The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-02-05
Star-Depth Wonders.

We gave Saturday morning the New
York Xerdld'y abstract of Prof. II. a.
Proctor's fifth lecture on astronomy,
which he entitled, "The wonders Of
the star-depths." Tie following is
the conclusion of the lecture, which
we commend to the careful pcrusal of
everybody:
We find group of suns of which
or sun is single member. Then
again we pass to systems brought to
view by the telescope, and find that
the star system TO which our sun be-
longs is only part of that onc-an
atom in space. The astronomer can
give the figures, but he can no more
express their significance 10 himself
than he can unfold their limiiicss
meaning to others.
| do not know that | can conclude
nv lecture better than by quoting
Richier's dream. in which he shows
the feeblcness of mans imagination in
the presence of the infinite wonders of
the universe. 1t is translated by De
Quincy:
God called up from dreams a man
into the vestibule of heaven, saying,
Come thou hither and see the glorics
of my Kingdom" and to angels that
stood around his throne, he said ::
Take him! Strip from him his robes
of flesh. cleanse his vision, and put n
new breath in his nostrils only touch
not with any change his human heart.
the heart that weeps and trembics. .
Ii was dons. and with q mighty angel
for his guide, the man stood ready for
IL: ,,,E nd ~ A.
races of heaven. without sound or tare-
well, on sudden they swept into in-
tinate space. Sometimes, with the
solemn flight of angel wings, they
passed through the horrors of dark
ness. through wildernesses of death
that divide the worlds of life: some
times they passed over thresholds that
were quickcning under prophetic mo-
tions from God: then from beyond dis
tances that are coutned only in heaven,
licnt dawned as through shapelcss
film: bv unutterable pace they passed
a light. light of unuttcrable pace
passed them. In a moment the blaze
of suns was upon them, i'll moment
the rush of planets was around them.
Then came eternities of twilight that
revealed, but were not revealed; on
the right hand and on the lett lowered
gigantic consultations that by self
repetitions and answers from atar.
that by counter positions, built up tri-
umphant gatcways, whose archways,
whose architraves. horizontal, upright.
raised and rose at altitude OF spans
that seemed ghostly from intinitude :;
without measure were the architraves,
beyond memory the gates, past num-
Der the archways. Within were stars
that sealed etcrnitics around above
was below and below was above TO
man stripped of gravitating body.
Depth was swallowed up in height in
surmountablc height in depth unfath-
enable. On a sudden, as thus they
rode from iniinity to infiuity. on sud-
den, as thus they tilted over abysmal
worlds, mighty cry arose that sys-
TENS more mysterious, that worlds
more billowy, other lights, other
depths. were coming, were nearing,
were al hand.
Then the man sighed and stopped,
shuddered and wept. His overladen
heart uttered itself in tears, and he
said Angel. will 60 no further, for
the spirit of man acheih with this in
finity. lnsuflcrable is the glory of God.
Let me lie down. and hide me in the
grave from the persecution OF the in
finite. for end | see there is none"
And from all tho listening stars that
shone around there issued choral
voice: The man speaks truly. End
there is none that ever vet we heard
of" End there is none z" the angel
solcmulv demanded; lis there indeed
no end. and is this the sorrow that
kills you2" But no voice answered,
tina, he might answer himself. Then
the angel threw up his glorious hands
10 the heaven of heavens, saving. End
is there none To the universe Of God +.
Lo, also. Is there no beginning