THEFASTNESSOFHISPOWER 203breakable grip. Torepresentthepower exertedbe-
tweenourearthandthesunonly,wemightinthought
substitute wires for the invisible pull now existing.
Eachwirebetweentheearthandthesunwouldhave
tosustainapulloffifteenhundredpounds,threequar-
tersofaton;andtheywouldhavetobeplacedsoclose
togetheralloverthesideoftheearthexposedtothe
sunthatamousecouldnotrunbetweenthem.
Butthisisamerefractionofthepowerthatworks
inthesun. Andthatshiningorbisonlyaprivate,asit
were,intheimmensearmiesoftheheavens. Besides
it, there are suns upon suns, many of them much
brighterandmightierthanit.
Thesunisonlyoneoftheluminariesofthesky. It
hasatrainofworldsunderitssway. Eachstarinthe
heavensis asun;andthoughwecannotseethedim
lightofplanetssofaraway,wearesure,fromtheex-
ampleofour solar system,thatothersuns toohave
theirloyalattendants. Ifwecouldtakeourstationat
oneofthesefar-awaystars,fromthosedistantregions,
oursun woulddwindleintoatiny spotoflight,and
theverygreatestofourplanetswouldbeentirelyin-
visible, even through the largesttelescope. Shining
byreflectedlightonly,therays wouldbeobscuredin
crossing buta small portionofthe greatabyss that
intervenes. Fromthat far-off viewpoint, our whole
solarsystemwouldbereducedtothefaintglimmerof
alittlestar.
Thereis nogoodreason forusto doubtthatthe
starsoftheheavenshavealsotheirattendantworlds,
althoughtheseareinvisibletousfromtheearth. Out