that up here the stars appear of different colours at
various distances," said Miss Carmichael.

"Oh, yes," answered Gazen, "and in the pure atmosphere of the desert, or
on the summit of high mountains, we notice a similar effect. The stars
have been compared to the trees of a forest, in different stages of
growth and decay. Some of them are growing in splendour, and others
again are dying out. Arcturus, a red star, for example, is fast cooling
to a cinder. Capella, over there, is a yellow star, like our own sun,
and past his prime. Sirius, that brilliant white or bluish star, which
flashes like a diamond in the south, is one of the fiercest. He is a
double star, his companion being seven and himself thirteen times
massier than the sun; but they are fifty times brighter, and a million
times further off, that is to say, one hundred billion miles away.
These double or twin stars are often very beautiful. The twins are of
all colours, and generally match well with each other--for instance,
purple and orange--green and orange--red and green--blue and pale
green--white and ruby. One of the prettiest lies in the constellation
Cygnus. I will show it to you."

"Oh, how lovely!" exclaimed Miss Carmichael, looking through the glass.
"The bigger star is a golden or topaz yellow, and the smaller a light
sapphire blue."

"Some of the star groups and nebulae are just as pretty," observed Gazen,
turning his telescope to another part of the heavens; "most of the stars
are white, but there is a sprinkling of yellow, blue, and red amongst
them--I mean, of course, to our view, for the absorption of our
atmosphere alters the tint."

"Does that mean that there is more youth than age, more life than death,
in the universe?" enquired Miss Carmichael.

"Not exactly," replied the astronomer. "There is apparently no lack of
vigour in the Cosmos--no great sign of decrepitude; but we must remember
that we see the younger and brighter stars better than the others, and
for aught we know there are many dark suns or extinct stars, as well as
planets and their satellites. I should not like to say that the
population of space is going down; but on the whole it may be
stationary. I wish I could show you the cluster in Toucan, a rosy star
in a ring of white ones."

"Like a brooch of pearls," said Miss Carmichael.

"Yes--not unlike that," responded Gazen, evidently amused at her
comparison. "But that constellation is in the Southern Hemisphere.
H