Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/287

 is to say, could be divided into two distinct forces, in the proportions calculated and desired: the one an outward force, carrying the electro-light charge into space; the other a return force, which, failing any intelligent intervention for other disposal at its turning extremity, brought back the impression which the overtaken light-vibration was conveying, at ordinary light-speed, into far space; or, to speak with stricter accuracy, that which, exactly, was brought back was the reaction, or exact reversal, of what had gone out, and scientifically termed the "Duplication;" so that, for example, the rays of light which quitted our earth, say, ten thousand years ago, could be in effect, by reversal action, brought back so as to restore to us the aspect or picture of the earth as it was at the moment of the long past emanation. Of course, nothing was actually brought back; all was mere counter-vibratory effect—the power of the return or duplicatory force to reverse exactly the outward light-emanations, and to do this at electro-light speed. And also at any arrested intermediate stage of this return, the picture that was being brought back could have been reproduced just as it would have appeared at that particular stage or distance in the original outward light-emanation.

But, not to waste more time over matters now so old and so well known, let me return to my historical record, and glance at the commotion excited by this grand discovery of its time. Further on it will be my privilege to allude to the much later discovery of the