? Is it always ready in the -morning to give us light? Is it ever late, do you -think? What would we do if it forgot to come -round the edge of the earth and give us light?" -he continued anxiously. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-014.jpg" width="550" height="250" alt="EARTH SUPPOSED TO BE FLAT." /> - -<p class="caption">EARTH SUPPOSED TO BE FLAT.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"There is no fear of that," said his sister Mary, -laughing at the idea. "But a long time ago -people asked the very same question. In those -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_15' name='Page_15'>[15]</a></span> -days they thought the earth was flat, and surrounded -by an ocean without end. The Hindoos -supposed that the earth rested upon four elephants, -and the four elephants stood on the back -of an immense tortoise, which itself floated on the -surface of an endless ocean. It was thought that -the sun plunged into the ocean when it disappeared -in the evening, and some people said they heard -a hissing noise when the red-hot body went under -the waves. -</p> - -<p> -"But if the sun dropped into the water each -evening, how did it happen that next morning -it was seen again, as hot and bright as ever? -The people could not tell why, so they said -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_16' name='Page_16'>[16]</a></span> -that during the night the gods made a new -sun to be used the next day." -</p> - -<p> -"That must have kept them busy," said Harry, -laughing. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-015.jpg" width="550" height="393" alt="ANCIENT IDEA OF THE EARTH." /> -<p class="caption">ANCIENT IDEA OF THE EARTH.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"The good people made up another story -about the sun, so that the same one could be -saved each night. Just as it was dropping into -the ocean, a god named Vulcan, who had a great -boat ready, caught it, and all night long he -paddled with the blazing sun. Next morning -he was ready at sunrise to send the sun -up into the sky in the east. He threw it with -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_17' name='Page_17'>[17]</a></span> -so much force that it would go very high, and -when it came down on the other side in the -west, he stood ready to catch it again." -</p> - -<p> -"But where does the sun really go to at -night?" asked Harry curiously. "I should like -to know." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -HEAT OF THE SUN. -</h3> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-016.jpg" width="500" height="304" alt="ILLUSTRATING DAY AND NIGHT." /> -<p class="caption">ILLUSTRATING DAY AND NIGHT.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"We live on a big round globe called Earth," -replied his sister, "and we travel round the sun, -which gives the earth light and heat. The sun is -like a great lamp in the sky, and when you face -the lamp you see the light, but if you turn away -from it you are in darkness. As the earth goes -around the sun, it whirls around like a huge top; -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_18' name='Page_18'>[18]</a></span> -first one side and then the other is turned to the -sun and gets sunlight, and so we have day and -night. If the sun, or the lamp in the sky, went -out and stopped shining, all the light would go -out on the earth, and we would -miss its heat as well. -</p> - -<p> -"It is so hot that if it kept -coming nearer and nearer until it -was as far from the earth as the -pretty bright moon, the earth would -get warmer and warmer and melt like a ball of -wax." -</p> - -<div class="figleft p6"> -<img src="images/i-017.jpg" width="200" height="211" alt="Huge Top" /> -</div> - -<p> -"Just like Nellie's doll, then," said Harry, -"when she left it on the grass the other day. -The sun was so hot that day that when Nellie -picked up her doll, she found that its wax face -had melted and the eyes had fallen in. So the -sun did that," continued Harry, laughing heartily. -"Poor Nellie! I must tell her that the next time -I see her." -</p> - -<p> -"I can show you something else to prove how -hot the sun is," said Mary, as she picked up a leaf -from the ground. "Just wait a moment while -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_19' name='Page_19'>[19]</a></span> -I go into the house and get a magnifying-glass." -</p> - -<p> -In a few minutes she returned, holding the -glass in one hand and the leaf in the other. She -held it so that the sun shone directly upon the -glass and passed through it onto the leaf. In -a few seconds the leaf began to smoke, and then -burn, until a little hole could be seen. -</p> - -<p> -Harry was so surprised that he had to try it -for himself, and he looked forward with much -delight to a visit from his cousin Nellie. -</p> - -<p> -"Won't I have a lot to tell her?" he said to -his sister: "all about the sun's melting her dollie, -and how to make the sun burn a hole through -a leaf. But the sun cannot be very far away, can -it?" he asked. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -DISTANCE OF THE SUN. -</h3> - -<p> -"Yes, it is very far away," replied Mary. "If -a railroad could be made from the earth to the -sun, and a train started going at the rate of -a mile a minute, it would take days and weeks -and years to get there. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_20' name='Page_20'>[20]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Let me see," said Mary, making a little note -in her note-book. "There are sixty minutes in -an hour, and twenty-four hours in a day, and -three hundred and sixty-five days in a year. -Why, Harry, do you know it would take that -train nearly one hundred and seventy-five years -to get there?" -</p> - -<p> -"It must be very far away, then," said Harry, -"more than a hundred miles." -</p> - -<p> -"It is more than a million miles," said Mary. -"It is nearly ninety-three millions of miles away. -Now let us suppose you want to go to the sun. -You would call at the railroad office and ask for -a ticket to Sunland. The officer in charge would -appear a little surprised, because that is quite -a long trip. Then he would look up the cost of -the journey in his book, and hand you a mileage -book, saying: 'Sir, if you want to save money on -this trip, you had better take a mileage book with -you, costing two cents for every mile. Even -then your fare will be nearly two million -dollars.'" -</p> - -<p> -"Then I would say: 'Dear sir, I cannot go, as -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_21' name='Page_21'>[21]</a></span> -I know my sister could not spare all that money. -I think I would rather walk to the sun.' How -long would it take me to walk there, supposing -I could walk?" asked Harry thoughtfully. -</p> - -<p> -"Dear, you would have to keep walking a very -long time before you would ever get there. Supposing -you walked four miles an hour, and ten -hours a day, and kept this up for hundreds of -years, you would be more than six thousand years -on the way. When you reached the sun you -would be footsore and weary, and as old as the -hills." -</p> - -<p> -Harry laughed heartily at the idea, and thought -again of poor Nellie's doll and the melting wax -running like tears down its cheeks. -</p> - -<p> -"But suppose," he asked, his eyes bright with -excitement, "someone fired a big cannon at the -sun. Would the cannon-ball ever get there?" -</p> - -<p> -Again Mary brought out her little note-book, -and, with rather a look of surprise, she said: -"Supposing the cannon-ball went as fast as it -could go, it would take nine years to reach the -sun, and the sound of the explosion would reach -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_22' name='Page_22'>[22]</a></span> -there in fourteen years. The cannon-ball would -come along first, and five years afterward, if you -were living on the sun, you would hear the sound -made when the cannon was fired off. -</p> - -<p> -"It takes time for me to walk from the garden -to the house, so it takes time for sound to travel -from the earth to the sky; and sound travels only -one-fifth of a mile in a second. Do you remember -the thunderstorm the other day, Harry, that -frightened you so?" -</p> - -<p> -"I shall never forget it," said Harry, trembling -at the thought. "You said, 'Count slowly'; -and I counted one, two, three, four, five, up to -fifteen." -</p> - -<p> -"Then I said: 'Don't be afraid, brother; the -storm is three miles away.'" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I remember," said Harry; "and I -thought you were very clever, and wondered -how you knew." -</p> - -<p> -"It was not so wonderful, after all, was it?" -said Mary, laughing. -</p> - -<p> -"Now tell me, sister," said Harry. "Supposing -I had a very long arm, and stretched it -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_23' name='Page_23'>[23]</a></span> -out toward the sun, and touched it with the tip of -my little finger. What would happen?" -</p> - -<p> -"You would never know that you had burned -it, for the pain of burning would be one hundred -and fifty years going along your little finger, and -down your giant arm nearly ninety-three millions -of miles long, before it at last reached your brain. -Then it would let you know that one hundred -and fifty years before you had burned your little -finger." -</p> - -<p> -Harry stretched out his little arm in the direction -of the sun, and, looking at it critically, -laughed at the idea of a giant arm millions of -miles long. -</p> - -<p> -"It is too short by several inches," said his -sister, reading his thoughts, and joining in the -laugh. "It would take hundreds and hundreds -of little arms as long as yours, would it not? -Now what else do you want to know about the -sun?" -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_24' name='Page_24'>[24]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -SIZE OF THE SUN. -</h3> - -<p> -"If you are not very tired, sister," said Harry -coaxingly, "I should like to know how large it is. -Is it as large as the earth?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-023.jpg" width="500" height="494" alt="Limb of the Sun" /> -</div> - -<p> -"Ever so much larger," replied Mary. "It is -so large that if it were cut up into a million parts, -each part would be larger than the earth. If we -could weigh the sun in a pair of giant scales, it -would take over three hundred thousand globes -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_25' name='Page_25'>[25]</a></span> -as heavy as the earth to make the scales even. -If the sun were hollowed out, and the earth placed -in the center, there would be room for the moon -as well. Now the moon is thousands of miles -from the earth, and yet the edge of the sun would -be thousands of miles from the moon, as you will -see in the picture. If a tunnel could be made -through the center of the sun, and a train started -going at the rate of a mile a minute, it would -take six hundred days for the train to reach the -other side of the tunnel. If this same train went -around the edge of the sun it would take five -years. A train going around the earth would -take seventeen days to complete the journey." -</p> - -<p> -"But suppose we went around the sun in a big -steamer, like the one Uncle Robert came over -in; how long would that take?" asked Harry -curiously. -</p> - -<p> -"Only fifteen years," said his sister, laughing. -"If you had started when you were a little baby -you would still have five more years to travel -before you would get back again to the starting-point." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_26' name='Page_26'>[26]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Then the sun must be very large," said Harry -thoughtfully. "Let us call it GIANT SUN. -Has it always been as large as it is now?" -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE SUN IN THE DAYS OF ITS YOUTH. -</h3> - -<p> -"Ever so much larger," replied Mary. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-025.jpg" width="500" height="364" alt="THE SUN AND PLANETS FORMING OUT OF STAR-MIST." /> -<p class="caption">THE SUN AND PLANETS FORMING OUT OF STAR-MIST.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Once upon a time it was a ball of glowing -gas reaching as far as the path of the last planet. -The ball whirled around rapidly and the outer -edge cooled. A ring formed and separated from -the ball and whirled around on its own account, -until it broke up into fragments. One of the -fragments drew all the others toward it, and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_27' name='Page_27'>[27]</a></span> -another ball was formed, but quite a small ball -this time, called a planet. Just like the central -ball, the planet kept whirling around, threw off -a ring, the ring broke up into little pieces, and -the pieces, coming together, made a little moon. -The planet is Neptune, and it still has only one -moon. Meanwhile the ball in the center kept -whirling around, other rings formed other planets -with their attendant moons, completing the family -of Giant Sun. -</p> - -<p> -"The Sun is in the center and his planets circle -around him. Next to him is playful little -Mercury, then beautiful Venus, then our own -planet Earth. Beyond it, we find ruddy Mars, -the four hundred and fifty baby planets, giant -planet Jupiter, the ringed planet Saturn, and -the last two planets, Uranus and Neptune. All -these planets are under the control of the sun, -and cannot get away from him." -</p> - -<p> -"What is the sun made of?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Of iron and copper and silver, and many -other things we can find on earth; but the sun is -so hot that they are melted together into a mass -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_28' name='Page_28'>[28]</a></span> -like glue. This is the center of the sun. Outside -is a shell of bright clouds, from which rosy -flames leap to a height of thousands of miles -above the surface of the sun. All around the -edge of the sun, and reaching millions of miles -beyond it, is the pearly light of the corona like -a crown of glory. The pearly corona fades away -into a soft beam of light." -</p> - -<p> -"How beautiful the sun must be!" said Harry, -as he listened attentively to his sister. "But is it -all alone in the sky, and does it not have any -little stars to play with?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is not at all lonely," said Mary, laughing -at the idea of the stars as playthings for Giant -Sun, "and is kept quite busy looking after its -large family of planets. I will tell you about -them to-morrow, or nurse will scold me for tiring -you. And now, good-by, my dear. Don't forget -all I have told you about Giant Sun." -</p> - -<p> -"Forget! how could I, sister? It is better -than any fairy tale I have ever heard. Giant -Sun! Why you have told me enough to keep me -thinking all day and all night. Here comes Nellie. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_29' name='Page_29'>[29]</a></span> -Hello! Nellie, come here and let me tell you all -about GIANT SUN, and how he melted your -dollie for you the other day." -</p> - -<p> -"Melted my dollie!" said a pretty little -golden-haired girl, as she tripped like a little fairy -up the garden-path. "So he melted my dollie, -did he? I should like to see him do it again!" -Tears came into her eyes at the thought of her -sad experience. Since then, however, a china -head had replaced the melted wax, and Nellie's -fickle little heart had been comforted. So the -tears soon vanished in a smile as she showed her -new treasure to Harry. -<a id='P29' name='P29'></a></p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -ON THE SETTING SUN. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Those evening clouds, that setting ray,</p> -<p>And beauteous tint, serve to display</p> -<p class="i2">Their great Creator's praise;</p> -<p>Then let the short-lived thing called man,</p> -<p>Whose life's comprised within a span,</p> -<p class="i2">To Him his homage raise.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>We often praise the evening clouds,</p> -<p class="i1">And tints so gay and bold,</p> -<p>But seldom think upon our God,</p> -<p class="i1">Who tinged these clouds with gold.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Sir Walter Scott.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_30' name='Page_30'></a></span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-029.jpg" width="500" height="582" alt="GIANT SUN AND LITTLE EARTH." /> -<p class="caption">GIANT SUN AND LITTLE EARTH.</p> -<a id='P31' name='P31'></a></div> - -<h3> -THE FOUR SUNBEAMS. -</h3> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_31' name='Page_31'>[31]</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="center"> -BY M. K. B. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Four little sunbeams came earthward one day,</p> -<p>Shining and dancing along on their way,</p> -<p class="i1">Resolved that their course should be blest.</p> -<p>"Let us try," they all whispered, "some kindness to do,</p> -<p>Not seek our own pleasuring all the day through,</p> -<p class="i1">Then meet in the eve at the west."</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>One sunbeam ran in at a low cottage door,</p> -<p>And played "hide-and-seek" with a child on the floor,</p> -<p class="i1">Till baby laughed loud in his glee,</p> -<p>And chased with delight his strange playmate so bright,</p> -<p>The little hands grasping in vain for the light</p> -<p class="i1">That ever before them would flee.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>One crept to the couch where an invalid lay,</p> -<p>And brought him a dream of the sweet summer day,</p> -<p class="i1">Its bird-song and beauty and bloom;</p> -<p>Till pain was forgotten and weary unrest,</p> -<p>And in fancy he roamed through the scenes he loved best,</p> -<p class="i1">Far away from the dim, darkened room.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>One stole to the heart of a flower that was sad,</p> -<p>And loved and caressed her until she was glad,</p> -<p class="i1">And lifted her white face again;</p> -<p>For love brings content to the lowliest lot,</p> -<p>And finds something sweet in the dreariest spot,</p> -<p class="i1">And lightens all labor and pain.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_32' name='Page_32'>[32]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>And one, where a little blind girl sat alone,</p> -<p>Not sharing the mirth of her playfellows, shone</p> -<p class="i1">On hands that were folded and pale,</p> -<p>And kissed the poor eyes that had never known sight,</p> -<p>That never would gaze on the beautiful light</p> -<p class="i1">Till angels had lifted the veil.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>At last, when the shadows of evening were falling,</p> -<p>And the sun, their great father, his children was calling,</p> -<p class="i1">Four sunbeams sped into the west.</p> -<p>All said: "We have found that in seeking the pleasure</p> -<p>Of others, we fill to the full our own measure,"</p> -<p class="i1">Then softly they sank to their rest.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>St. Nicholas, December, 1879.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P32' name='P32'></a></div> - -<h3> -THE SUN. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Somewhere it is always light;</p> -<p class="i1">For when 'tis morning here,</p> -<p>In some far distant land 'tis night,</p> -<p class="i1">And the bright moon shines there.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>When you've retired and gone to sleep,</p> -<p class="i1">They are just rising there;</p> -<p>And morning o'er the hill doth creep</p> -<p class="i1">When it is evening here.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>And other distant lands there be</p> -<p class="i1">Where it is always night;</p> -<p>For weeks the sun they never see,</p> -<p class="i1">The stars alone give light.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_33' name='Page_33'>[33]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>But though 'tis dark both night or day</p> -<p class="i1">It is as wondrous quite</p> -<p>That when the night has passed away,</p> -<p class="i1">The sun for weeks gives light.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Yes, while you sleep the sun shines bright,</p> -<p class="i1">The sky is blue and clear;</p> -<p>For weeks and weeks there is no night</p> -<p class="i1">But always daylight there.</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p><a id='P34' name='P34'></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_34' name='Page_34'>[34]</a></span> -</p> - -<h2> -THE FAMILY OF GIANT SUN. -</h2> - -<p> -The next morning, when Mary came out in the -garden to sit with Harry, she was surprised to -see an audience of three instead of one: Harry, -whose face beamed with delight when he saw her; -Nellie, who was seated in a tiny rocking chair -beside him, and Nellie's doll. -</p> - -<p> -"You see, dollie wants to know all about Giant -Sun, too," Nellie gravely informed Mary. "I -never could remember all, and she might remember -what I forget. Besides, she must learn some day. -That is what mamma said about me. I heard -her," Nellie continued wisely, as she looked up at -Mary. "Do you mind telling me about the sky-people -too?" -</p> - -<p> -"Mind? Why you little bit of a doll baby," -laughed Mary, as she picked her up, doll and all, -and hugged her, "if you and dollie promise not -to go to sleep, you can stay here as long as you -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_35' name='Page_35'>[35]</a></span> -want to. But does Aunt Agnes know you are -here, Nellie; or have you run away from home?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-034.jpg" width="500" height="557" alt="GIANT SUN AND HIS FAMILY." /> -<p class="caption">GIANT SUN AND HIS FAMILY.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"No, I have not run away," said Nellie earnestly, -"but my dollie has. Nurse brought me -over here, but she did not know my dollie was -here. I forgot all about her yesterday, while -Harry was telling me about Giant Sun, and I left -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_36' name='Page_36'>[36]</a></span> -her out on the grass. But she didn't melt a bit. -I knew you wouldn't, dear little dollie, would you? -Now, dollie, sit up straight, and listen to Cousin -Mary talk. My, how she can talk, too! Can't -you?" -</p> - -<p> -"I'll try," said Mary, laughing. "So you want -to hear about Giant Sun and his family. He has -such a large family, and he has to give them all -plenty of light and heat. If he put out his big -lamp in the sky, it would be always dark here, and -we would shiver with cold and die. When I -come to your room at night, Harry, to say good-night, -I always carry a lamp in my hand so that -I can see you; but supposing a puff of wind blew -it out, then I could not see you at all. -</p> - -<p> -"Now this light is not only for us, but for the -rest of the sun's family as well. First, there is -little Mercury, who was named after the god of -thieves; and he deserves this name, because he -steals more light and heat from the sun than any -of the other planets." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_37' name='Page_37'>[37]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -WHAT IS A PLANET? -</h3> - -<p> -"What is a planet?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"A planet is just like this earth we are living -on, and only shines with the light it borrows from -the sun. If we lived on planet Mercury, and could -look at our earth, we would see it shining like a -bright star in the sky; but all the light comes -from the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"Do we live on a star, then?" asked Nellie, -her little eyes wide open with amazement. -</p> - -<p> -"No; we live on a planet. We could not live on -a star, as a star is blazing hot. That is the difference -between a star and a planet. A star is hot -and bright and shining and gives light to the -planets, if it has any. Planets are little globes -like the earth that circle around the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"Then the sun must be a star," said Harry, -"as you told me yesterday that it is very hot." -</p> - -<p> -"That is right," said Mary; "and every star in -the sky is a sun." -</p> - -<p> -"And has lots of weensy-teensy planets going -all around it?" asked Nellie excitedly. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_38' name='Page_38'>[38]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF PLANET MERCURY. -</h3> - -<p> -"Some of them have, I am sure," said Mary. -"But now we are running along too fast, and -I must tell you about our own sun first, and its -nearest planet Mercury. Well, Mercury is a very -warm little world, and it gets so near the sun that -sometimes it is about nine times as warm as here, -and at other times it is only four times as warm. -You see, Mercury does not go round the sun in a -perfect circle, so at times it is farther away than -at others. Now, the sun is like a great fire in the -sky, and the nearer we go to it the warmer we are. -How would you like to live on a little world where -it is nine times warmer than it is here?" -</p> - -<p> -"I should not like it at all, would you, dollie?" -said Nellie; "we would roast if we went to world -Mercury." -</p> - -<p> -"But we don't know whether there are any -people there," continued Mary, "and if there are, -they might not mind the heat at all. You can get -used to the heat, just as Uncle Robert did when -he went to India. Don't you remember how he -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_39' name='Page_39'>[39]</a></span> -felt the change when he came home, and how he -shivered? He missed the heat just as we would -suffer from it if we went to India for the first -time." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-038.jpg" width="377" height="600" alt="COMPARATIVE SIZE OF SUN AS SEEN FROM THE PLANETS." /> -<p class="caption">COMPARATIVE SIZE OF SUN AS SEEN FROM THE PLANETS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Then Uncle Robert would not mind going to -Mercury," said Harry, laughing, "if he is getting -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_40' name='Page_40'>[40]</a></span> -to like the heat in India. But I do not want -him to go yet, as he might never come back -again; and what would we do without him?" -</p> - -<p> -"What would we?" said Nellie mournfully, -her eyes filling with tears at the very thought. -</p> - -<p> -"Is a planet made of earth and stones and -trees and flowers, just like planet Earth?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-040.jpg" width="380" height="600" alt="COMPARATIVE SIZE OF THE PLANETS." /> -<p class="caption">COMPARATIVE SIZE OF THE PLANETS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Yes, dear," replied his sister; "only some -planets, like Jupiter and Saturn, are still wrapped -up in a blanket of clouds and steam, and we -cannot see them yet. They are very hot indeed, -and all the water that will make the oceans -and seas and bays is now steam and clouds -hiding the true planet from view. Water could -no more rest on the surface of the planets Jupiter -and Saturn than it could rest on red-hot iron. -Don't you remember, the other day, when nurse -upset a cup of water on the hot stove, how the -water sizzled and turned into steam in a moment? -</p> - -<p> -"Now planet earth, a long time ago, when -it was a very young world, was very hot like -Jupiter. All the lakes and seas and oceans -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_41' name='Page_41'></a></span> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_42' name='Page_42'>[42]</a></span> -were turned into steam and blankets of cloud. -It would have been a very uncomfortable world -to live on then. But it became cooler and -cooler, and the clouds changed into the oceans -and seas and lakes that make our earth so -beautiful. -</p> - -<p> -"Some day this little world will grow old, and -the oceans will get smaller and smaller, and the -earth colder and colder. Then there will be -scarcely any air to breathe, and we would gasp, -and die just like that poor fish that Uncle Robert -caught last week and threw in the bottom of the -boat. Don't you remember, Nellie, how the poor -little thing gasped and jumped around? It could -not live out of the water, so it died. Now, we -cannot live without air, and if this earth had not -any air we would die. But this will not happen -for a very long time." -</p> - -<p> -"Are you quite sure?" asked Harry, with an -anxious look on his face; "because I don't want -to die yet, sister." -</p> - -<p> -"Quite sure, my little brother," she said, kissing -him tenderly; "for hundreds and hundreds -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_43' name='Page_43'>[43]</a></span> -of years must pass away before anyone will have -any idea that the earth is growing old." -</p> - -<p> -"And what will become of the poor little fishes -when the oceans dry up?" asked Nellie sadly, as -she clasped her dollie closely in her arms, as -though to protect it from the coming trouble. -</p> - -<p> -"I expect they will all die," said Harry wisely; -"because you know, Nellie, they can't live out of -water. Can they?" -</p> - -<p> -"Or else that fish Uncle Robert caught would -have lived," said Nellie. "But please tell us -a story about Mercury, Cousin Mary, and the -other little planets." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Mercury is a very little planet, and -instead of taking a year of three hundred and -sixty-five days, it goes around the sun in eighty-eight -days. That is, it goes round the sun four -times while we go round it only once. Some -think Mercury always keeps the same side turned -to the sun, so that it is always day on one side -and night on the other, but we are not quite sure -about this yet." -</p> - -<p> -"I should like to live on Mercury, wouldn't -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_44' name='Page_44'>[44]</a></span> -you, Harry?" said Nellie, clapping her hands -with glee. "Just think of day all the time, and -never having to go to sleep!" -</p> - -<p> -"But you would get very tired of that," said -Mary, "and long for the night to come. And, -besides, would you not miss seeing the moon and -the beautiful stars?" -</p> - -<p> -"I would live on the edge of Mercury," said -Harry thoughtfully, "so that when I was tired -of day I might slip around it and have night. It -must be very cold on the other side, where the -sun does not shine, if Mercury gets all its heat -from the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"I suspect it is," said Mary, "and I don't -believe we should like to live on Mercury, after -all; so let us try the next planet, which is called -Venus." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF PLANET VENUS. -</h3> - -<p> -"What a pretty name," said Nellie; "and is -Venus very warm, like Mercury?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is not so near to the sun," replied Mary, -"but it is about twice as warm and bright as our -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_45' name='Page_45'>[45]</a></span> -planet. Venus is nearly as large as the earth, -and sometimes she is called her twin sister. -</p> - -<p> -"Like Mercury, she may probably always turn -the same face to the sun, and get baked on one -side and frozen on the other. She looks like -a beautiful silver globe in the sky. Sometimes -we see her early in the morning as a morning -star, or just about twilight as an evening star. -Like Mercury and the earth, she borrows all her -light from the sun. We only see her because the -sun is shining on her. Next to Venus is our own -planet, earth, and around it circles the moon, -but I must tell you about that another time." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_46' name='Page_46'>[46]</a></span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-045.jpg" width="500" height="585" alt="EARTH IN SPACE." /> -<p class="caption">EARTH IN SPACE.</p> -<a id='P47' name='P47'></a></div> - -<h3> -ESTELLE'S ASTRONOMY. -</h3> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_47' name='Page_47'>[47]</a></span> -</p> - -<p class="center"> -BY DELIA HART STONE. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Our little Estelle</p> -<p class="i1">Was perplexed when she found</p> -<p>That this wonderful world</p> -<p class="i1">That we live on is round.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>How 'tis held in its place</p> -<p class="i1">In its orbit so true</p> -<p>Was a puzzle to her,</p> -<p class="i1">With no answer in view.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"It must be," said Estelle,</p> -<p class="i1">"Like a ball in the air</p> -<p>That is hung by a string;</p> -<p class="i1">But the string isn't there!"</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>St. Nicholas, March, 1896.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P47b' name='P47b'></a></div> - -<h3> -VENUS. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Fairest of stars, last in the train of night,</p> -<p>If better thou belong not to the dawn,</p> -<p>Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn</p> -<p>With thy bright circlet.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Milton.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_48' name='Page_48'>[48]</a></span> -<a id='P48' name='P48'></a></p> - -<h3> -THE EVENING STAR. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Lo! in the painted oriel of the West,</p> -<p class="i1">Whose panes the sunken sun incarnadines,</p> -<p class="i1">Like a fair lady at her casement, shines</p> -<p>The evening star, the star of love and rest!</p> -<p>And then anon she doth herself divest</p> -<p class="i1">Of all her radiant garments, and reclines</p> -<p class="i1">Behind the somber screen of yonder pines,</p> -<p>With slumber and soft dreams of love oppressed.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>O my beloved, my sweet Hesperus!</p> -<p class="i1">My morning and my evening star of love!</p> -<p>My best and gentlest lady! even thus,</p> -<p class="i1">As that fair planet in the sky above,</p> -<p>Dost thou retire unto thy rest at night,</p> -And from thy darkened window fades the light. -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Longfellow.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P48b' name='P48b'></a></div> - -<h3> -MERCURY. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>First, Mercury, amid full tides of light,</p> -<p>Rolls next the sun, through his small circle bright;</p> -<p>Our earth would blaze beneath so fierce a ray,</p> -<p>And all its marble mountains melt away.</p> -<p>Fair Venus next fulfills her larger round,</p> -<p>With softer beams and milder glory crowned;</p> -<p>Friend to mankind, she glitters from afar,</p> -<p>Now the bright evening, now the morning star.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Baker.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_49' name='Page_49'>[49]</a></span> -<a id='P49' name='P49'></a></p> - -<h2> -A RAMBLE ON THE MOON. -</h2> - -<p> -The moon was shining brightly and flooding -Harry's room with its rays. He was suffering so -very much, and had tried in vain to sleep. Presently -he asked his nurse if she would not let -Mary come and talk to him. "It will not tire -me," he begged earnestly; "and it does tire me -to lie here hour after hour with no one to talk to." -</p> - -<p> -His nurse understood him so well, and her -heart ached for the lonely child who had so little -to amuse him in life. She never refused a request -if it were at all possible to grant it. So she -called his sister Mary, who hastened at once to -his room, and brother and sister were soon far -away on a ramble in starland. -</p> - -<p> -"We shall go to the moon this evening," she -began, "and find out what a queer old world -it is." -</p> - -<p> -"Old?" asked Harry; "why do you call it -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_50' name='Page_50'>[50]</a></span> -old, when it looks so bright and new? See, -sister, how it seems to be looking right into the -window and watching us. I wonder if it knows -what we are saying about it. Now what would -it think if it heard you calling it old?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-049.jpg" width="550" height="469" alt="THE MOON." /> -<p class="caption">THE MOON.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"But it is," said Mary, laughing; "and very -old indeed. Its face is wrinkled and scarred, and -is just like that of the old dried-up apple we -found in the orchard the other day." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_51' name='Page_51'>[51]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"What makes it so bright, then, if it is so -old?" asked Harry, as he looked curiously at the -moon. -</p> - -<p> -"It borrows its light from the sun," replied his -sister; "if the sun were to stop shining you would -not be able to see the moon at all. It would be -as dark as night and twice as gloomy." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you think there are people on the moon?" -asked Harry excitedly. -</p> - -<p> -"No, dear, not even the 'Man in the Moon,' -though I am going to tell you some stories about -him presently. Besides, no one could live on the -moon, as there is not any air to breathe, and you -cannot live without air. There is not any water -to drink; in fact, there is not a drop of water on -the moon." -</p> - -<p> -"Then it must be very old," said Harry -thoughtfully, "because you know you told me, -sister, some time ago, that if a planet grows very -old all the oceans and bays disappear." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, the moon is very old; it is a dead world. -If you could go there, you would find it a very -gloomy spot. There are no trees or flowers; and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_52' name='Page_52'>[52]</a></span> -there is not even a blade of grass. The sky is -always black and the stars shine night and day. -The shadows are so black on the moon that it -would be a fine place to play hide-and-seek. The -moment you stepped into a shadow you would -become invisible." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-051.jpg" width="550" height="347" alt="SCENERY ON THE MOON." /> -<p class="caption">SCENERY ON THE MOON.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Just like the prince in the fairy tale who put -on a little cap and no one could see him," said -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes; that prince would not need the cap on -the moon. If he did not want anyone to know -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_53' name='Page_53'>[53]</a></span> -he was there, all he would have to do would be to -keep in the shadow. No one would hear his footsteps, -as not a sound can be heard on the moon. -It would be useless to speak, as there is no air to -carry the sound of a voice." -</p> - -<p> -"I should not like to go to the moon, then," said -Harry seriously, "because you could not tell me -any stories, sister, could you? What would I do -then?" -</p> - -<p> -"I really cannot imagine," said Mary, laughing; -"but perhaps you might come across the -Man in the Moon and talk to him in sign-language." -</p> - -<p> -"Like the deaf-and-dumb people?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"If he could understand it," said Mary; "but -then, we know there is really not any Man in the -Moon." -</p> - -<p> -"But there is a story about him," said Harry -coaxingly, "and I do wish you would tell it to -me, just now while the moon is looking at us -from the sky." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_54' name='Page_54'>[54]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE MAN IN THE MOON. -</h3> - -<p> -"Well, once upon a time," began Mary, in true -fairy-story fashion, "there was a man who went -out into the woods and picked up sticks on a -Sunday. That was very wicked of him, you know, -because Sunday is a day of rest, and picking up -sticks is work. He tied the sticks together into a -bundle, and, putting them on his shoulder, started -to walk home with them. On the way he met a -handsome stranger, who said to him: -</p> - -<p> -"'What are you picking up sticks for on Sunday?' -</p> - -<p> -"'It does not matter to me whether it is Sunday -or Monday,' replied the man roughly. 'I -pick up sticks when I want to.' -</p> - -<p> -"'Very well, then,' replied the handsome -stranger sternly, 'since you will not observe Sunday -as a day of rest on earth, you shall have -an everlasting moon-day in heaven.' Next -moment he went whirling away to the sky, and -landed on the moon, where you can still see him -with his load of sticks on his back at full moon." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_55' name='Page_55'>[55]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Can I see him now, sister?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Not to-night," she replied, "because there is -only a quarter moon. But perhaps you can see -the face of the woman in the moon, if you look -very carefully. See her sharp chin and pointed -nose and shaggy eyebrows." -</p> - -<p> -"Why, is there a woman in the moon, too?" -asked Harry, as he looked intently at the moon, -trying to see all his sister had pointed out, but -having to rely largely upon his imagination. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE WOMAN IN THE MOON. -</h3> - -<p> -"I have heard a story of an old woman who -was sent to the moon." -</p> - -<p> -"Why, what had she done?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"She was very unhappy while on earth, because -she could not tell when the world would come to -an end; that is, when it would get old and dead -like the moon, so that no one could live on it any -longer. For this she was sent to the moon. She -has been weaving a forehead strap ever since. -Once a month she stirs a kettle of boiling hominy, -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_56' name='Page_56'>[56]</a></span> -and her cat sits beside her unraveling her net. So -she keeps on weaving and weaving, and the cat -unravels her work as soon as it is done. This -must continue to the end of time, for never till -then will her work be finished." -</p> - -<p> -"Poor old woman!" said Harry; "I wonder she -does not hide her work from the cat, or send the -cat away. But then, that is only a story. Can -you tell me another?" -</p> - -<p> -"Do you never tire of stories?" asked Mary, -smiling. -</p> - -<p> -"Never, when you tell them to me, sister. And -you seem to know such a lot of them." -</p> - -<p> -"But these stories are only fairy-tales," said -Mary, laughing; "these moon-stories, I mean." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't mind," said Harry roguishly; "we -must have a little make-up story now and then, -or I would get tired. Do you make them all up -yourself, sister?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, indeed," said Mary. "I find them here -and there and everywhere; sometimes right in -the middle of a big book on astronomy, or in the -corner of an old newspaper, or hidden away in -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_57' name='Page_57'>[57]</a></span> -a book covered with dust on the top shelf in the -library." -</p> - -<p> -"Where did you find that story about the old -woman and the cat?" -</p> - -<p> -"In a book of Indian legends, and the story is -told by the Iroquois Indians. Here is another -one I found. Would you like to hear it?" -</p> - -<p> -"You know I would, dear," said Harry, -nestling closer to his sister, as she clasped his -hand in hers. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE TOAD IN THE MOON. -</h3> - -<p> -"Once upon a time a little wolf fell very much -in love with a toad, and went a-wooing one night. -Just like the frog, 'he would a-wooing go.' You -remember, Harry, don't you?" -</p> - -<p> -"'Whether his mother would let him or no,'" -continued Harry; "of course I remember all -about him. So the wolf went after the toad -and——" -</p> - -<p> -"He prayed that the moon would light him on -his way," continued Mary; "and his prayer was -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_58' name='Page_58'>[58]</a></span> -heard. By the clear light of the full moon he -ran after the toad, and he nearly caught her, -when, what do you think happened?" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, go on, sister; tell me quickly!" said -Harry excitedly. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, the toad jumped right onto the face of -the moon, and, turning round to the wolf, said: -'How's that, Mr. Wolf?' And she is laughing at -the wolf to this day." -</p> - -<p> -"That was a clever little toad," said Harry, -laughing; "and how vexed Mr. Wolf must have -been! Are there any more people on the moon—I -mean story people?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, there is one we read about in the legend -of Hiawatha. Don't you remember how Nokomis -tells about a warrior -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'... Who very angry</p> -<p>Seized his grandmother, and threw her</p> -<p>Up into the sky at midnight,</p> -<p>Right against the moon he threw her:</p> -<p>'Tis her body that you see there.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"Do you think he meant the black marks you -can see all over the moon, sister?" -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_59' name='Page_59'>[59]</a></span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-058.jpg" width="407" height="600" alt="EARTH AS SEEN FROM THE MOON." /> -<p class="caption">EARTH AS SEEN FROM THE MOON.</p> -</div> - -<h3> -SCENERY ON THE MOON. -</h3> - -<p> -"Very likely," replied Mary; "and perhaps you -would like me to tell you what those black marks -are. They are enormous plains and gloomy -caverns on the moon. A long time ago, perhaps, -these plains were bays and seas. At least, a great -astronomer named Galileo thought they were, and -he gave them such pretty names—the Sea of -Serenity, the Bay of Dreams, the Ocean of Storms. -But he lived in the days before it was known that -there is not any water on the surface of the moon. -Then the caverns on the moon may once have -been volcanoes pouring forth hot lava and ashes, -just as the active volcanoes on the earth. But the -volcanoes in the moon have gone out. They are -now like huge dark caverns, some of them more -than fifty miles across. One is three miles deep, -and it is named Tycho, after a great astronomer of -olden times. -</p> - -<p> -"Then there are mountains on the moon just -like the mountains on earth, and quite as high. -In walking over the moon you would find it very -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_61' name='Page_61'>[61]</a></span> -rough and uneven, but you would not mind this -very much, as you would weigh so much less. -Just think, Harry, you would weigh only one-sixth -as much as you do here." -</p> - -<p> -"And what would Uncle Robert weigh?" asked -Harry, with a gleam of mischief in his eye. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-060.jpg" width="600" height="257" alt="PLANET EARTH AND THE MOON." /> -<p class="caption">PLANET EARTH AND THE MOON.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"He would only weigh forty pounds," said Mary, -laughing; "and if he played football on the moon, -a good kick would send the ball six times as far -away as here. Supposing we were on the moon -now, you could throw a stone at Uncle Robert's -house on the other side of the grounds, six hundred -yards away, and hit one of the windows." -</p> - -<p> -"I expect Uncle Robert may be glad then we -are not on the moon," said Harry, laughing; -"because I am afraid I should be throwing stones -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_62' name='Page_62'>[62]</a></span> -at the windows all the time. I can see the windows -plainly from here. There is a light in the -library." -</p> - -<p> -"Then it must be very late," said Mary, looking -over at the house; "because uncle said he would -not be home till nine o'clock. So I can only tell -you one more little story about the moon, and -then I must let you go to sleep. This story is -told by the Hindoo people, and gives the reason -why the moon shines with such a soft, silvery -light." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE HINDOO LEGEND. -</h3> - -<p> -"The Sun, the Moon, and the Wind had been -invited to dinner one day by their uncle and aunt, -Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of -the most distant stars you see far up in the sky) -waited patiently at home for the return of her -children. Sad to relate, the Sun and Wind were -both greedy and selfish, and, while enjoying the -good feast, forgot all about their poor hungry -mother at home. -</p> - -<p> -"But the gentle Moon did not forget, and whenever -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_63' name='Page_63'>[63]</a></span> -a dainty dish was placed before her she -would put part of it aside for the Star who waited -so patiently at home. When the Sun, Moon, and -Wind returned home, the Star, who had kept her -bright little eye open all night long, said: -</p> - -<p> -"'Dear children, have you brought anything -home for me?' -</p> - -<p> -"Then the Sun, who was the oldest, said: 'I -have brought nothing home for you. I went out -to enjoy myself with my friends, not to get a -dinner for my mother.' -</p> - -<p> -"And the Wind said: 'Neither have I brought -home anything for you, mother. You could -scarcely expect me to think of you when I merely -went out for my own pleasure.' -</p> - -<p> -"But the gentle Moon said: 'Mother, see all -the good things I saved for you,' and she placed -a choice dinner before her mother. -</p> - -<p> -"Then the Star turned to the Sun, and said: -'Because you went out to amuse yourself with -your friends, without any thought of your poor, -lonely mother at home, you shall be cursed. -Henceforth your rays shall be ever hot and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_64' name='Page_64'>[64]</a></span> -scorching. They shall burn all they touch, and -men shall hate you and cover their heads when -you appear.' That is why the sun is so hot to -this day. -</p> - -<p> -"Then she turned to the Wind and said: 'You -also, who forgot your mother while you were enjoying -yourself, shall be punished. You shall -always blow during the hot, dry weather, and -shall parch and shrivel all living things. Men -shall detest and avoid you from this time till the -end of the world.' That is why the wind is so -disagreeable during the hot weather. -</p> - -<p> -"But to the gentle Moon she said: 'Daughter, -because you remembered your hungry mother at -home, you shall be cool, calm, and bright. No -dazzling glare will accompany your pure rays, -and men will call you "blessed."' That is why -the moon's light is so soothing and beautiful." -</p> - -<p> -"Is that all?" asked Harry, as his sister -finished the story. -</p> - -<p> -"That is all," said Mary; "but here is a little -good-night lullaby by Eugene Field, and then -you must go to sleep: -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_65' name='Page_65'>[65]</a></span> -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'In through the window a moonbeam comes,</p> -<p>Little gold moonbeam with misty wings,</p> -<p>All silently creeping, he asks, "Are you sleeping,</p> -<p>Sleeping and dreaming, while the pretty stars sing?"'"</p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P65' name='P65'></a></div> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE NEW MOON. -</h3> - -<p class="center"> -BY MRS. FOLLEN. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i2">Dear mother, how pretty</p> -<p class="i2">The moon looks to-night!</p> -<p>She was never so cunning before;</p> -<p class="i2">Her two little horns</p> -<p class="i2">Are so sharp and bright,</p> -<p>I hope she'll not grow any more.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i2">If I were up there,</p> -<p class="i2">With you and my friends,</p> -<p>I'd rock in it nicely, you'd see;</p> -<p class="i2">I'd sit in the middle</p> -<p class="i2">And hold by both ends;</p> -<p>Oh, what a bright cradle 'twould be!</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i2">I would call to the stars</p> -<p class="i2">To keep out of the way</p> -<p>Lest we should rock over their toes;</p> -<p class="i2">And then I would rock</p> -<p class="i2">Till the dawn of the day,</p> -<p>And see where the pretty moon goes.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i2">And there we would stay</p> -<p class="i2">In the beautiful skies,</p> -<p>And through the bright clouds we would roam;</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_66' name='Page_66'>[66]</a></span> -<p class="i2">We would see the sun set,</p> -<p class="i2">And see the sun rise,</p> -<p>And on the next rainbow come home.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<i>Taken from Child-Life, edited by Whittier.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-065.jpg" width="450" height="445" alt="THE NEW MOON." /> -<a id='P66' name='P66'></a></div> - -<h3> -LADY MOON. -</h3> - -<p class="center"> -BY LORD HOUGHTON. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Lady Moon, Lady Moon, where are you roving?</p> -<p class="i4">Over the sea.</p> -<p>Lady Moon, Lady Moon, whom are you loving?</p> -<p class="i4">All that love me.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Are you not tired with rolling, and never</p> -<p class="i4">Resting to sleep?</p> -<p>Why look so pale and so sad, as forever</p> -<p class="i4">Wishing to weep?</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Ask me not this, little child, if you love me;</p> -<p class="i4">You are too bold;</p> -<p>I must obey my dear Father above me,</p> -<p class="i4">And do as I'm told.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_67' name='Page_67'>[67]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Lady Moon, Lady Moon, where are you roving?</p> -<p class="i4">Over the sea.</p> -<p>Lady Moon, Lady Moon, whom are you loving?</p> -<p class="i4">All that love me.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<i>Taken from Child-Life, edited by Whittier.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P67' name='P67'></a></div> - -<h3> -A LEGEND. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>A moonbeam once fell on the bell of a flower,</p> -<p class="i1">Way down by a silvery rill;</p> -<p>'Twas cradled to sleep in a rapturous hour,</p> -<p class="i1">When all the green forest was still.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>That flower, when golden and glad was the morning,</p> -<p class="i1">Was shriveled and wilted and thin;</p> -<p>But on the next night, all its chalice adorning,</p> -<p class="i1">The moonbeam still lingered within.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Since then has the flower been tender and creamy,</p> -<p class="i1">Wherever its petals have blown,</p> -<p>All fragile and pearly and dainty and dreamy</p> -<p class="i1">Is the night-blooming cereus known.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<i>Taken from the New York Tribune.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_68' name='Page_68'>[68]</a></span> -</p> - -<h2> -THE PLANET MARS AND THE BABY -PLANETS. -</h2> - -<p> -Next morning Harry and his little cousin Nellie, -with her doll, awaited Mary. Harry had told -Nellie about his delightful ramble on the moon -the evening before, and she was delighted with -the stories of the man, the woman, and the toad -in the moon. -</p> - -<p> -"I wonder what cousin Mary will tell us about -this morning," she said. -</p> - -<p> -"I am going to tell you about a pretty little -planet named Mars," said Mary, as she came into -the room and overheard Nellie's remark. Picking -up Nellie, and placing her on her knee, she began -the story of Mars as follows: -<a id='P68' name='P68'></a></p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF PLANET MARS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Next door to our own planet earth is a beautiful -little world tinted with red. It has snow-white -caps at the north and south poles just like -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_69' name='Page_69'>[69]</a></span> -our earth, and trees and flowers perhaps far prettier, -for all we know. But there is not much -water on Mars, because Mars is an old planet." -</p> - -<p> -"How do you know it is old?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-068.jpg" width="500" height="498" alt="THE PLANET MARS." /> -<p class="caption">THE PLANET MARS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"I know it is old," replied his sister, "because -the older a planet is, the smaller are the seas and -lakes and the amount of water on its surface. As -the planet gets older and older, the water disappears, -until not a drop is left. But there are -wonderful canals all over Mars, and if there were -boats up there, you could go all over Mars -by means of these canals. When Mr. Lowell -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_70' name='Page_70'>[70]</a></span> -looked at Mars through his fine telescope, he not -only saw the canals, but round spots where the -canals meet." -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps the spots are landing-places where -the captains take new passengers aboard," said -Harry earnestly. -</p> - -<p> -"Perhaps, Harry," said his sister, laughing; -"that is, if there are any people on Mars, and -captains and boats. How you would enjoy going -in a yacht up and down these canals, seeing the -lovely flowers and scenery on Mars, for I am sure -it must be a very beautiful little world. -</p> - -<p> -"It is not quite as bright on Mars as it is here, -since it is farther away from the sun and only gets -one-half as much light and heat. The year is also -nearly twice as long and lasts six hundred and -eighty-seven days, instead of only three hundred -and sixty-five. Therefore, the summer season is -nearly twice as long, but not nearly as warm as -here." -</p> - -<p> -"Then the winter must be twice as long and -much colder than here," Harry said. "I do not -think I should like that. But perhaps the canals -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_71' name='Page_71'>[71]</a></span> -freeze over in the winter time, and there may be -fine skating up there?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-070.jpg" width="500" height="514" alt="CANALS OF MARS (LOWELL)." /> -<p class="caption">CANALS OF MARS (LOWELL).</p> -</div> - -<p> -"No, the canals disappear altogether during the -winter time," replied Mary; "or, rather, we cannot -see them until they reappear again as faint dark -lines in the spring-time. They get wider and -wider until the summer season, then they get narrow -again and disappear. Some of them are -double, but the double lines we see may mean -only grass and ferns on each side of a large canal -fifty miles wide. When the canals double, the -little round spots at the junctions of the canals -darken. Perhaps these spots are like little islands -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_72' name='Page_72'>[72]</a></span> -in a desert, and they are covered with grass during -the summer time." -</p> - -<p> -"I should like to live on one of those little -islands," said Harry. "Wouldn't you, Nellie?" -</p> - -<p> -"If I could take my dollie with me," she replied, -as she gazed at it tenderly. "And we might go -for little boat-rides all around the islands. Do you -think there are any little girls on Mars who have -beautiful dollies like mine?" -</p> - -<p> -"I really do not know," replied Mary; "but if -there are any people living on Mars, I do know -they are not like us. We could not live there, as -there is not enough air for us to breathe. We -would gasp just as that poor fish did the other day, -when Uncle Robert hauled it up out of the lake -and threw it into the boat. We must have air, -and plenty of it, if we want to live." -</p> - -<p> -"So we could not live on Mars, could we, sister?" -said Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"It would not be comfortable," replied Mary; -"besides, it is not nearly as warm as here. Poor -Uncle Robert would nearly freeze during the long -winter. He would also find another surprise -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_73' name='Page_73'>[73]</a></span> -awaiting him if he went to Mars. Mars is a -smaller world than the earth, so everything weighs -less." -</p> - -<p> -"Ah! I see," said Harry, clapping his hands -with glee. "Uncle would not be so heavy on -Mars. How glad he would be to go there! Poor -Uncle Robert! He is so heavy he just shakes the -house when he walks across the floor. Next time -I see him I shall say: 'Go to Mars, Uncle Robert, -and see what will happen to you there.' How -much would he weigh on Mars?" -</p> - -<p> -"He weighs two hundred and forty pounds -here, and would weigh only ninety pounds there, -and you would weigh only thirty pounds. So I -could pick you up, couch and all, and carry you -as easily as Nellie carries her doll in its doll-carriage." -</p> - -<p> -"Then dollie would weigh nothing at all," said -Nellie, looking at her doll curiously. -</p> - -<p> -Harry looked puzzled, and after thinking a moment, -he said to his sister: -</p> - -<p> -"I cannot see why I would weigh less if I went -to Mars." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_74' name='Page_74'>[74]</a></span> -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-073.jpg" width="550" height="234" alt="MARS AND THE EARTH." /> -<p class="caption">MARS AND THE EARTH.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Because the planet being smaller than the -earth, it has less power to attract you and to hold -you down to its surface. The earth is like a great -magnet, and if there were not something drawing -us to it and keeping us there, we would be greatly -puzzled. Tables and chairs would not stand firm, -and we would stagger about for want of weight, -just as when a diver tries to walk in deep water. -He has to have heavy weights fastened to him so -as to keep him in place. A stone that would be -quite heavy on earth would weigh only a few -ounces on Mars. Nellie could carry this large -rocking-chair I am sitting in and eight or ten -dollies as well. Do you remember seeing the men -at the circus jumping over bars five feet high? -Well, on Mars they could jump fifteen feet, while -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_75' name='Page_75'>[75]</a></span> -the clumsy old elephant we saw there would -probably be as graceful and nimble as a deer." -</p> - -<p> -"How would football be on Mars?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Very unlike football here, dear. A good kick -would send the ball much farther than here." -</p> - -<p> -"Is Mars very far away?" asked Nellie. "If -we could go there in a train, would it take us ever -so long going?" -</p> - -<p> -"About sixty years," said Mary, laughing, "if -the train went a mile a minute. If you tried to -walk it, going four miles an hour and ten hours a -day, it would take you more than two thousand -years to get there. So, I don't think we can take -that trip, little girl, can we? But let us call on -the next-door neighbor or neighbors to Mars, for -there are about four hundred and fifty of them." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE BABY PLANETS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Four hundred and fifty little worlds?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Where can there be room for them all, and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_76' name='Page_76'>[76]</a></span> -don't they knock against each other in the -sky?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, there is plenty of room for them up there. -Besides, they are so small, some of them being -only ten miles wide." -</p> - -<p> -"Why, Uncle Robert walked ten miles the other -day," said Harry; "he could walk all around those -little worlds. And if they are so little, I suppose -he would weigh scarcely anything at all if he lived -on one of them. I should think he would be almost -like the giant with the seven-league boots. -Don't you remember, Nellie, you were reading -about him the other day. Poor little Jack the -Giant Killer would not have much chance there, -but perhaps he could fly if he weighed so little. -And how would football be on these little -worlds?" -</p> - -<p> -"You might give the ball such a kick that it -would leave the planet altogether and circle around -the sun as a planet on its own account." -</p> - -<p> -How Harry and Nellie laughed at the idea of a -football circling around the sun as a planet! -</p> - -<p> -"And is this really true?" inquired Harry. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_77' name='Page_77'>[77]</a></span> -"Why, this is better than any fairy story I ever -heard. Now, tell me some more. Don't you -think we might be able to fly on these tiny -worlds?" -</p> - -<p> -"If you could get someone to make you a pair -of wings up there, it would be quite easy to fly. -Our bodies would only weigh a few pounds, -so we ought to be able to flap a pair of wings -strong enough to keep us flying. That is, if -the air around these little worlds is as dense -as ours." -</p> - -<p> -"Don't I wish I lived there, then," said Harry -regretfully, "because it would not matter about -my being lame. And I could put on my wings -whenever I wanted to see you, Nellie, and fly -across the park, and way, way up into the sky, -and——" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, don't! Harry," said Nellie, throwing her -doll on the ground and catching hold of her cousin -in dismay; "if you go you must take me with you -too. And poor little dollie," she continued, suddenly -remembering her precious charge, "and -Cousin Mary and Uncle Robert and Aunt Agnes -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_78' name='Page_78'>[78]</a></span> -and everybody in the world. What would we do -if you flew away from us?" -</p> - -<p> -"But I can't," said Harry, laughing at her dismay; -"and it's just like a little girl to think I -would go and leave her all alone. No, we'll all -go some day, won't we?" he continued, turning to -his sister Mary; "and we'll be with the angels—and -have wings. You and Nellie and I—why, we -will all fly, and I shall forget I ever was lame on -planet earth then." -</p> - -<p> -"And will father have wings, too?" asked Nellie -curiously. "He will want a very big pair, something -like the big eagle's down at the aquarium." -</p> - -<p> -"Will he, you little rogue?" exclaimed the loud, -good-natured voice of her father, as he appeared -on the scene. "So this is where you are, and I -have been looking for you all over the house and -grounds." -</p> - -<p> -"I told nurse I would be back in a minute," -she replied. -</p> - -<p> -"A minute!" said her father, laughing heartily; -"why, you have been here nearly an hour. So -you want your father to have wings, do you, you -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_79' name='Page_79'>[79]</a></span> -little rogue! Wait till I show you how you would -fly if you had wings." The next moment he put -her up on his shoulder, dollie and all, and ran -with her across the meadow at full speed, while -she laughed merrily and clapped her hands with -delight. -</p> - -<p> -"So the party is broken up," said Harry's nurse, -who came to look after her charge. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes; one of the audience has flown," said -Harry, laughing. -</p> - -<p> -"And I must fly, too," said Mary, as she kissed -Harry lovingly. "And I shall tell you about the -rest of Giant Sun's family to-morrow. Good-by." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_80' name='Page_80'>[80]</a></span> -<a id='P80' name='P80'></a></p> - -<h2> -STORY OF JUPITER AND HIS MOONS. -</h2> - -<p> -It was several days before Mary could see Harry -again and tell him "sky-stories," as he called -them, for he had been suffering much pain. Even -her gentle voice irritated him, and perfect quiet -was ordered by the doctor until the little sufferer -was better. At last he was able to enjoy the sunlight -and the flowers and the song of the birds -again, and one bright morning he was all ready, -as he told his sister, to take another trip to Starland. -As Mary arranged the pillows on the couch -for him, and a large sunshade, so that the glare of -sunlight would not hurt his eyes, he caught hold -of her hand and, pressing it lovingly, he said: -</p> - -<p> -"Darling, what should I do without you? You -are so good to me." -</p> - -<p> -"How can I help it, little sweetheart!" said -Mary, as she turned her head aside to keep him -from seeing the tears that would come to her eyes; -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_81' name='Page_81'>[81]</a></span> -"how can I help it, when I love you so dearly. -Besides, you are my own dear little brother, and -you don't know how I missed you all last week." -</p> - -<p> -"Did you really, sister? And I was dreaming -away all day long about the wonderful stories you -have been telling me. I played football on Mars, -and had beautiful wings when I lived on the baby -planets, and flew from one to another, and now I -want to know something about the giant planets. -You said they lived next door to the little tiny -planets." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF JUPITER. -</h3> - -<p> -"Yes, next door to the baby planets we come -to the largest of all, the giant planet Jupiter. If -a tunnel were made through the center of Jupiter, -eleven globes as large as the earth, placed side -by side, would reach from one side to the other. -You could make thirteen hundred globes out of -planet Jupiter as large as the earth. If the earth -were a large snowball, and a giant could roll thirteen -hundred such snowballs into one, he would -have a ball to play with as large as planet Jupiter. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_82' name='Page_82'>[82]</a></span> -If it were made of the same material as the earth, -it would be more than three hundred times as -heavy." -</p> - -<p> -"It would take a very big giant to play with -that snowball, wouldn't it?" said Harry, smiling -at the thought. "There would not be much room -in the sky for him to play in, would there?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-081.jpg" width="550" height="381" alt="GIANT JUPITER AND THE EARTH." /> -<p class="caption">GIANT JUPITER AND THE EARTH.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Plenty of room," replied his sister, laughing; -"room for millions and millions of balls as large -as Jupiter, and much, much larger." -</p> - -<p> -"What a wonderful place the sky must be!" -said Harry, in awe. "Now, tell me some more -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_83' name='Page_83'>[83]</a></span> -about Jupiter. Didn't you tell me last week that -he is hidden away among blankets, and very, very -hot?" -</p> - -<p> -"That is right, Harry, but some day he will -cool down, and the blankets will change into -beautiful oceans and seas and lakes. Then it -will be a world like ours, with trees and flowers, -and perhaps people will live there." -</p> - -<p> -"The sun is so much further away from Jupiter -than from the earth that it gives it only one -twenty-seventh as much light and heat. If you -can imagine the sun as a bright lamp in the sky, -and someone turning down the wick of the lamp -till its light is only one twenty-seventh as bright -as it is now, you can imagine how dim the light -and small the amount of heat must be on Jupiter." -</p> - -<p> -"How long does Jupiter take in going round -the sun?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"About twelve years," replied Mary; "and the -day is only about ten hours long, instead of -twenty-four as here." -</p> - -<p> -"What a short day!" said Harry, in surprise. -"Then you could work only five hours and sleep -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_84' name='Page_84'>[84]</a></span> -five hours. I believe I would sleep all day, and -all night, too. I must tell Nellie about that next -time I see her." -</p> - -<p> -"Why did not she come this morning, I wonder?" -said Mary. "Perhaps she has gone for a -walk with her nurse." -</p> - -<p> -"I'll tell her about my trip," said Harry generously, -"when she comes over here again. And -now what else is there about Jupiter?" -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -JUPITER AS SEEN THROUGH A TELESCOPE. -</h3> - -<p> -"If you look at it through a large telescope you -will see that it is beautifully colored, as if Uncle -Robert had taken his paint-box, and dipped his -brush into browns and reds, and tinted the cloud-belts -around Jupiter here and there with touches -of yellow and orange, olive-green and purple. -Only an artist could get such beautiful effects. If -we could journey to one of the little moons of -Jupiter——" -</p> - -<p> -"Has Jupiter moons also?" asked Harry, delighted -at the thought. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_85' name='Page_85'>[85]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Five of them," said Mary; "and I shall tell -you about them later. Supposing we could journey -to one of these little moons, what a glorious -sight Jupiter would be! From the nearest -moon it would look thousands of times larger -than our moon. The colors we see only faintly -through our telescopes would present a magnificent -sight when seen at close range, while -constant changes would be taking place, as -varied as the changes in the clouds flitting across -a summer sky. Great cloud-masses drift hither -and thither with enormous speed, driven by winds -of hurricane force. By watching the changes that -take place in the clouds, we know there must be -winds blowing at the rate of nearly two hundred -miles per hour. Do you remember the cyclone -Uncle Robert told us about, when several houses -were blown down and trees uprooted?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, indeed, I do," replied Harry, "and his -poor little dog Fido was nearly killed by a falling -chimney." -</p> - -<p> -"Poor little Fido would not have much chance -on Jupiter. The storms there are ever so much -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_86' name='Page_86'>[86]</a></span> -worse than here. The strongest buildings would -be blown down in a few moments; sturdy oaks -would be uprooted and blown about by the wind -like straws." -</p> - -<p> -"Do the storms last very long?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"They last six and seven weeks at a time," replied -Mary, "so that Jupiter would scarcely be a -comfortable world to live on yet. Besides, it is -still in the fiery stage." -</p> - -<p> -"Won't you tell me some more about the little -moons of Jupiter?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE MOONS OF JUPITER. -</h3> - -<p> -"They are not so little, after all, brother, except -the first one, which is only one hundred miles wide. -It is such a shy little moon that it keeps hiding -behind Jupiter, or gets so close to him that it is -lost in the glare of light from the giant planet. -We had no idea it was there at all until an American -astronomer, Professor Barnard, caught sight -of it one evening. It was playing hide-and-seek -as usual, but Professor Barnard, with his keen -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_87' name='Page_87'>[87]</a></span> -eyes, spied the little speck of light. It is now -known as the fifth moon of Jupiter. It was only -discovered in 1892, and just think, that for the -hundreds and hundreds of years it has been there, -yet no one had seen it. The French people were -so delighted because Professor Barnard caught -sight of the little truant that they gave him a -beautiful gold medal." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-086.jpg" width="550" height="216" alt="JUPITER AND HIS MOONS." /> -<p class="caption">JUPITER AND HIS MOONS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Won't you show the little moon to me sometime?" -said Harry. "I should like to see it so -much." -</p> - -<p> -"You can only see it through a very large -telescope; but I can show you the other four -moons if Uncle Robert will lend us his telescope." -</p> - -<p> -"Here he comes," said Harry, in great glee, as -he saw Uncle Robert crossing the meadow. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_88' name='Page_88'>[88]</a></span> -"Won't you bring over your telescope this evening?" -said Harry pleadingly, as he told him what -Mary had just said. -</p> - -<p> -"Certainly, my little man," his uncle replied; -"but we can only see three of the moons this -evening as one of them is eclipsed." -</p> - -<p> -"What's that?" said Harry, in surprise at the -strange word. -</p> - -<p> -"Eclipsed means hidden," said Mary, laughing. -"If Uncle Robert stands right in front of you, as -he is doing just now, he hides me from you, so I -am eclipsed." -</p> - -<p> -"Very true," said Uncle Robert, laughing -heartily at the hint. "Planet Mary is eclipsed by -Uncle Robert, and poor little Planet Harry cannot -see her till Uncle Robert gets out of the way." -This he immediately proceeded to do, and next -moment he was pursuing Fido, who was having -a not over-friendly encounter with a strange cat -in a neighbor's garden. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, dear," said Harry, in distress, "where -were we? We were up in the sky among the -planets, and now Uncle Robert has brought us -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_89' name='Page_89'>[89]</a></span> -back again to earth. Do listen to poor Fido." -He certainly seemed to be getting the worse of the -encounter with Pussy; but when Uncle Robert -came to the rescue the enemy vanished, and Fido, -nothing daunted, went in search of other prey. -When peace and quiet were once more restored, -Mary resumed her story. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -ECLIPSE OF JUPITER'S MOONS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Do you know, the appearance and disappearance -of the little moons of Jupiter once gave a -great deal of trouble to astronomers. They had -a way of appearing a little too soon or a little too -late. They were very seldom on time. This was -very provoking, as astronomers were rather proud -of being able to tell exactly when these little -moons could be seen. At last they found out -what was the matter, and that they were to blame -and not the moons. We see the little moons on -account of their light, and light takes time to -travel. Don't you remember, I told you sound -travels a mile in five seconds. Light travels even -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_90' name='Page_90'>[90]</a></span> -more quickly, for it only takes a little over a second -in coming to us from the moon. It takes -about eight minutes in coming to us from the sun; -but Jupiter is about five times as far away from -us as the sun, so that light takes about half an -hour in coming to us from Jupiter. We do not -see it as it is, but as it was more than half an hour -ago, when its rays of light started out to Planet -Earth. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, Jupiter, in going around the sun, is -sometimes on the same side of the sun as we are. -Then the light from the moons reaches us in about -thirty-two minutes. But when Jupiter is on the -opposite side of the sun, and as far away from us -as it can be, then light takes as much as forty-eight -minutes in coming here—over a quarter of -an hour longer. So a clever astronomer decided -that when Jupiter and his moons are nearest to us, -it does not take as long for their light to reach us -as when they are farther away, and this is because -light, like sound, must have time to travel. -</p> - -<p> -"Even though light can go round the earth seven -times in a second, traveling at the rate of about -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_91' name='Page_91'>[91]</a></span> -186,000 miles a second, yet, as Jupiter is millions -of miles away, it takes light about half an hour, -and some times forty-eight minutes, for it to cross -that great distance. It is just the same as if -Uncle Robert were in India. It would take him a -much longer time to come and see you than if he -were at his home just a few hundred yards away. -It takes time for him to travel here, just as it -takes time for light to travel from the little -moons of Jupiter." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish we had five moons shining on our -earth," said Harry; "how pretty it would be! -Does it take the moons as long as our moon to -get around Jupiter?" -</p> - -<p> -"They are much livelier than our moon," replied -Mary; "and the second moon flies right -around Jupiter in a little more than a day and a -half, and even the outside moon only takes about -two weeks; so there must always be a moon shining -in the sky for Jupiter. These moons, except -the moon discovered by Professor Barnard, are -all larger than our moon, and the fourth one is -nearly as large as Mars. But I hear the bell for -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_92' name='Page_92'>[92]</a></span> -lunch, Harry, and I must run away now. I will -tell you about the other planets later." -</p> - -<p> -"How many are there?" said Harry, as his -sister kissed him good-by. -</p> - -<p> -"Only three," replied Mary; "and I shall tell -you about them to-morrow, if you are not too -tired." -</p> - -<p> -"Too tired!" said Harry. "I am never too -tired to listen to you." -<a id='P92' name='P92'></a></p> - -<h3>JUPITER.</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Oh! that it were my doom to be</p> -<p class="i1">The spirit of yon beauteous star,</p> -<p>Dwelling up there in purity,</p> -<p class="i1">Alone, as all such bright things are;</p> -<p>My sole employ to pray and shine,</p> -<p>To light my censer at the sun!</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright"><i>Moore: Loves of the Angels</i>.</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P92b' name='P92b'></a></div> - -<h3>A LESSON IN ASTRONOMY.</h3> -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The solar system puzzled us,</p> -<p class="i1">Miss Mary said she thought it would,</p> -<p>And so she gave us each a name,</p> -<p>And made it all into a game,</p> -<p class="i1">And then we understood.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_93' name='Page_93'>[93]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Theresa, with her golden hair</p> -<p class="i1">All loose and shining, was the sun,</p> -<p>And 'round her Mercury and Mars,</p> -<p>Venus, and all the other stars</p> -<p class="i1">Stood waiting, every one.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>I was the earth, with little Nell</p> -<p class="i1">Beside me for the moon so round,</p> -<p>And Saturn had two hoops for rings,</p> -<p>And Mercury a pair of wings,</p> -<p class="i1">And Jupiter was crowned.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Then when Miss Mary waved her hand,</p> -<p class="i1">Each slow and stately in our place,</p> -<p>We circled round the sun until</p> -<p>A comet, that was little Will,</p> -<p class="i1">Came rushing on through space.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>He darted straight into our midst,</p> -<p class="i1">He whirled among us like a flash,</p> -<p>The stars went flying, and the sun,</p> -<p>And laughing, breathless, wild with fun,</p> -<p class="i1">The "system" went to smash.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright"><i>—Youth's Companion.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_94' name='Page_94'>[94]</a></span> -<a id='P94' name='P94'></a></p> - -<h2> -THE GIANT PLANETS. -</h2> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE PLANET SATURN. -</h3> - -<p> -Harry had spent a most delightful evening -looking through Uncle Robert's telescope at the -little moons of Jupiter, and he also had seen the -planet Saturn, with its rings and moons. Next -evening when his sister came to talk with him he -had many questions to ask her. First of all he -wanted to know what the rings were made of. -</p> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_95' name='Page_95'>[95]</a></span> -</p> -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-093.jpg" width="500" height="255" alt="THE RINGED PLANET SATURN." /> -<p class="caption">THE RINGED PLANET SATURN.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Millions of little moons," replied his sister. -"I wish you could see Saturn and its rings through -the great telescope at the Lick Observatory. It -makes such a pretty picture. Like Jupiter, the -planet Saturn is surrounded by clouds; but they -are tinted with blue at the poles, yellow elsewhere, -and dotted here and there with brown; purple, and -red spots. Around the center is a creamy white -belt. Then, there are eight moons that accompany -Saturn in its journey around the sun; but they -give very little light to the planet, since if they -could all be full together they would give but a -sixteenth part of the light we receive from the -moon." -</p> - -<p> -"Why is that?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE PLANET URANUS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Because Saturn is so far away from the Sun," -replied Mary. "Next to Saturn we find Uranus. -This planet was first seen by William Herschel, -who afterwards became one of the greatest astronomers -the world has ever known. When -Herschel was a little boy his home was in Hanover. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_96' name='Page_96'>[96]</a></span> -He had great talent for music, and when -he was fourteen years old he joined the band of -the Hanoverian Guards. What a proud boy he -was when he dressed in his new uniform! However, -pride must have a fall, and it was not very -long before he wished he had never entered the -army. Just about this time war broke out between -France and England, and as Hanover -belonged to the English it was attacked by the -French. The Hanoverian Guards were badly defeated. -Herschel spent the night after the battle -hiding away in a ditch, and next day, assisted by -his friends, he ran away to England. There he -continued his musical studies, and some years later -he became a fine organist." -</p> - -<p> -"Did he have to play a big organ like the one -in our church?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Something like that, I suppose," said Mary; -"and he played very well indeed. He learned -more and more about music, and in the evenings -when going and coming from the church he used -to notice the beautiful stars overhead, and he -wished to learn something about them." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_97' name='Page_97'>[97]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Just the way I feel," said Harry. "I get -nurse to pull up the window curtain at night so -that I can see the stars from my bed, and they -seem to laugh and wink their little eyes at me as -if they knew I was watching them. Did Herschel -have a telescope like the one Uncle Robert -has?" -</p> - -<p> -"He was not so fortunate, but he wanted one -very much indeed. So he borrowed a telescope -from a friend, and every night after practicing in -the church he would amuse himself looking at -the stars. He longed to have a telescope of his -own; but he found that they cost more than he -could afford to pay, so he decided to make one. -He bought all that was necessary, and turned his -home for the time into a workshop. He had a -dear, good-natured sister named Caroline, and she -did all she could to help her brother. Sometimes -he was too busy to eat and she used to feed him. -When he was tired she would read to him from -the 'Arabian Nights.'" -</p> - -<p> -"The same book I have?" asked Harry, in -surprise. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_98' name='Page_98'>[98]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"The very same; and this helped to pass away -the time while Herschel polished away on the -great mirror of his telescope. When the telescope -was finished people came from far and near -to see it. One evening when Herschel was gazing -at the stars with this magic glass he spied a -star not marked down on his charts. 'Something -wrong here,' thought Herschel; 'this must be a -comet.' But after noticing it for a while he found -that it was not a comet, but a planet or wanderer -among the stars." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PLANET AND A STAR. -</h3> - -<p> -"How could he tell the difference?" asked -Harry. "When I looked at Planet Jupiter last -night it looked like the stars, only rounder and -bigger." -</p> - -<p> -"The planets are so much nearer to us than the -stars that we can follow them as they slowly creep -between us and the stars in their journey around -the sun. The stars are so far away that we would -have to watch them for thousands of years before -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_99' name='Page_99'>[99]</a></span> -they would seem to move at all, yet we know they -are moving." -</p> - -<p> -"Are the stars moving?" said Harry, in surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, they are moving, just as distant steamers -seen at sea are moving; but they are so far away -that they seem motionless. Don't you remember -how we used to watch them from the seashore. -Still they were going as fast as steam could take -them. We might compare the steamers to the -stars, and the little boats nearer shore were more -like the planets. We could easily follow the boats -with our eyes as they danced over the waves, and -in the same way we can easily follow the planets -as they creep across the sky, because they are so -much nearer to us than the stars." -</p> - -<p> -"The new planet was called Uranus, although -at first the friends of Herschel wanted to name -it after him. Next to Uranus comes the planet -Neptune, which was discovered before it was ever -seen." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_100' name='Page_100'>[100]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE DISCOVERY OF PLANET NEPTUNE. -</h3> - -<p> -"How could that happen?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Because Uranus behaved so strangely," replied -his sister. "The planets attract each other; for -instance, the earth is swayed to and fro by Jupiter -and Venus, and a great struggle is always -going on among the planets in the family of Giant -Sun. It could be plainly seen that Saturn was -taking part in the struggle and dragging Uranus -toward it, but something beyond the newly discovered -planet was pulling it the other way. -'There must be another planet,' said the astronomers, -and they were right. After puzzling over -the problem two astronomers found the truant, -and announced exactly when and where it was to -be seen. And there it was, nearly exactly where -these learned men said it would be. The new -planet was christened Neptune, and it takes about -one hundred and sixty-four years to go around the -sun. It is so far away from the sun that it only -receives one nine-hundredth of the amount of -light and heat we receive on planet earth." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_101' name='Page_101'>[101]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Then it must be very cold on planet Neptune?" -said Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"And very dark also," said Mary, "since from -this planet the sun only looks as large as an electric -light seen at a distance of a few feet." -</p> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_102' name='Page_102'>[102]</a></span> -</p> -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-100.jpg" width="500" height="587" alt="SIZE OF PLANETS, COMPARED WITH THE SUN." /> -<p class="caption">SIZE OF PLANETS, COMPARED WITH THE SUN.</p> -<a id='P102' name='P102'></a></div> - -<h3> -"IS IT TRUE?" -</h3> - -<p class="center"> -BY MORGAN GROWTH. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> - -<p>She stood where the winter sunlight</p> -<p class="i1">Seemed opening into the skies—</p> -<p>(She was only a little girl, you see,</p> -<p class="i1">And her teacher was old and wise).</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"You never can be promoted,"</p> -<p class="i1">That wise, wise teacher said,</p> -<p>"For the lesson you need the most of all</p> -<p class="i1">You leave unlearned, little maid."</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"I didn't like to say it"—</p> -<p class="i1">Her answer was grave, and slow—</p> -<p>"That the earth goes whirling 'round like a ball,</p> -<p class="i1">For I don't see how they know.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"I'll write it down on my paper,</p> -<p class="i1">(The one that I hand to you)</p> -<p>But when I die I shall find the Lord,</p> -<p class="i1">And ask Him if it's true."</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The classes were called without her,</p> -<p class="i1">And the schooldays come and go,</p> -<p>And other children wonder and wait—</p> -<p class="i1">It is hers alone to know.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_103' name='Page_103'>[103]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Sometimes, in the empty schoolroom,</p> -<p class="i1">The teacher is left alone</p> -<p>With the echoes that linger about the place</p> -<p class="i1">And call from stone to stone.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>And, lo, with this world's learning</p> -<p class="i1">Before his wondering view,</p> -<p>He goes to his Lord—his all-wise Lord,</p> -<p class="i1">And asks Him if it's true.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<i>From Child-Study Monthly.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_104' name='Page_104'>[104]</a></span> -<a id='P104' name='P104'></a></p> - -<h2> -COMETS AND METEORS. -</h2> - -<p> -A few evenings later Mary had a wonderful -story to tell her brother about some visitors from -space who often visit the kingdom of Giant Sun. -"They are called comets, or hairy stars, but I -rather enjoy calling them 'celestial tramps.'" -</p> - -<p> -"What are they like?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF COMETS. -</h3> - -<p> -"They usually have a bright golden head, sometimes -as large as the earth, and as they approach -the sun they adorn themselves with a glittering -train millions of miles in length. Some of the -comets are regular visitors, and we know just when -to expect them; others come, and do not return for -hundreds of years, while a few visit the sun never -to return again." -</p> - -<p> -"Where do they come from?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-104.jpg" width="450" height="470" alt="A COMET." /> -<p class="caption">A COMET.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"We scarcely know," replied Mary, "except -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_105' name='Page_105'>[105]</a></span> -that it is from outer space, just like tramps on -earth. We do not know where tramps come from, -nor do we expect to see them again. If they do -revisit us, however, we can usually recognize -them. Do you remember the old man who came -to the kitchen door the other day and begged for -food? You felt so sorry for him. You would know -him if you saw him again on account of his long -white beard, white hair, and shabby clothes. -</p> - -<p> -"When a celestial tramp returns, however, it is -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_106' name='Page_106'>[106]</a></span> -not so easy to recognize it. When it first greeted -us it may have had a large head and a gorgeous -train millions of miles in length. Next time we -see it, how it has changed! Its head may be -small, its train may have vanished, or it may be -the proud owner of three or four trains. A comet -usually changes its appearance at every visit. -Just as if the old man we saw the other day were -to cut off his beard, dye his hair black, and wear -Uncle Robert's dress-suit. We should not know -him, should we, Harry?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-105.jpg" width="500" height="340" alt="OLD PICTURE OF A COMET." /> -<p class="caption">OLD PICTURE OF A COMET.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"I should think not," said Harry, laughing at -the very idea. "Then how can you tell when the -same comet visits us again?" -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_107' name='Page_107'>[107]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Because it has a regular path marked out for -it in the sky," replied Mary, "and it travels along -that path unless something happens to it on the -way. It may go too near giant planet Jupiter. -Just like our tramp again. Let us suppose he has -a regular path marked out and it takes him across -Uncle Robert's farm and leads to our kitchen -door. We may expect to see Mr. Tramp to-morrow, -but as he crosses the farm a dog bites him -and frightens him away. Perhaps then we may -not see him again." -</p> - -<p> -"Poor old man," laughed Harry. "I hope that -won't happen to him. Do the 'celestial tramps' -travel very quickly through the sky?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not very quickly until they come close to the -sun. Then they rush around it ever so much -faster than an express train; but as they recede -from the sun they go more slowly until they seem -only to creep along, as if worn out by their -long journey. They also lose their trains after -they go away from the sun, and the train becomes -shorter and shorter, till the comet looks like a -round, fluffy ball, just as it did before it came too -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_108' name='Page_108'>[108]</a></span> -near the sun. It is the sun's heat that drives the -particles from the head of the comet and forms a -train." -</p> - -<p> -"What are comets made of?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Of millions of tiny little particles covered -with coats of glowing gas. These particles are -made up of carbon, sodium, iron, and magnesium. -You will find plenty of sodium in the sea, while -common table salt is partly sodium. You know -what magnesium is. Some of that medicine -doctor gives you is made of it." -</p> - -<p> -"So if I get some iron and salt and coal -and some of my medicine, and put them all -together, I should have a bit of a comet," said -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"But you must remember the coal, iron, -sodium, and magnesium must be very much -heated, and don't forget the coat of gas. Sometimes -a comet breaks into pieces, and the fragments -travel along by themselves as meteors." -</p> - -<p> -"Sometimes the earth plunges through swarms -of meteors, which journey in regular paths around -the sun. At such a time, the bright masses seem -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_109' name='Page_109'>[109]</a></span> -to fall in showers from the sky. There are three -great showers which we always know when to expect. -Some come in August, some on the 13th -or 14th of November, and there is another shower -which always appears within a day or two of the -27th of November. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'If you November's stars would see,</p> -<p>From twelfth to fourteenth watching be,</p> -<p>In August too stars shine from heaven,</p> -<p>On nights between nine and eleven.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF METEORS. -</h3> - -<p> -"What are meteors?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Meteors are great masses of stone or iron -which sometimes weigh several tons. Lieutenant -Peary found one not long ago in the Arctic regions, -and it weighed about eighty tons. It is -lucky for us that many meteors do not fall on the -earth, or we should have to walk about with iron -umbrellas over our heads as a protection. When -they do fall on earth, they are much prized and -placed in our museums as curiosities. -</p> - -<p> -"A story is told about a meteor that fell on a -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_110' name='Page_110'>[110]</a></span> -farm some time ago. The landlord said it belonged -to him, for when he rented the farm to the -tenant he claimed all minerals and metals found in -the ground. -</p> - -<p> -"'But it was not on the farm when the lease -was made out,' said the tenant. -</p> - -<p> -"'Then I claim it as flying game,' replied the -landlord angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"'But it has neither wings nor feathers, so I -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_111' name='Page_111'>[111]</a></span> -lay claim to it as ground game,' said the tenant -in reply. -</p> - -<p> -"While the dispute was going on the custom-house -officers seized the meteorite, because, as they -said, it had come into the country without paying -duty." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-109.jpg" width="500" height="460" alt="A METEOR." /> -<p class="caption">A METEOR.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"That is not a true story, is it?" asked Harry, -laughing. -</p> - -<p> -"Scarcely," replied Mary; "but it was a good -joke on the landlord. And now we come to the -very smallest members of the family of Giant Sun. -I mean the shooting stars." -</p> - -<p> -"Those bright little flying stars we can see at -night?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF A SHOOTING STAR. -</h3> - -<p> -"Yes," replied Mary; "and if they could only -talk, what a wonderful story they would have to -tell! A shooting star is very much smaller than a -meteor, and the largest does not weigh more than -a quarter of an ounce. You could easily hold one -in your hand, for it is like a small stone, only, unlike -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_112' name='Page_112'>[112]</a></span> -a stone, it is always on the move. It hurries -along through space ever so much faster than an -express train, and all goes well as long as it keeps -above the blanket of air that surrounds the earth. -If it comes too near, however, it is sure to be -destroyed. It dashes into the air at the rate of -twenty-five miles a second, rubbing against every -particle it meets on its way. This makes it intensely -hot, until it glows with brilliant light. -We see it for a few moments as it flashes out -against the dark sky; but the light soon fades and -all that remains of the shooting star is its ashes. -Sometimes they sift down upon the earth and -settle on the tops of high mountains, or sink into -the ocean, or float in through an open window and -rest upon tables and books as fine dust. But -when our good housekeeper finds it there she -carefully removes it with her duster. She does -not know nor does she care where it came from; it -certainly has no right there, and she treats it with -small ceremony." -</p> - -<p> -"I wonder what she would say if she knew that -the dust had come from the sky," said Harry. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_113' name='Page_113'>[113]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"I do not think it would make any difference," -said Mary, laughing. "And now I am going to -tell you a little story about a shooting star, and -then I must say good-night. -</p> - -<p> -"It is said that the evil genii—you remember -reading about them in the Arabian Nights, don't -you, Harry?" -</p> - -<p> -"Indeed I do," he replied. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, at night they are said to fly up to the -gates of heaven and listen to the conversation of -the angels. When the angels see their hidden -foes, they hurl fiery shooting stars at them and -with so good an aim that for every shooting star -we may be sure there is one spirit of evil less in -the world." -<a id='P113' name='P113'></a></p> - -<h3> -STARLIGHT AT SEA. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Overhead the countless stars</p> -<p class="i1">Like eyes of love were beaming,</p> -<p>Underneath the weary Earth</p> -<p class="i1">All breathless lay a-dreaming.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The twilight hours like birds flew by,</p> -<p class="i1">As lightly and as free;</p> -<p>Ten thousand stars were in the sky,</p> -<p class="i1">Ten thousand in the sea.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_114' name='Page_114'>[114]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>For every wave with dimpled face</p> -<p class="i1">That leaped upon the air</p> -<p>Had caught a star in its embrace</p> -<p class="i1">And held it trembling there.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Amelia B. Welby.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_116' name='Page_116'>[116]</a></span> -</p> -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-114.jpg" width="550" height="388" alt="LICK OBSERVATORY." /> -<p class="caption">LICK OBSERVATORY.</p> -<a id='P116' name='P116'></a></div> - -<h2> -STORIES OF THE SUMMER STARS. -</h2> - -<p> -It was a glorious night in June, and the stars -sparkled like gems against the dark background -of the sky. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-115.jpg" width="500" height="425" alt="THE GREAT BEAR." /> -<p class="caption">THE GREAT BEAR.</p> -</div> - -<p> -Harry was enjoying the scene, as the doctor had -allowed him to spend the warm summer evenings -out on the lawn in front of the house. This was -a royal treat to him. He could see all the sky at -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_117' name='Page_117'>[117]</a></span> -once, he said to his sister, and could look at the -stars while she told him stories about them. First -of all, there was the Great Dipper in the North, -and the Little Dipper with the Pole Star. He -was surprised when his sister said that the Great -Dipper formed part of the group of stars known -as the Great Bear, and he listened intently while -she related the story as told in olden times by the -Grecians. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -LEGENDS OF THE GREAT BEAR. -</h3> - -<p> -"The Great Bear was said to be Calisto, the -beautiful daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia. -Juno, the wife of Jupiter, was jealous of Calisto, -and threatened to destroy her beauty. Fearing -that Juno would harm her, Jupiter changed her -into a bear. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Her arms grow shaggy and deformed with hair,</p> -<p>Her nails are sharpened into pointed claws,</p> -<p>Her hands bear half her weight, and turn to paws;</p> -<p>Her lips, that once could tempt a god, begin</p> -<p>To grow distorted in an ugly grin;</p> -<p>And, lest the supplicating brute might reach</p> -The ears of Jove, she was deprived of speech.' -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_118' name='Page_118'>[118]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Calisto had a son named Arcas, who became -a great hunter. One day he roused a bear in the -chase, and, not knowing that it was his mother, -was about to kill her, when Jupiter, taking pity -on them both, changed Arcas into the Little -Bear." -</p> - -<p> -"Who was Jupiter?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"In the olden times, he was supposed to live -on the top of Mount Olympus, with his beautiful -wife Juno. When Jupiter was angry with people, -it is said he would hurl thunderbolts at them, and -when he was pleased he placed them after death -among the stars." -</p> - -<p> -"So he was pleased with Calisto and her -son?" said Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"So the story says," replied Mary. "But he -also seemed to be afraid of his jealous wife Juno. -</p> - -<p> -"A modern Greek legend gives another account -of this constellation or group of stars. It is supposed -that at one time the sky was made of glass -and it touched the earth on both sides. It was -soft and thin, and someone nailed a bear skin upon -it, and the nails became stars; and the tail is represented -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_119' name='Page_119'>[119]</a></span> -by the three bright stars known as the -handle of the Great Dipper. -</p> - -<p> -"Another story is told about a princess who -was turned into a bear on account of her pride in -rejecting all suitors. For this her skin was nailed -to the sky as a warning to other proud maidens. -</p> - -<p> -"Would you like to hear what the Indians tell -about the Great Bear?" asked Mary. -</p> - -<p> -"Indeed I should," replied Harry. "I had no -idea the Indians looked at the stars." -</p> - -<p> -"They spend so much time on the open plains -that they cannot help noticing them," said Mary; -"and they tell many strange legends about -them. The Iroquois Indians tell the following -story about the Great Bear, which must have -seemed like a Bear to them, just as it did to the -Grecians. -</p> - -<p> -"Once upon a time a party of hunters who -were in pursuit of a bear were suddenly attacked -by three monster stone giants who destroyed all -but three of them. These, together with the -bear, were carried up to the sky by invisible -hands. The bear is still being pursued by the -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_120' name='Page_120'>[120]</a></span> -first hunter with his bow, the second hunter -carries a kettle, and the third is carrying sticks -wherewith to light a fire when the bear is -killed. Only in the autumn does the hunter -pierce the bear with an arrow, and it is said -that it is the dripping blood that tinges the -autumn foliage." -</p> - -<p> -"I like that story," said Harry. "Don't you -know another bear story?" -</p> - -<p> -"I can tell you one," replied his sister, "that -is told by the Fox Indians of Louisiana. In the -days of long ago the Indians believed that the -trees were able to walk about at night and talk to -each other. One dark night as a bear was wandering -homeward through a lonely wood, he was -very much surprised to see the trees walking -about, nodding their heads and whispering to -each other. -</p> - -<p> -"At first Mr. Bear thought it was only the -wind; but where he saw a mighty oak before him, -the next moment it was far behind him or on -the other side of the road. Presently he happened -to run against a tree. It was the oak, the -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_121' name='Page_121'>[121]</a></span> -lord of trees. The oak was angry and reached -out one of its long branches and grabbed the bear -by the tail. The bear struggled all night long to -get away, and at last the oak, losing all patience, -gave his tail a final twist and hurled him up into -the sky. They say his tail was stretched in the -struggle." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORIES OF THE GREAT DIPPER. -</h3> - -<p> -"That is a funny story," said Harry, enjoying -the account of Mr. Bear. "Are there any stories -about the Great Dipper? I wonder why it is -called the 'Dipper'?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-121.jpg" width="550" height="572" alt="THE GREAT DIPPER AND THE LITTLE DIPPER." /> -<p class="caption">THE GREAT DIPPER AND THE LITTLE DIPPER.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Because it is supposed to look like a dipper," -replied Mary. "You can see the four large stars -representing the dipper and the three stars that -form the handle. It is known as the 'Saucepan' -in the South of France, and in other parts of -France it is called the 'Chariot of David.' In -England it is called the 'Plow' and sometimes -'Charles's Wain.' That means wagon. In Italy -it is known as the 'Car of Bootes.' Bootes was -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_122' name='Page_122'>[122]</a></span> -supposed to be an ox-driver and inventor of the -plow—the Dipper. One day the driver, oxen, -and plow were suddenly lifted off the earth and -placed in the sky. You can see Bootes now, and -in front of him are the seven stars of the Great -Dipper, which he must drive around the Pole Star -for all eternity. -</p> - -<p> -"A pretty story is told of a peasant who met -our Saviour near the shores of Galilee and gave -Him a ride in his wagon. As a reward he was -offered a home in heaven; but he preferred to -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_123' name='Page_123'>[123]</a></span> -drive his wagon from east to west for all eternity, -and his wish was granted. There stands his -wagon in the sky, and the brightest of the three -stars is called 'The Rider.' -</p> - -<p> -"In North Germany 'The Rider' is supposed -to start out on his journey before midnight, and to -return twenty-four hours later, his wagon turning -round with a great noise. He urges on his horses -with loud cries of 'hi! he!' which it is said -have sometimes been heard by lucky mortals." -</p> - -<p> -"Hush, sister," said Harry softly; "let us see -if we can hear him now." -</p> - -<p> -"No, you could only hear him at midnight," -replied his sister—"that is, if the story were true." -</p> - -<p> -"It is only like a fairy story, then?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"All these stories are fairy stories," replied -Mary; "and here is another. -</p> - -<p> -"A Basque legend relates that a certain husbandman -had two oxen stolen from him by two -wicked thieves. He sent his laborer after them, -but he did not return. Then he sent his housekeeper, -and his dog, and finally he decided to go -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_124' name='Page_124'>[124]</a></span> -after the thieves himself. He was so angry that -he lost his temper, and in punishment for the remarks -he made he was condemned to continue his -search through the sky for all eternity. There -you can see him now. The two oxen are the first -two stars, then follow the two thieves, and lastly -the two servants, the husbandman, and the little -dog." -</p> - -<p> -"Where is the little dog?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Look at the three stars in the handle of the -Dipper," replied Mary. "Now look at the middle -star, and if you have good eyes you can see a little -star close beside it. Here, look through this -opera-glass and you can see it better." -</p> - -<p> -"I see it now," said Harry, as he looked -through the glasses. "So that is the little -dog?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes," replied his sister; "and the Arabians -gave it the name of Alcor." -</p> - -<p> -"Dear little Alcor," said Harry, as he continued -looking at him, "I am going to look for you -every evening now, because I can see the Great -Dipper from my window." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_125' name='Page_125'>[125]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"So you can," replied Mary; "I forgot that it -faced north. -</p> - -<p> -"The American Indians tell a quaint story about -the Little Dipper. Would you like to hear it?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-124.jpg" width="500" height="490" alt="THE LITTLE BEAR." /> -<p class="caption">THE LITTLE BEAR.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"If you are not tired, sister," said Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"You will get tired first, for I enjoy telling you -these stories, if they amuse you, dear. Well, -here is one that I came across some years ago -among a collection of Indian legends. -</p> - -<p> -"Once upon a time a party of Indians went out -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_126' name='Page_126'>[126]</a></span> -hunting in a strange country and lost their way. -They wandered about for many moons." -</p> - -<p> -"What does that mean?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose they did not know anything about -our months, so they counted from full moon to -full moon. This shows how much they observe -the sky. But, as I was saying, they wandered -about for many moons, and at last the chiefs decided -to hold a council and pray to the gods to -show them the way home. During the dance -that preceded the council, while the flames of -burnt offerings were ascending to the gods, a little -child appeared suddenly in their midst and said -she had been sent as their guide. -</p> - -<p> -"She said she was the Spirit of the Pole Star, -and that if they followed where it led them they -would reach their home in the far North. The -hunters thanked the child, and following her advice -they soon reached home. Here they held another -council, and decided to call the Pole Star, 'the -star which never moves,' by which name it is -known among these Indians to this day. -</p> - -<p> -"When the hunters died it is said they were -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_127' name='Page_127'>[127]</a></span> -taken up to the sky, and we can see them still following -the Pole Star. The hunters are supposed -to be the stars that form the Little Dipper." -</p> - -<p> -"They are smaller than the stars of the Great -Dipper," said Harry, "and the dipper is smaller, -but I can see it quite well. And what are the -stars between the two Dippers?" -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE DRAGON. -</h3> - -<p> -"They curve in and out like a great dragon," -said Mary; "and two bright stars mark its -eyes." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, it does look something like a dragon," -said Harry. "What is its name?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is called the Dragon, as that was the name -given to it by the Grecians long ago. This was -supposed to be the dragon that Juno placed as -guardian of a tree covered with golden apples. -No one dared to touch the tree while the dread -monster was there. But a brave man named Hercules -was not afraid, and killed the dragon. To -reward it for guarding the tree Juno placed it -among the stars. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_128' name='Page_128'>[128]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"See the two bright stars that mark the eyes -of the Dragon, and quite close to it is Hercules, -represented in the olden maps as crushing the -head of the dragon under his foot. Bootes, who -drives the Great Bear around the Pole Star, is -very near Hercules. There you can see him, with -his hunting dogs." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-127.jpg" width="500" height="427" alt="BOOTES AND HIS HUNTING DOGS." /> -<p class="caption">BOOTES AND HIS HUNTING DOGS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Where, sister? I cannot see him," said -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Look right overhead, and to the west you will -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_129' name='Page_129'>[129]</a></span> -see Bootes with a very bright star; and to the -east is Hercules, or the Kneeler, as he is sometimes -called. Now, in between there is a pretty little -half-circle of stars like a crown. This is called -the Northern Crown." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORIES OF THE NORTHERN CROWN. -</h3> - -<p> -"I can see that very well," replied Harry, "for -it is exactly overhead, and I cannot help seeing -Hercules and the Bear-driver. They are large -enough," he continued, laughing. "Why are the -little stars called the Northern Crown?" -</p> - -<p> -"This was supposed to be a beautiful crown -of seven stars given by Bacchus to Ariadne, the -daughter of Minos, second king of Crete. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Her crown among the stars he placed,</p> -<p>And with an eternal constellation grac'd,</p> -<p>The golden circlet mounts, and as it flies</p> -<p>Its diamonds twinkle in the distant skies.'</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"There is a pretty legend told about it by the -Shawnee Indians. They call this group of stars -the 'Celestial Sisters,' on account of the story, -which is as follows: -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_130' name='Page_130'>[130]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"White Hawk was a great hunter, handsome, -tall, and strong. One day, while wandering -through the forest in search of game, he suddenly -found himself on the borders of a prairie. It was -covered with grass, and flowers, and a ring was -worn through the grass, without any path leading -to or from it. White Hawk was surprised at -this, so he hid behind some bushes and watched. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Soon he heard, high in the heavens,</p> -<p class="i1">Issuing from the feathery clouds,</p> -<p>Sounds of music, quick descending,</p> -<p class="i1">As if angels came in crowds.'</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"Looking up he saw a small speck in the sky -which gradually became larger and larger. It -was a silver basket containing twelve beautiful -maidens, who leaped out as it touched the ground. -They danced around in the ring, beating time on -a silver ball. White Hawk gazed at the fairies in -wonder, and, rushing out from his hiding place, -tried to capture the youngest and prettiest. But -the sisters were too nimble for him, and, jumping -into the basket, they were soon far away in -the sky. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_131' name='Page_131'>[131]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"White Hawk was vexed, but he came again -next day. This time he disguised himself as a -rabbit, but one of the little sisters saw him -creeping toward them. She gave the alarm just -in time for them to escape. -</p> - -<p> -"Next day White Hawk disguised himself as a -mouse, and hid in the stump of a tree that he had -moved close to the fairy ring. The sharp-eyed -little fairy noticed that the stump was not in the -same place, and warned her sisters, but they only -laughed at her. They even ran around it striking -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_132' name='Page_132'>[132]</a></span> -it in fun. Out ran White Hawk, caught the -youngest and prettiest, and took her home as his -bride. -</p> - -<p> -"For a while they were happy, but the 'Celestial -Sister' became homesick, and longed for her -sisters in the sky. One day when White Hawk -was out hunting she made a silver basket and, -taking it to the fairy ring, she stepped into it, -while she sang a magic chant. White Hawk was -returning home across the fields just as the basket -rose above the tops of the trees, and, hearing the -music, he knew what had happened. -</p> - -<p> -"But his wife did not forget him, and her father -sent for him and invited him to come to the sky, -where he is now one of the bright stars shining -near the Northern Crown." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-130.jpg" width="500" height="549" alt="THE NORTHERN CROWN, AND BOOTES, THE BEAR-DRIVER." /> -<p class="caption">THE NORTHERN CROWN, AND BOOTES, THE BEAR-DRIVER.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"That must be the brightest star in Bootes," -said Harry. "What is it called?" -</p> - -<p> -"Arcturus," replied his sister. "Near Bootes -is Virgo, the Virgin who lived on Earth during -the Golden Age when people were very good. -Near her are the scales in which she weighed the -good and evil deeds of men." -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_133' name='Page_133'>[133]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE LION. -</h3> - -<p> -"Just above the Virgin, in the west, you can -see some stars that look like a sickle," said -Mary. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-132.jpg" width="500" height="424" alt="LEO, THE LION." /> -<p class="caption">LEO, THE LION.</p> -</div> - -<p> -Harry looked in the direction pointed out by -his sister, and there he saw the sickle plainly -outlined by a few bright stars. -</p> - -<p> -"Is there a story about it, sister?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes," replied his sister; "or rather there is a -story not about the sickle, but about the group of -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_134' name='Page_134'>[134]</a></span> -stars to which it belongs, known as the constellation -of the Lion. -</p> - -<p> -"You remember how jealous Juno was, and -she was even displeased with a brave man named -Hercules, because he was afraid of nothing. She -told her cousin to command Hercules to bring -him the skin of a fierce lion that roamed at large -through the forests. Hercules was not afraid, and -attacked the lion. Finding he could not kill it -with his club and arrows, he strangled the animal -with his hands. He returned home carrying the -dead lion on his shoulders, but Juno's cousin was -so frightened at the sight of it and at this proof of -the great strength of the hero that he ordered him -to tell the story of his brave deeds in future at a -safe distance outside the town." -</p> - -<p> -"What a coward Juno's cousin must have -been!" said Harry disdainfully. "I suppose -Hercules laughed at him." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course he did," said Mary. "But he was -not the only brave man Juno disliked. Orion, -the mighty hunter, also aroused her anger because -he boasted that nothing could harm him. She -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_135' name='Page_135'>[135]</a></span> -sent a scorpion out of the earth, and it stung him, -causing his death. See the heart of the scorpion, -marked by a bright red star named Antares. -Above it is the serpent and the serpent-holder." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-134.jpg" width="500" height="436" alt="THE SCORPION." /> -<p class="caption">THE SCORPION.</p> -</div> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE MILKY WAY. -</h3> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-135.jpg" width="500" height="431" alt="THE MILKY WAY IS CROWDED WITH STARS." /> -<p class="caption">THE MILKY WAY IS CROWDED WITH STARS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Now look at the band of silvery light reaching -from the north to the south. That is the Milky -Way, and it is made up of millions of bright -stars. There are large stars and little stars, and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_136' name='Page_136'>[136]</a></span> -Professor Barnard thinks that there may be some -very small stars forming out of the star-mist. -These little stars glitter in vast beds of glowing -gas. As scientists believe, this gas is the -matter from which worlds and suns are made. -The stars at these points in space seem to be -actually growing out of the star-mist now surrounding -them. I shall show you to-morrow -some fine photographs Professor Barnard has -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_137' name='Page_137'>[137]</a></span> -taken of the Milky Way where you can see -this star-mist in the background of the stars. -</p> - -<p> -"According to a French legend, the stars in -the Milky Way are lights held by angel-spirits to -show us the way to heaven. The Grecians called -the Milky Way the road to the palace of heaven. -On the road stand the palaces of the illustrious -gods, while the common people of the skies -live on either side of them. -</p> - -<p> -"Even the Algonquin Indians had something -to say about it, for they believed that it was the -'Path of Souls' leading to the villages in the sun. -As the spirits travel along the pathway, their -blazing camp-fires may be seen as bright stars. -Longfellow refers to this in his poem 'Hiawatha,' -in describing the journey of Chibiabos to the land -of the hereafter. -</p> - -<p> -"While hunting deer he crossed the Big Sea -Water and was dragged beneath the treacherous -ice by evil spirits. By magic he was summoned -thence, and, hearing the music and singing, he,— -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Came obedient to the summons,</p> -<p>To the doorway of the wigwam,</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_138' name='Page_138'>[138]</a></span> -<p>But to enter they forbade him.</p> -<p>Through a chink a coal they gave him,</p> -<p>Through the door a burning fire-brand.</p> -<p>Ruler in the Land of Spirits,</p> -<p>Ruler o'er the dead they made him,</p> -<p>Telling him a fire to kindle</p> -<p>For all those who died hereafter,</p> -<p>Camp-fires for their night encampments,</p> -<p>On their solitary journey</p> -<p>To the kingdom of Ponemah,</p> -<p>To the land of the hereafter.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<h3 class="notop"> -A SWEDISH LEGEND. -</h3> - -<p> -"According to a Swedish legend, there once -lived on earth two mortals who loved each other. -When they died they were doomed to dwell on -different stars, far, far apart. But, 'as they sat -and listened to the music of the spheres,' they -thought of building a bridge of light that should -reach from star to star, till it spanned the distance -separating them from each other. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'They toiled and built a thousand years in love's all-powerful might,</p> -<p>And so the Milky Way was made a bridge of starry light.'</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_139' name='Page_139'>[139]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Now, Harry, look at the Milky Way in the -northern part of the sky, and what do you see?" -asked Mary. -</p> - -<p> -"Some stars that look like a W," replied Harry; -"and just below it is another but larger W." -</p> - -<p> -"The small W is Cassiopeia," said Mary, "and -the large one is Cepheus; but I shall tell you their -story another time, as it is getting late now. Under -the large W, you will see some stars that look -like a large cross. This is sometimes called the -Northern Cross, but it is better known as the -Swan." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -LEGEND OF THE SWAN. -</h3> - -<p> -"The 'Swan' is supposed to represent a wonderful -musician named Orpheus. Apollo gave him -a magic harp, which he played with such sweetness -that the wild beasts of the forest were tamed by -its sounds, rapid rivers ceased to flow, and mountains -and trees listened to the music. -</p> - -<p> -"One day Orpheus met a beautiful maiden -named Eurydice, and won her for his bride. But -their happiness did not last long, as a serpent -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_140' name='Page_140'>[140]</a></span> -lurking in the grass stung her foot, and she died -of the wound. -</p> - -<p> -"Orpheus mourned her sadly, until at last he -died and his spirit met hers in the kingdom of -Pluto. Afterward Orpheus and Eurydice were -placed among the stars. You can see the harp -beside Orpheus, and it is adorned with a sparkling -blue star named Vega. -</p> - -<p> -"And now one more story," said Mary, as she -heard the church clock chime nine, "and then we -must say 'good-by' to the stars for to-night." -</p> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_141' name='Page_141'>[141]</a></span> -</p> -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-139.jpg" width="500" height="424" alt="THE SWAN." /> -<p class="caption">THE SWAN.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"It has been lovely," said Harry. "I could -listen to these stories all night long. How I shall -enjoy the stars since you have told me so much -about them! What are you going to tell me -now?" -</p> - -<p> -"Just under the Swan can you see a bright -star, and a little star on each side of it?" asked -Mary. -</p> - -<p> -Harry looked, and after a few moments he found -them. When his sister had made sure that he -could see the stars she meant, she began her story -as follows: -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -MEETING OF THE STAR-LOVERS. -</h3> - -<p> -"The Japanese call the Milky Way the Silver -River of Heaven, and they believe that on the -seventh day of the seventh month (7th of July), -the Shepherd-boy star and the Spinning-maiden -star cross the Milky Way to meet each other. -Vega, the bright star in the harp, is supposed to be -the spinning-maiden, and on the other side of -the Milky Way, crossing over where you see the -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_142' name='Page_142'>[142]</a></span> -bright star and the little star on each side, you -will find the shepherd boy, otherwise known as -the Goat. These stars are known among the -Japanese as the 'boy with an ox' and 'the girl -with a shuttle,' about whom the following story is -told: -</p> - -<p> -"There once lived on the banks of the Silver -River of Heaven a beautiful maiden who was the -daughter of the Sun. Night and morning she was -always weaving, blending the roseate hues of -morning with the silvery tints of evening. That -is why she was called the Spinning maiden. The -Sun-king chose a husband for her. He was a -Shepherd boy who guarded his flocks on the banks -of the celestial stream. -</p> - -<p> -"After meeting him the Spinning maiden -ceased to work, and the bright hues of morning -were left to take care of themselves, while the -silvery tints of evening hung like ragged fringe on -the dark mantle of night. The Sun-king, believing -that the Shepherd boy was to blame, banished -him to the other side of the Silver River, telling -him that only once a year, on the seventh day of -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_143' name='Page_143'>[143]</a></span> -the seventh month, could the Spinning maiden -come to see him. -</p> - -<p> -"The king called together myriads of doves -and commanded them to make a bridge over the -river of stars. Supported on their wings, the -Shepherd boy crossed over to the other side. No -sooner had he set foot on the opposite shore than -the doves flew away, filling the heavens with their -billing and cooing. The weeping wife and loving -husband stood awhile gazing at each other from -afar, and then they separated, one in search of -another flock of sheep, the other to ply her shuttle -during the long hours of daylight. -</p> - -<p> -"Thus the days passed away, and the Sun-king -rejoiced that his daughter was busy again. But -when night comes, and all the lamps of heaven are -lighted, the lovers stand beside the banks of the -starry river and gaze lovingly at each other, -eagerly awaiting the seventh day of the seventh -month. As the time draws near the Japanese are -filled with anxiety. What if it should rain, for -the River of Heaven is filled to the brim, and a -single raindrop would make it overflow! This -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_144' name='Page_144'>[144]</a></span> -would cause a flood, and the bridge of doves would -be swept away. -</p> - -<p> -"But if the night is clear, then the Spinning -maiden crosses over in safety, and meets her Shepherd -boy. This she does every year except when -it rains. That is why the Japanese hope for clear -weather on the 7th of July, when the 'meeting of -the star-lovers' is made a gala day all over the -country." -</p> - - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-143.jpg" width="310" height="248" alt="THE EAGLE." /> -<p class="caption">THE EAGLE.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Sister, I can see the Spinning-maiden star, -and the Shepherd boy, but where is the bridge -of doves?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Across the Milky Way," said Mary. -</p> - -<p> -"See the bright star, which is called Altair, and -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_145' name='Page_145'>[145]</a></span> -one little star on each side. We call that the -Eagle, so if you change the story a little you can -say the Eagle takes the Spinning maiden across -the Silver River of Heaven." -<a id='P145' name='P145'></a></p> - -<h3> -THE STARS AND THE VIOLETS. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>When the sky was first made and suspended</p> -<p class="i1">From the far and invisible bars,</p> -<p>It enveloped the world, and God fashioned</p> -<p class="i1">Small windows, and these are the stars.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>And the bits of the sky, through the evening,</p> -<p class="i1">Fluttered down to the sod and the dew,</p> -<p>And behold! in the morn they had blossomed,</p> -<p class="i1">And these are the violets blue.</p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P145b' name='P145b'></a></div> - -<h3> -THE NIGHTS. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i1">Oh, the Summer night</p> -<p class="i1">Has a smile of light</p> -<p>And she sits on a sapphire throne;</p> -<p class="i1">Whilst the sweet winds load her</p> -<p class="i1">With garlands of odor,</p> -<p>From the bud to the rose o'erblown!</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i1">But the Autumn night</p> -<p class="i1">Has a piercing sight,</p> -<p>And a step both strong and free;</p> -<p class="i1">And a voice for wonder,</p> -<p class="i1">Like the wrath of the thunder,</p> -<p>When he shouts to the stormy sea!</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_146' name='Page_146'>[146]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i1">And the Winter night</p> -<p class="i1">Is all cold and white,</p> -<p>And she singeth a song of pain;</p> -<p class="i1">Till the wild bee hummeth,</p> -<p class="i1">And the warm spring cometh,</p> -<p>When she dies in a dream of rain!</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Adelaide Proctor.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P146' name='P146'></a></div> - -<h3> -THE CALLING OF THE STARS. - -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>God's presence through the twilight stillness glides,</p> -<p class="i1">To spirits vocal—silent to the ear;</p> -<p>He calls by name each fair star where it hides,</p> -<p class="i1">And each star brightens, as it answers 'Here!'</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Though we too call the stars, they answer not,</p> -<p class="i1">They do not softly come like children shy</p> -<p>At a fond parent's calling, for, I wot,</p> -<p class="i1">We do not know what names God calls them by.</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_148' name='Page_148'>[148]</a></span> -</p> -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-146.jpg" width="500" height="658" alt="THE GREAT TELESCOPE AT LICK OBSERVATORY." /> -<p class="caption">THE GREAT TELESCOPE AT LICK OBSERVATORY.</p> -<a id='P147' name='P147'></a></div> - -<h2> -STORIES OF THE WINTER STARS. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_147' name='Page_147'></a></span> - -</h2> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>I heard the trailing garments of the night</p> -<p class="i1">Sweep through her marble halls,</p> -<p>I saw her sable skirts all fringed with light</p> -<p class="i1">From the celestial walls.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Longfellow.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -Winter had come with its cold north winds -and frosty air. The stars glittered like gems -against the dark velvet sky, and seemed reflected -in the mantle of pure white snow that covered the -earth. Mary had asked Harry's nurse to move his -couch into her room so that he might see the stars -from the windows, one looking south, the other -east. Impatiently Harry now awaited his sister, -who had promised to take him on another trip to -starland. The room was in total darkness, and -nurse had raised the curtains. Looking right into -one window was the mighty giant Orion, while -the Twins peeped into another. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_149' name='Page_149'>[149]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. -</h3> - -<p> -"It is as good as a play," said Harry, as his -sister started to tell him about them. -</p> - -<p> -"First of all," she said, "I am going to tell you -the story of the Royal Family, although we cannot -see them from this window. You can get a -glimpse of Cepheus from your own room, but the -rest of the Royal Family are overhead. You -would have to make a hole through the roof if -you wanted to watch them while I told their -story." -</p> - -<p> -"If we could go out-of-doors, as we did last -summer, could we see them overhead?" asked -Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes," replied his sister; "but it is too cold -now to look at them except from a warm, cozy -room. To-morrow I shall show you a map of -these stars, and when the days grow warm again -we can look for them in the sky." -</p> - -<p> -"Can you see them during the summer-time as -well as the winter?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-149.jpg" width="500" height="421" alt="QUEEN CASSIOPEIA." /> -<p class="caption">QUEEN CASSIOPEIA.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Yes, we can see them all the year round, just -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_150' name='Page_150'>[150]</a></span> -as we can always see the Pole Star and the Great -Dipper. The Royal Family consists of King -Cepheus, Queen Cassiopeia, and her daughter -Andromeda, sometimes called the 'Chained Lady.' -Perseus, the rescuer, is at the feet of Andromeda, -while her head rests upon the shoulder of the -winged horse Pegasus. -</p> - -<p> -"The Grecians told a wonderful story about -this family. It appears that Cassiopeia boasted -of her beauty, and said she was more attractive -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_151' name='Page_151'>[151]</a></span> -than Juno, the wife of Jupiter. As for her daughter -Andromeda, not a nymph in the sea could -compare with her in good looks. You may imagine -how Juno and the sea-nymphs felt when -they heard this vain boast! -</p> - -<p> -"They determined to have revenge, and Juno -asked Jupiter to punish Cassiopeia. So she was -sent away from the earth and placed among the -stars with her husband Cepheus. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-150.jpg" width="500" height="428" alt="KING CEPHEUS." /> -<p class="caption">KING CEPHEUS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"As for Andromeda, the sea-nymphs asked -Neptune to send a sea-monster to devour her. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_152' name='Page_152'>[152]</a></span> -She was chained to a rock so that she might not -escape this terrible fate; but just as the monster -was approaching a brave hero named Perseus -came to her rescue. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-151.jpg" width="500" height="443" alt="THE FAIR ANDROMEDE." /> -<p class="caption">THE FAIR ANDROMEDE.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Perseus was returning through the air on his -winged horse Pegasus from a terrible encounter -with the Gorgons. These were three sisters who -frightened everyone that saw them. Serpents -were wreathed around their heads instead of hair, -their hands were of brass, their bodies were covered -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_153' name='Page_153'>[153]</a></span> -with scales, and their eyes had the power of -turning all they looked at to stone. Perseus had -cut off the heads of one of these terrible beings, -and when he saw the monster approaching Andromeda, -he turned the head which he still held -in his hand toward it, and in a moment it -turned to stone. -</p> - -<p> -"As a reward for his bravery, he was placed -after his death among the stars, and near the fair -Andromeda. He still holds the head in his hand, -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_154' name='Page_154'>[154]</a></span> -and a star named Algol, or the Demon, as the -Arabs call it, marks the evil eye. Sometimes it is -bright, but in a few hours it will grow dim, as -though winking at the people on earth. For this -reason it is called a variable or changing star." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-152.jpg" width="500" height="441" alt="PERSEUS." /> -<p class="caption">PERSEUS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"What is that, sister?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"A star that is brighter one time than another. -Supposing someone kept turning the wick of the -lamp up and down so that at one moment the -room would be very bright and the next moment -quite dim. You would call that a changing light. -So it is with these stars, only in the case of Algol -it is a planet that goes around it and at times cuts -off part of its light. For two days and a half it is -very bright, then during three or four hours it -begins to get dim, and remains so for twenty -minutes and then it gets bright again. -</p> - -<p> -"Supposing you were trying to read by lamplight, -and I should now and then hold a book -between the lamp and you. Each time I did so -the light on your book would grow dim. There -is another variable or changing star named Mira, -in the group of stars called Cetus, which is no -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_155' name='Page_155'>[155]</a></span> -other than the sea-monster which was sent to -devour Andromeda. You can see it if you look -out of the window facing south, and you will -notice that it is at a safe distance from Andromeda, -who is almost exactly overhead just now." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE FISHES. -</h3> - -<p> -"Not far from the sea-monster are the Fishes, -and the story about them is as follows: -</p> - -<p> -"One day when Venus and her little son Cupid -were walking beside the banks of a river they -were frightened at seeing a terrible giant named -Typhon. Flames flashed from his eyes, and as he -glared at Venus and Cupid they were overcome -with fear and called on Jupiter to help them. -He changed them into fishes, and afterward -placed them among the stars. -</p> - -<p> -"Between Cetus and Orion you can see some -stars winding in and out, and they are part of -the River Eridanus. A daring youth named -Phaeton tried to drive the chariot of the sun -through the sky one day. Jupiter struck him -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_156' name='Page_156'>[156]</a></span> -with a thunderbolt, and hurled him from heaven -into the river below. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-155.jpg" width="501" height="424" alt="RIVER ERIDANUS." /> -<p class="caption">RIVER ERIDANUS.</p> -</div> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'At once from life and from the chariot driven,</p> -<p>Th' ambitious boy fell thunderstruck from heaven.</p> -</div> -<hr class="l30" /> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The breathless Phaeton, with flaming hair,</p> -<p>Shot from the chariot like a falling star</p> -<p>That in a summer's evening from the top</p> -<p>Of heaven drops down, or seems at least to drop.'</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"His sisters mourned his unhappy end, and -were changed by Jupiter into poplars, which are -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_157' name='Page_157'>[157]</a></span> -still to be seen on the banks of the River -Eridanus. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'All the night long their mournful watch they keep,</p> -<p>And all the day stand round the tomb and weep.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"Poor Phaeton," said Harry, as Mary finished -the story. "And is that Phaeton with those -three bright stars near the river?" -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-156.jpg" width="500" height="310" alt="CLOUD OF STAR-MIST IN ORION." /> -<p class="caption">CLOUD OF STAR-MIST IN ORION.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"No; that is Orion," replied his sister, "and -the three bright stars mark his belt. Under it -you can see a small cloud of mist, if you look -at it through your opera glass. It is clinging -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_158' name='Page_158'>[158]</a></span> -around one of the faint stars in the sword. This -is star-mist, from which other stars are being -made, and it looks small only because it is so far -away from us; but there is enough star-dust -there to make thousands of bright stars. Astronomers -called these clouds nebulæ." -</p> - -<p> -"Who was Orion?" asked Harry. "Won't -you tell me more about him?" -</p> - -<p> -"He was a mighty hunter, and in the old -maps you can see him represented as warding off -the attack of the Bull, which is glaring at him -with its bright red eye named Aldebaran. A -story was told by the Grecians about this bull: -</p> - -<p> -"Once upon a time there was a beautiful little -girl named Europa, and she was a princess of -PhÅ“nicia. One day she was playing with some -friends and gathering flowers in a meadow near -the seashore. Suddenly a snow-white bull appeared, -and the little children were very much -afraid. But the princess was not afraid. She -made a pretty garland of flowers and placed it -around the bull's neck. When it knelt down in -front of her as though to thank her, she jumped -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_159' name='Page_159'>[159]</a></span> -on its back, and it ran away with her down to the -sea. Plunging under the waves, it swam with -her to Crete. The Grecians thought they saw -the bull outlined among the stars in the sky, but -only its head and shoulders are there." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-158.jpg" width="475" height="406" alt="THE BULL, AND THE PLEIADES." /> -<p class="caption">THE BULL, AND THE PLEIADES.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"But there are not any animals really in the -sky, are there?" said Harry. -</p> - -<p> -"No," said Mary, laughing at the question; -"but if you look at the stars you can imagine -you see outlines of bulls and serpents and all -kinds of strange animals. Only you have to -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_160' name='Page_160'>[160]</a></span> -imagine very much, and this is exactly what the -Grecians did. -</p> - -<p> -"In the shoulder of the bull is the pretty little -cluster of stars known as the Pleiades." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE PLEIADES. -</h3> - -<p> -"What is a cluster of stars?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-159.jpg" width="423" height="390" alt="A BALL OF SUNS." /> -<p class="caption">A BALL OF SUNS.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Hundreds and thousands of stars forming -a family party, as it were; and seen from earth -they seem to be closely packed together. But if -we could draw near to them, however, we should -find that they were very far apart. If you look at -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_161' name='Page_161'>[161]</a></span> -the Pleiades through your opera glass you will -see quite a number of little stars, and if you could -see it through the large telescope at the Lick -Observatory you would be able to count hundreds -of stars. When the cluster had its photograph -taken, not long ago, six thousand stars were -counted, so you might call the Pleiades a 'ball -of suns.' There are hundreds of these clusters, -or 'family parties,' in the sky—mighty regiments -marching across the star-depths." -</p> - -<p> -"What do you mean, sister?" asked Harry in -surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"All the stars are moving," replied his sister. -"Some in one direction, some in another; but -the stars in the Pleiades are all drifting in the -same direction. -</p> - -<p> -"The Pleiades were said to be the seven -daughters of Atlas, and were so beautiful that -Orion pursued them across wood and dale, till the -sisters called on Jupiter to help them. He -changed them into doves, and afterward placed -them among the stars. Orion still seems to be -pursuing them among the stars; but, strange to -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_162' name='Page_162'>[162]</a></span> -say, they are drifting toward him now instead of -away from him." -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-161.jpg" width="463" height="411" alt="ORION, THE GREAT HUNTER." /> -<p class="caption">ORION, THE GREAT HUNTER.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Then he will soon catch them," said Harry, -laughing at the idea. "I once heard something -about the 'Lost Pleiad.' What does that mean?" -</p> - -<p> -"One of the seven stars supposed to represent -the sisters does not shine as brightly as the rest, -so the Grecians called it the 'Lost Pleiad.' -</p> - -<p> -"Some say the Lost Pleiad is Electra, who hid -her face in her hands so that she might not see -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_163' name='Page_163'>[163]</a></span> -the burning of Troy. But she seems to have -recovered from her fright, as her star now glows -as brightly as the rest. Others said it was -Merope, who married a mortal while her sisters -married gods. -</p> - -<p> -"An Iroquois legend accounts for the Lost -Pleiad by saying it is a little Indian boy in the -sky who is very homesick. When he cries he -covers his face with his hands and thus hides his -light." -</p> - -<p> -"Do tell me about him," said Harry, looking -forward to a treat, as he always enjoyed these -Indian stories. -</p> - -<p> -"The story is as follows," said Mary: -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -STORY OF THE SEVEN LITTLE INDIAN BOYS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Once upon a time seven little Indian boys -lived in a log cabin in the woods. Every -evening when the stars peeped out of the sky -these children would take hold of hands and -dance around, while they sang the 'Song of the -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_164' name='Page_164'>[164]</a></span> -Stars,' and the stars learned to love them. They -would often beckon to the little boys, inviting -them to come up to the sky; but the children -loved their home on earth too well. -</p> - -<p> -"But one day they found fault with everything. -The oatmeal was too hot at breakfast, -there was an absence of pie at dinner-time; and -the distressing news that they were only to have -corn and beans for supper was a climax to their -'tale of woe.' -</p> - -<p> -"Meanwhile their mother calmly ate her -supper, while her seven little boys looked on in -hungry dismay. When supper-time was over -they filed slowly and sadly out of the cabin. -Their mother felt sorry for them, it is true; but -she knew that if she gave in now she would have -to give in always. She watched her boys as they -danced as usual that evening and sang their -song to the stars; and then she hurried into the -cabin and cleared away the uneaten corn and -beans. -</p> - -<p> -"Alas! she did not hear the song her children -sang to the stars. When the stars beckoned as -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_165' name='Page_165'>[165]</a></span> -usual to the little boys, inviting them to come -up to the sky, they had accepted the invitation. -As they danced round and round their heads and -their hearts grew lighter, and in a few moments -they were soaring like birds through the air. -Just then their mother went to the cabin door to -tell them it was time to come home; and imagine -her horror when she saw her children slowly disappearing -in the sky! -</p> - -<p> -"And now every evening the lonely mother -gazes at seven bright stars in the sky, which she -fondly believes are her seven little boys, but -which are really the seven stars known to us as -the Pleiades. One star in the group does not -shine as brightly as the rest, and this must be one -of the little Indians who is homesick." -</p> - -<p> -"I shall never forget that story," said Harry, -who had enjoyed every word of it; "and now -I wish you would tell me about that very bright -star on the other side of Orion. I can only just -see it, but it is so beautiful. It is bluish-white, -and twinkles so brightly." -</p> - -<p> -"That is Sirius, the brightest star in this part -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_166' name='Page_166'>[166]</a></span> -of the sky," replied Mary, "and ever so much -larger than the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"What makes it twinkle?" asked Harry. -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -WHY THE STARS TWINKLE. -</h3> - -<p> -"When we look at the stars we have to see -them through the great ocean of air that surrounds -the earth," replied Mary. "Like the -Atlantic Ocean, when the ocean of air is disturbed -there are waves, and we have to look at the stars -through the waves. That is why their light seems -to dance about so. When the air is still then -the starlight is steady, but when it moves the -stars twinkle. If we could go to the moon, -where there is not any air, we would not see the -stars twinkle." -</p> - -<p> -"Then I should rather stay here," said Harry, -"because I like to watch them dancing about. -They seem so merry, I am sure they are laughing -at us, sister. Is there a story about Sirius?" -</p> - -<p> -"It is part of a group of stars named the -'Great Dog,'" she replied; "and higher up you -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_167' name='Page_167'>[167]</a></span> -will see the 'Little Dog.' These are the hounds -that Orion always took with him when he went -hunting. They seem to have even followed him -to the sky. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-166.jpg" width="499" height="418" alt="THE GREAT DOG." /> -<p class="caption">THE GREAT DOG.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"Sirius is also known as the Dog-star, because -when it was seen by the Egyptians in the east -just before dawn it was thought to announce the -overflow of the Nile. Therefore the Egyptians -watched this star, which warned them, like a -faithful dog, of the coming deluge. It was their -watch-dog or sentinel. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_168' name='Page_168'>[168]</a></span> -</p> - -<p> -"Now I am going to tell you about the Twins, -two brothers who loved each other dearly while -on earth. They were named Castor and Pollux. -Castor was killed in battle. Pollux could not -bear to remain on earth without him, so Jupiter -placed him in the sky next to his brother. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter p6"> -<img src="images/i-167.jpg" width="475" height="402" alt="THE HEAVENLY TWINS, CASTOR AND POLLUX." /> -<p class="caption">THE HEAVENLY TWINS, CASTOR AND POLLUX.</p> -</div> - -<p> -"If you look through the glass you can see -that Pollux is a golden-yellow star and Castor -has a green tinge." -</p> - -<p> -"Are all the stars colored?" asked Harry. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_169' name='Page_169'>[169]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -THE FLOWERS OF HEAVEN. -</h3> - -<p> -"Yes," replied his sister, "and they are as -varied in color as the flowers of the earth. The -stars may be called 'The flowers of heaven.' -Longfellow says so beautifully: -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven</p> -<p>Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.'</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"Some of the natives of Australia believe that -when the flowers die on earth they rise on the -winds and float away to the fair fields of heaven, -where they flourish forever in immortal beauty. -We cannot see the colors of these flowers of -heaven very well, on account of the air that surrounds -the earth. If it were removed, then the -dark sky would seem to be covered with starry -flowers of all the colors of the rainbow." -</p> - -<p> -"How beautiful!" said Harry thoughtfully. -"How I wish we could see them that way!" -</p> - -<p> -"But even as it is," said his sister, "you can -see some of these colors. Look at white Sirius, -that sometimes seems to me tinged with blue, -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_170' name='Page_170'>[170]</a></span> -and then at red Aldebaran in the eye of the -bull, and a creamy star called Capella just -near the Twins. So you can see some of the -colors. And now a few more words about -Castor, which is a double star. That is, it -is made up of two bright stars, and they go -around each other. -</p> - -<p> -"Professor Ball was once showing the stars -through his telescope to some friends, when he -pointed out this double star to them. First of -all, he told them to note the different colors of -the stars, for one was white, the other green. All -double stars are of complementary colors. One -may be green and the other red, one blue and -the other orange. -</p> - -<p> -"Then Professor Ball told his visitors that the -stars went round each other. -</p> - -<p> -"'Oh, yes!' said one of the visitors. 'I saw -them going round in the telescope.' -</p> - -<p> -"But it was the twinkling that made the stars -appear to dance around each other. In reality, -he would have had to remain with his eye at the -telescope more than a hundred years before he -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_171' name='Page_171'>[171]</a></span> -could have seen the stars go completely around -each other." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -NUMBER OF THE STARS. -</h3> - -<p> -"I wonder how many stars there are in the -sky, sister," said Harry. "Do you think we -could count them?" -</p> - -<p> -"I read somewhere," replied his sister, "that -the stars are as plentiful as the sands on the seashore. -Still, in the whole sky, the number bright -enough to be seen without a telescope is only -from six to seven thousand in a clear, moonless -sky. With an opera glass you can bring the -number up to one hundred thousand. A small -telescope can show about three hundred thousand, -while with a telescope such as the one at the -Lick Observatory the number would be nearly -one hundred million. But it is possible to photograph -the stars, and millions of stars have had -their pictures taken. Probably we would never -have known anything about them but the camera -caught them, and now they are being named and -labeled, so that they cannot escape us again. In -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_172' name='Page_172'>[172]</a></span> -fact, some of the stars are so far away that if we -had not captured them in this way they would -have remained hidden to us forever." -</p> - -<p> -"What do you mean, sister?" said Harry, his -eyes filled with surprise. -</p> - -<p> -"I mean, dear, that some stars are so far away -that their light has not yet reached us. Don't -you remember what I told you about Jupiter's -moons: that they are so far away that light -takes about half an hour in coming from them to -the earth. Well, the stars are hundreds of times -as far away as Jupiter's moons. So far away are -they that even from the nearest—a star seen in -the southern hemisphere—light takes four years -and four months in reaching us, although light -travels more than 186,000 miles a second." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -DISTANCE OF THE STARS. -</h3> - -<p> -"Look at the Pole Star some night, and you -will not see it as it is now, but as it was more -than sixty-two years ago. All this time its -light has been on its way to Planet Earth. If -a planet travels around the Pole Star, or Polaris, -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_173' name='Page_173'>[173]</a></span> -as it is sometimes called, and an astronomer on -that planet looked at the earth he would not see -it as it is now, but as it was more than sixty-two -years ago. There are other stars so far away -that light takes hundreds of years in coming -here. Perhaps they faded out long ago, but the -message is still on its way. It does seem strange -to think of people who may be living on distant -worlds in space, watching our little world, but we -need not fear. The earth is so small that it could -not be seen at all, even from the nearest star. -At that distance Giant Sun would not look quite -as bright as Sirius does to us, and giant Planet -Jupiter would only appear as a faint speck of -light near the sun." -</p> - -<p> -"How far away everything seems to be!" said -Harry. "Yet you said just now that we could -tell what the stars are made of. How can we do -that?" -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_174' name='Page_174'>[174]</a></span> -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -WHAT ARE THE STARS MADE OF? -</h3> - -<p> -"The stars are made of iron, copper, zinc, and -other such metals, but the heat is so intense that -these metals are turned into vapor. You have -seen the steam coming from the spout of a kettle -when water is boiling, and you know then that -the water is scalding hot. But imagine heat so -great that masses of iron and copper are not only -melted but turned into vapor. Then you have -some idea of the intense heat that prevails on the -stars. The rains that fall on earth are made up -of drops of water, but the rainfalls on the stars -must be drops of melting iron, while the clouds -that form are sheets of molten metal." -</p> - -<p> -"How wonderful!" said Harry; "and how do -we know this, as the stars are so far away?" -</p> - -<p> -"By means of a little instrument known as the -spectroscope, or light-sifter. But you must wait -till you are a little older before I can explain that -to you, as it is something very difficult to understand. -At any rate, I can tell you this, that -when we want to find out what a star is made of -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_175' name='Page_175'>[175]</a></span> -we catch a ray of its light and examine it with -the light-sifter. As Professor Ball quoted in one -of his lectures: -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>"'Twinkle, twinkle, little star,</p> -<p>Now we find out what you are,</p> -<p>When unto the midnight sky</p> -<p>We the spectroscope apply.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p> -"And can you tell how old the stars are?" -asked Harry; "because when you were talking -about the planets you said some are old and some -are young." -</p> - -<p> -"This same little spectroscope tells us that as -well, and we can recognize the stars that are in -their infancy, and others that are middle-aged or -nearly worn-out." -</p> - -<p> -"How strange to think of worn-out stars," said -Harry; "yet I suppose they must grow old sometime, -just as we do; only I suppose they take -ever so much longer growing up." -</p> - -<p> -"Hundreds of years," said Mary, laughing at -the idea of grown-up stars. "There are young -stars and old stars, and even the star that gives -us light and heat will grow cold and dead some -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_176' name='Page_176'>[176]</a></span> -day, and not warm its planets any longer. But -that will be millions of years hence, long after we -are dead and gone." -</p> - -<h3 class="notop"> -OUR ISLAND UNIVERSE. -</h3> - -<p> -"So it is all over the heavens. Our little universe -is like an island in space. There are other -islands like our own, with their millions of stars -and star-clusters and star-mist, passing through the -periods of youth, middle age, old age, and decay. -Our little universe is not eternal. It cannot last -forever, but as long as it does we should feel glad -that we are here to enjoy it. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, Harry, I really think we have had quite -a long ramble in starland for one evening, and -I believe two little stars I know need a rest." -</p> - -<p> -"They are a little tired," said Harry, smiling; -"two little worn-out stars, sister; and perhaps -they do want to let the curtains down over them -for awhile." -</p> - -<p> -"I believe they do," said Mary softly; and the -stars were hidden by their curtains almost before -she had said the words. -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_177' name='Page_177'>[177]</a></span> -<a id='P177' name='P177'></a></p> - -<h3> -WYNKEN, BLYNKEN, AND NOD. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, one night</p> -<p class="i1">Sailed off in a wooden shoe—</p> -<p>Sailed on a river of crystal light</p> -<p class="i1">Into a sea of dew.</p> -<p class="i1">"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"</p> -<p class="i1">The old man asked of the three.</p> -<p class="i1">"We have come to fish for the herring-fish</p> -<p class="i1">That live in this beautiful sea.</p> -<p class="i1">Nets of silver and gold have we,"</p> -<p class="i6">Said Wynken,</p> -<p class="i8">Blynken,</p> -<p class="i8">And Nod.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>The old Moon laughed and sang a song</p> -<p class="i1">As they rocked in the wooden shoe,</p> -<p>And the wind that sped them all night long</p> -<p class="i1">Ruffled the waves of dew.</p> -<p>The little stars were the herring-fish</p> -<p class="i1">That lived in the beautiful sea,</p> -<p class="i1">"Now cast your net wherever you wish,</p> -<p class="i1">Never afeared are we."</p> -<p class="i1">So cried the stars to the fishermen three,</p> -<p class="i6">Wynken,</p> -<p class="i6">Blynken,</p> -<p class="i6">And Nod.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>All night long their nets they threw</p> -<p class="i1">For the stars in the twinkling foam;</p> -<p>Then down from the sky came the wooden shoe,</p> -<p class="i1">Bringing those fishermen home.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_178' name='Page_178'>[178]</a></span> -<p>'Twas all so pretty a tale, it seemed</p> -<p class="i1">As if it could not be.</p> -<p>And some folks thought 'twas a dream they dreamed</p> -<p class="i1">Of sailing that beautiful sea.</p> -<p class="i1">But I shall name you the fishermen three,</p> -<p class="i6">Wynken,</p> -<p class="i6">Blynken,</p> -<p class="i6">And Nod.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,</p> -<p class="i1">And Nod is a little head,</p> -<p>And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies</p> -<p class="i1">Is a wee one's trundle-bed.</p> -<p>So shut your eyes while mother sings</p> -<p class="i1">Of wonderful sights that be;</p> -<p>And you shall see the beautiful things</p> -<p class="i1">As you rock in the misty sea,</p> -<p class="i1">Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three,</p> -<p class="i6">Wynken,</p> -<p class="i6">Blynken,</p> -<p class="i6">And Nod.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Eugene Field.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P178' name='P178'></a></div> - -<h3> -SEVEN LITTLE INDIAN STARS. -</h3> - -<p class="center"> -BY MRS. S. M. B. PIATT. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Seven little Indian boys were they,</p> -<p class="i1">Dancing with the moonbeams on a mound,</p> -<p>In the wind they all were whirled away,</p> -<p class="i1">And the fireflies searched the dews around.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_179' name='Page_179'>[179]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Seven little Indian stars are they,</p> -<p class="i1">Seven, and only one, my child, is dim.</p> -<p>That's the Singer, their sad stories say;</p> -<p class="i1">That's the Singer—let us pity him.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Oh, the little Singer! (You can see</p> -<p class="i1">He's not shining as the others are.)</p> -<p>Once, when all the stars made wishes, he</p> -<p class="i1">Wished he didn't have to be a star.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>St. Nicholas, March, 1890.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P179' name='P179'></a></div> - -<h3> -WHY THE STARS TWINKLE. -</h3> - -<p class="center"> -BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES. -</p> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>When Eve had led her lord away,</p> -<p class="i1">And Cain had killed his brother,</p> -<p>The stars and flowers,—the poets say,—</p> -<p class="i1">Agreed with one another</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>To cheat the cunning tempter's art</p> -<p class="i1">And show the world its duty,</p> -<p>By keeping on its wicked heart</p> -<p class="i1">Their eyes of love and beauty.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>A million sleepless lids, they say,</p> -<p class="i1">Will be at least a warning;</p> -<p>And so the flowers will watch by day,</p> -<p class="i1">The stars from eve to morning.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>On hills and prairies, fields and lawn,</p> -<p class="i1">Their dewy eyes upturning,</p> -<p>The flowers still watch from reddening dawn</p> -<p class="i1">Till western skies are burning.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_180' name='Page_180'>[180]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Alas! each hour of daylight tells</p> -<p class="i1">A tale of shame so crushing,</p> -<p>That some turn white as sea-bleached shells,</p> -<p class="i1">And some are always blushing.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i1">And when the patient stars look down,</p> -<p class="i2">On all their light discovers,</p> -<p class="i1">The traitor's smile, the murderer's frown,</p> -<p class="i2">The lips of lying lovers,</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p class="i1">They try to shut their saddening eyes</p> -<p class="i2">And in the vain endeavor</p> -<p class="i1">We see them twinkling in the skies,</p> -<p class="i2">And so—they wink,—forever.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<i>Taken from The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table.</i></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_181' name='Page_181'>[181]</a></span> -<a id='P181' name='P181'></a></p> - -<h2> -"GOD BLESS THE STAR!" -</h2> - -<p> -"Darling, I am feeling so tired this evening, -won't you sit beside my bed and hold my hand -in yours while you tell me about the stars?" -</p> - -<p> -His sister Mary suggested lighting the lamp -and reading a story, but he held her hand with -gentle force, saying: -</p> - -<p> -"Do not light the lamp. Leave the curtain up -so that I can see the stars from my window, and -tell me in your own words that story you told me -of a star the other day—Dickens' story of a star. -Don't you remember, sister?" -</p> - -<p> -Still holding his little hand in hers, and giving -it a loving pressure, she rested her head on the -pillow beside his, and began, in low soft tones: -</p> - -<p> -"There was once a beautiful bright star that -shone down upon the home of a little boy and -girl who wondered at its light. They learned to -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_182' name='Page_182'>[182]</a></span> -know it so well that every evening the one who -saw it first would say, 'I see the star,' and before -they went to sleep at night they would say -'Good-night' to the star, and, 'God bless the -star!' -</p> - -<p> -"But the little girl, while she was still very -young, became very weak and feeble, so that she -was unable to go to the window and look at the -star, so the brother would stand there alone and -watch for it. As soon as he saw it he would -turn round to his sister, and say, 'I see the star,' -and the little sister would answer gently, 'God -bless my brother and the star!' One evening the -brother looked at the star alone, for his little sister -had passed away to her home among the stars. -That was a sad and lonely evening for the brother, -and at night he dreamed of his sister. Her face -seemed to be looking at him from the bright star, -and he could see a pathway of light reaching from -it to his room. -</p> - -<p> -"Along the pathway were people passing from -this earth to the stars. Angels waited to receive -them, and as they reached the star people came -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_183' name='Page_183'>[183]</a></span> -out to welcome them. Kissing their friends tenderly, -they went away together down avenues of -light. But there was one who waited patiently -near the entrance of the star and asked the guide -who led the people thither if her brother had not -yet come. -</p> - -<p> -"'Not yet,' he replied kindly, and as she turned -sadly away the little brother reached out his arms -toward her, and said, 'Here I am sister; I am -coming to you.' -</p> - -<p> -"As she turned her beaming eyes on him, the -star was shining into the room, and he could see -its rays of light through his tears. From that -hour the child looked on that star as his future -home, where he would some day meet his angel -sister again. -</p> - -<p> -"And he waited, oh! so patiently, and the -years rolled slowly by. He grew to manhood, -and still the star shone down upon him at night. -Then he grew to be an old man with gray hair -and wrinkled face, and his steps were slow and -feeble. Others had gone before him to the star. -A little brother who died while he was young—his -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_184' name='Page_184'>[184]</a></span> -mother—his daughter—and now surely his -own time had come. -</p> - -<p> -"One night he lay upon a bed of sickness, and -as his children gathered around him he suddenly -cried out, as he had long ago, 'I see the star.' -Then they whispered to each other, 'He is dying,' -and he heard them, and said: 'I am. My age is -falling from me like a mantle, and I move toward -the star as a child. And, O my Father, now I -thank thee that the star has so often opened to -receive those dear ones who await me!' -</p> - -<p> -"And next day the star was shining, and it -still shines, upon his grave." -</p> - -<p class="p2"> -Harry had been lulled to sleep by the sound of -his sister's voice, and in the dim light Mary could -see that he was smiling in his dreams. Were his -dreams, she wondered, about Stories of Starland? -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_185' name='Page_185'>[185]</a></span> -<a id='P185' name='P185'></a></p> - -<h3> -CROSSING THE BAR. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Sunset and evening star,</p> -<p class="i1">And one clear call for me!</p> -<p>And may there be no moaning of the bar,</p> -<p class="i1">When I put off to sea.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>But such a tide, as, moving, seems asleep,</p> -<p class="i1">Too full for sound and foam,</p> -<p>When that which drew from out the boundless deep</p> -<p class="i1">Turns again home.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Twilight and evening bell,</p> -<p class="i1">And after that the dark!</p> -<p>And may there be no sadness of farewell,</p> -<p class="i1">When I embark.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place</p> -<p class="i1">The flood may bear me far,</p> -<p>I hope to see my Pilot face to face</p> -<p class="i1">When I have cros't the bar.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Tennyson.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -<a id='P185b' name='P185b'></a></div> - -<h3> -YE GOLDEN LAMPS OF HEAVEN. -</h3> - -<div class='poetry-container'> -<div class="poem"> -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell,</p> -<p class="i1">With all your feeble light;</p> -<p>Farewell, thou ever-changing Moon,</p> -<p class="i1">Pale empress of the Night.</p> -<span class='pagenum'><a id='Page_186' name='Page_186'>[186]</a></span> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>And thou, refulgent Orb of Day,</p> -<p class="i1">In brighter flames arrayed;</p> -<p>My soul, that springs beyond thy sphere,</p> -<p class="i1">No more demands thine aid.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Ye stars are but the shining dust</p> -<p class="i1">Of my divine abode,</p> -<p>The pavement of those heavenly courts</p> -<p class="i1">Where I shall reign with God.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p>Father of eternal light</p> -<p class="i1">Shall there his beams display,</p> -<p>Nor shall one moment's darkness blend</p> -<p class="i1">With that unvaried day.</p> -</div> - -<div class="stanza"> -<p><span class="flright">—<span class='smcap'>Philip Doddridge.</span></span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories of Starland, by Mary Proctor - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES OF STARLAND *** - -***** This file should be named 54913-h.htm or 54913-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/9/1/54913/ - -Produced by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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