Why, do you see, he did not hop from one side to the other. He would get a little further from the church each morning till he rose over the squire’s house: then, as if ashamed, he seemed to creep back to his old place. Afterwards he appeared to take it into his head gradually to get on to the parsonage, and then he would once more turn to the church. Which was on the north-side of the church, James? The squire’s house. Now, I think I can explain all without your questions this time, my dear father. Then go on by all means. The sun rose over the squire’s house in summer, for that was the north side; the north pole was then inclined to the sun. At spring it was half-way between the squire’s and the parsonage; this was the sun over the equator. In winter the sun rose at the furthest part to the south; this was where the north pole was turned away, and the south side turned to the sun. Well, then, you have satisfactorily explained the seasons.” PRECESSION OF THE EQUINOXES. It was with no little impatience that James had waited for the first appearance of the Southern Cross, the emblem of Australia. He first noticed it when a long way north of the equator, and each evening afterwards bestowed a considerable attention upon it. As he made southing on his voyage the glorious constellation rose higher and higher in the heavens. Hour after hour would he sit, marking its progress, wondering much to see it more or less upright according to the time of night, and more or less declining from the perpendicular at the same returning hour of evening upon different days. James could understand the Cross seeming to perform a circle round the south pole of the heavens, as he had seen the Bear round the north pole, from the rotundity of the earth and its daily motion. It was quite natural, then, that the lad should be so enthusiastic when he spoke of the constellation to his father in these terms: “O that pretty Southern Cross! I like it more and more as I get down to the south. I did feel sad to see the old Bear drop gradually, night after night, till it seemed to sink for ever in the northern Atlantic; but I have a new friend here, that keeps rising higher and higher each night, as if to welcome us to our southern home. How it would please many boys in Europe to see the Cross! But it was seen in Europe formerly. Another puzzle, dear father. Did it run away from the south pole to have a look at the north one? It was not a run, but a gradual slide out of its place, and as gradual a slide back into it again. What a queer trick! Is it on its rambles now, I wonder? It is always on the move. Yes; I know it describes a circle in the sky once in twenty-four hours, but that is owing to the world rolling over to get its daily light. Yet it has another motion; not really its own any more than the other. And this leads it further away from the central point over our south pole, and then brings it to its place again.