Well, as I want you to find out this subject yourself, I shall allow you to stay up later this evening, to give you time to make a few more observations. Now, follow your bright star a little further. Look at that blue one overhead, and trace his journey. Have your eyes upon Sirius, and the band of Orion. I will, father, and thank you.” * * * * * The boy was left at his star-gazing, and intently was his mind fixed upon his work. It was no vacant stare he gave at the heavens. He had an object before him. The conversation was afterwards renewed by the father:-- “I should think you were sleepy, James. No, father: the stars kept my eyes open. How, now, does your star get on? Look up there. He has got as far as that. Where is the blue-coloured one? O, that has gone down to the western edge. What of my old friend Sirius, and his neighbour Orion? They have been travelling the same road. Well, you must stop star-gazing to-night. But will you not explain the reason of this curious motion, my dear father, before I go down? No, my lad, you must have another look at the stars to-morrow evening first.” The little fellow retired slowly and thoughtfully to his berth; and dreamed of stars and ships in mingled confusion. How he longed for the sun to leave off his shining! He never watched that orb so as he did that day! He saw it rise, ascend, descend, and set. When the short twilight was over, the little twinkling bodies came out one by one, as a few western clouds changed from gorgeous red to colours of a darker hue. He first distinguished Sirius, and then the band of Orion. The blue star took some time to come forth; but when it did, there it was right overhead, as it had been early the last evening. The bright star was again on the tip of the distant waves. He stared again. He remembered how he had left them all the night before, and now the stars seemed in their old places again. His kind father came up to him. “O, father,” cried the boy, “all my stars have gone back into their places again this evening. Did you see them travel back as you saw them travel forward? No. But there they are, though I do not know how they got there. I think I saw you looking pretty often at the sun, to-day. Did you notice anything peculiar about his movements? Yes. I noticed that he seemed to go the same road as my stars did the evening before. But you saw him ascend in the east, rise nearly overhead, and then set in the west. You did not observe your stars do that. No, father; but I have it. It took a long while for the sun to go all that distance; and I fancy that if I had watched my bright star as long, I should have seen that set in the west also. Certainly you would. Well, but how did they get back into their places again? How will the sun manage to get on the east side, to-morrow morning? Ah! I see. What will explain the movement of the stars will explain the movement of the sun. I think you will find it so.