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came out； he believed； in 1835。 It was full of the most bare…faced
absurdities； yet people swallowed it all； and even Arago is said to
have treated it seriously as a thing that could not well be true； for
Mr。 Herschel would have certainly notified him of these marvellous
discoveries。 The writer of it had not troubled himself to invent
probabilities； but had borrowed his scenery from the Arabian Nights
and his lunar inhabitants from Peter Wilkins。
After this lecture the Capitalist stepped forward and applied his eye
to the lens。 I suspect it to have been shut most of the time； for I
observe a good many elderly people adjust the organ of vision to any
optical instrument in that way。 I suppose it is from the instinct of
protection to the eye； the same instinct as that which makes the raw
militia…man close it when he pulls the； trigger of his musket the
first time。 He expressed himself highly gratified； however； with
what he saw； and retired from the instrument to make room for the
Young Girl。
She threw her hair back and took her position at the instrument。
Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger explained the wonders of the moon
to her；Tycho and the grooves radiating from it； Kepler and
Copernicus with their craters and ridges； and all the most brilliant
shows of this wonderful little world。 I thought he was more diffuse
and more enthusiastic in his descriptions than he had been with the
older members of the party。 I don't doubt the old gentleman who
lived so long on the top of his pillar would have kept a pretty
sinner （if he could have had an elevator to hoist her up to him）
longer than he would have kept her grandmother。 These young people
are so ignorant； you know。 As for our Scheherezade； her delight was
unbounded； and her curiosity insatiable。 If there were any living
creatures there； what odd things they must be。 They could n't have
any lungs； nor any hearts。 What a pity！ Did they ever die？ How
could they expire if they didn't breathe？ Burn up？ No air to burn
in。 Tumble into some of those horrid pits； perhaps； and break all to
bits。 She wondered how the young people there liked it； or whether
there were any young people there； perhaps nobody was young and
nobody was old； but they were like mummies all of themwhat an idea
two mummies making love to each other！ So she went on in a
rattling； giddy kind of way； for she was excited by the strange scene
in which she found herself； and quite astonished the Young Astronomer
with her vivacity。 All at once she turned to him。
Will you show me the double star you said I should see？
With the greatest pleasure；he said； and proceeded to wheel the
ponderous dome； and then to adjust the instrument； I think to the one
in Andromeda； or that in Cygnus； but I should not know one of them
from the other。
How beautiful！she said as she looked at the wonderful object。…One
is orange red and one is emerald green。
The young man made an explanation in which he said something about
complementary colors。
Goodness！exclaimed the Landlady。…What！ complimentary to our
party？
Her wits must have been a good deal confused by the strange sights of
the evening。 She had seen tickets marked complimentary； she
remembered； but she could not for the life of her understand why our
party should be particularly favored at a celestial exhibition like
this。 On the whole； she questioned inwardly whether it might not be
some subtle pleasantry； and smiled； experimentally； with a note of
interrogation in the smile； but； finding no encouragement； allowed
her features to subside gradually as if nothing had happened。 I saw
all this as plainly as if it had all been printed in great…primer
type； instead of working itself out in her features。 I like to see
other people muddled now and then； because my own occasional dulness
is relieved by a good solid background of stupidity in my neighbors。
And the two revolve round each other？ said the Young Girl。
Yes；he answered；two suns； a greater and a less； each shining；
but with a different light； for the other。
How charming！ It must be so much pleasanter than to be alone in
such a great empty space！ I should think one would hardly care to
shine if its light wasted itself in the monstrous solitude of the
sky。 Does not a single star seem very lonely to you up there？
Not more lonely than I am myself；answered the Young Astronomer。
I don't know what there was in those few words； but I noticed that
for a minute or two after they； were uttered I heard the ticking of
the clock…work that moved the telescope as clearly as if we had all
been holding our breath； and listening for the music of the spheres。
The Young Girl kept her eye closely applied to the eye…piece of the
telescope a very long time； it seemed to me。 Those double stars
interested her a good deal； no doubt。 When she looked off from the
glass I thought both her eyes appeared very much as if they had been
a little strained； for they were suffused and glistening。 It may be
that she pitied the lonely young man。
I know nothing in the world tenderer than the pity that a kind…
hearted young girl has for a young man who feels lonely。 It is true
that these dear creatures are all compassion for every form of human
woe； and anxious to alleviate all human misfortunes。 They will go to
Sunday…schools through storms their brothers are afraid of； to teach
the most unpleasant and intractable classes of little children the
age of Methuselah and the dimensions of Og the King of Bashan's
bedstead。 They will stand behind a table at a fair all day until
they are ready to drop； dressed in their prettiest clothes and their
sweetest smiles； and lay hands upon you； likeso many Lady
Potiphars；perfectly correct ones； of course；to make you buy what
you do not want； at prices which you cannot afford； all this as
cheerfully as if it were not martyrdom to them as well as to you。
Such is their love for all good objects； such their eagerness to
sympathize with all their suffering fellow…creatures！ But there is
nothing they pity as they pity a lonely young man。
I am sure； I sympathize with her in this instance。 To see a pale
student burning away； like his own midnight lamp； with only dead
men's hands to hold； stretched out to him from the sepulchres of
books； and dead men's souls imploring him from their tablets to warm
them over again just for a little while in a human consciousness；
when all this time there are soft； warm； living hands that would ask
nothing better than to bring the blood back into those cold thin
fingers； and gently caressing natures that would wind all their
tendrils about the unawakened heart which knows so little of itself；
is pitiable enough and would be sadder still if we did not have the
feeling that sooner or later the pale student will be pretty sure to
feel the breath of a young girl against his cheek as she looks over
his shoulder； and that he will come all at once to an illuminated
page in his book that never writer traced in characters； and never
printer set up in type； and never binder enclosed within his covers！
But our young man seems farther away from life than any student