CHAPTER XIII. AN ELECTRIC CLOCK.

 

THE little ones came forth to meet us, with glad smiles and sweet kisses. I raised my youngest in my arms, her little hands clasped my neck, whilst Agnes linked her hand within mine. The young Theresa welcomed Ursula joyously, and all the children were delighted to see the baby Katy back with them again, for they had thought she would remain with her mama, and, thereby, they should lose her from among them. We all entered the house.

 

This was the first time I had been inside the little Pagoda, if one may be allowed so to call it, for it resembled a Pagoda more than anything else, but much larger than they usually are.

 

My readers may be interested in a description of this unique school-room within one of the heavenly spheres.

 

It will be remembered that the building was circular, with four large oriel windows of elegantly-stained glass, uncurtained. There were pearly partitions between each window, running out into the room about six feet, forming compartments, and over each hung elegant lace draperies, woven in the most beautiful patterns; these draperies ran entirely around the room, which, of course, was circular; the compartments taking in the doors the same as the windows, and the curtains hanging the same over the door compartments, forming vestibules. Each window compartment contained a small round table of ebony with marble top, and each table was adorned with a basket of fragrant cut flowers. Two wicker chairs stood, one on either side of the table; they were light and exquisitely beautiful. A knot of bright ribbon was tied on each one.

 

Close to the pearly partitions, on each side of a compartment, were couches spread with white satin counterpanes, together with downy pillows covered by the softest of lace.

 

The window ledges were in the form of basins, about a foot in width, the same in depth, running the entire length of the window ledge. In the center of each rose silver fountains, throwing up jets of water, which, curving back, fell into the basins in soft spray: the basins were always nearly full of water, and the bottom of each was covered with little shells, snails, pearls, bright pebbles of various colours, pieces of coral, and many other beautiful infinitesimal things, too numerous to mention.

 

In the center of the main apartment stood a large round table of ebony, inlaid with pearl, and grouped about the table were ten small chairs, similar to those within the compartments, besides larger chairs. This main room was quite spacious, large enough for all that was needed by the children and their teacher or guide. There were two pianos in this room, two or three harps, and a couple of violins; also, two or three easels, sustaining pictures not yet finished. Upon the large table were many books, together with sheets of music. The door of this lovely room usually stood wide open, a soft breeze just swaying the lace curtains. The ceiling was a complete azure dome, and this dome was the most remarkable part of the whole building.

 

When I had seated myself in one of the larger chairs, and Ursula had taken the other, and the children had all run out into the garden to play, I fixed my eyes intently on this wonderful dome. Ursula sat, a dreamy smile just parting her beautiful lips.

 

"Ah!" she sighed, "how nice to be at home once more. Do you like my pretty home, dear lady?"

 

"Like it? It is exquisitely beautiful; and that dome is simply wonderful! Really, I must study it."

 

"Do, dear lady," she said; "and if you find anything which you do not understand, I may be able to explain it to you. That dome is our clock. I venture to say, it is the first clock of the kind that you ever saw."

 

"A clock!" I exclaimed, in great surprise.

 

"No; surely, I never saw a clock like that before. Does that mark your time?—and, now I think of it: what a long day this must be! Is there no night here at all?"

 

"Not exactly," she replied. "You will learn all about our habits here, in good time."

 

I now began to study the clock with great curiosity. The entire dome was filled by small revolving globes of various colours and sizes; the largest globe of all was black as jet, and streaming, from what appeared to be every pore, were rays of golden light. This globe was revolving in a pathway which ran completely around the dome, and directly opposite to it was another globe of nearly the same size, revolving in the same pathway, and at exactly the same rate of speed, so that it was always just opposite the first globe: this latter globe was spectral and transparent, one could see directly through it. It appeared somewhat like a thin, vapory, globular cloud; yet it was, if anything, more real and active than any of the others. Now, as these two globes thus revolved, there seemed to be a strange interblending or play, between them. As the pale globe revolved, it absorbed every ray of light from the globe of jet; at the same time it appeared to eliminate wave upon wave of its pale substance, and, as the jet globe revolved, these waves were like an ocean in which it bathed; and as it rolled it absorbed the waves, which seemed to be the food, or fuel, which caused the rays of light to leap forth.

 

"That is a very strange kind of clock," I remarked. "Please, explain it to me a little, Ursula."

 

"Well," she replied, roguishly, "that is an electric clock; or, at least, those two large globes form an electric battery which runs the clock, and the small globes mark the time. I presume you have seen a battery and understand something about electricity?

 

"Oh, yes," I answered.

 

"Well," she continued, "those rays of light, which the jet globe throws out, are electrical; those amber waves, which the transparent globe throws off, are magnetic; those two globes form a complete battery, each discharging its force for the other's benefit."

 

"Really," I said, "how strange!"

 

"Lady," said she, "those two globes exactly represent the sun, and the true cause of light: by those I teach the children the central law of light."

 

These globes were all quite small, the one representing the sun not being larger than a good-sized orange. It was, of course, necessary that they should be small, in order that they might have space in this comparatively small dome.

 

"You will observe," continued Ursula, "that there is but one system of worlds represented by our clock, and that system is the one to which the earth, where you and I had our birth, belongs. My little class of girls are not yet old enough to understand much more than they can learn by this one clock, or system of worlds."

 

"But why do you call it a clock?" I enquired.

 

"Because," she replied, "it is our only way of reckoning time here in this world. You must bear in mind, dear lady, that we are outside of time; that we are not on the earth, which turns over every twenty-four hours, and the light of the sun is not the light of the spiritual world. Our light is pure magnetism, and the electric light of the sun does not affect us."

 

Again my attention was fixed on this very interesting clock. All the other globes' names appearing near them, they all revolved within the space between the one which represented the sun and the pale, magnetic globe, the sun's counterpart. There was Uranus, lying nearest the pale globe; then came Saturn, with her seven smaller satellites and rings; next, Jupiter, with his four satellites; then the Earth, with her one satellite; then Venus, Mars, and Mercury: they were all revolving, just as they really do within the heavens. Certainly, it was the most attractive sight that I had ever seen. Uranus was about the size of an egg; Saturn, as large as an English walnut, and her moons like small peas; Jupiter, as large as a common walnut, and his moons like pins' heads; Venus was as large as a good-sized currant, the others, like smaller ones.

 

"The motion of these globes," said Ursula, "is the only method that I have for teaching the children all about time; and the reason why we call it our clock, is, that it is all the time we know anything about: that is out only dial. I will not trouble you with the figuring of our time, but you can readily see that time is merely relative. The time on Uranus is very different from the time on the other planets: each one's time being according to its size. You will observe that it takes

 

Jupiter much longer to revolve completely over, than it does Mercury, Mars, or the Earth, and that each planet marks its own time according to its size. If we did not have this clock, the children here could get no idea of time. Time, to us, is merely from one event to another: but, dear lady, this one system is only a clock for children. As you go on in wisdom, the vastness of the astronomical heavens will be shown you, with its countless systems of worlds, and will be the clock which you will study; the gates of heaven will gradually be thrown wide open for your inspection. Lady, heaven has neither beginning nor end. You may go on forever and forever, be wiser and happier at every step you take. You can, as soon as you are qualified, visit each one of the planets which these toys represent, and learn all about them. You can be as active as you like throughout eternity, and yet there will be more to learn. Lady, you live forever, within heaven and God; and, as much of God and heaven lives within you as you are capable of holding; the more one grows, the greater one's capacity, I" the more of God and heaven one can contain."

 

"If there is no night here," I asked, "why do you have those little apartments and couches, that appear so much like beautiful sleeping-rooms?"

 

"They are sleeping-rooms," she replied.

 

"These little children must sleep. They left earth as unfinished buds; they can never blossom until they have passed through all the different stages of life, obtained the knowledge and experience that earth would have given them, had they remained there; therefore, they eat, sleep, play, study, and from little, unfinished buds, they thus gradually unfold into the perfect flower."

 

"Do children grow here, and become men and women?"

 

"Certainly," she replied. "If they did not, they would have great reason to complain of injustice, and justice is the perfect law: that which appears to the finite mind as injustice is the law of justice not yet fulfilled, and when injustice becomes strict justice in anything, or with any creature here or on the earth, when the law is perfected happiness is attained. If a little child, that passed from earth in its ignorance, was obliged to remain ignorant and helpless for ever, how could it ever know anything of wisdom or truth? How could a helpless crying infant ever become wise or happy? Madam, a greater number of infants and children come to this life than adults or old people, and the first spheres surrounding the earth are largely made up of children, consequently they are filled with schools and classes of all kinds and grades."