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Then again, Gravitation is believed to act instantaneously , and does not require Time to pass between bodies, as does Light, Heat, Electricity, Magnetism—Radiant Energy. Light travels through the Ether (as light-waves) at the rate of 184,000 miles a second. The same is true of Heat and of Electricity. But Gravitation travels instantaneously. For instance, if a new star were to spring into existence at some inconceivable distance from the earth it would require thousands of years for its light to reach us. But its Attraction of Gravitation would be felt instantly . Do you realize what this means? It means that Gravitation is in some way connected with the Ether, or "conveying medium," that an impulse communicated at some point of space trillions of miles away is felt at once at our point in space, and vice versa. There is some awful mystery here, and the laws of Substance, and Force, as generally understood, do not account for it. And the theories regarding the Ether do not throw light upon it. But wait a bit!

But more than this. Science holds that Gravitation does not require a medium —that it seems to be its own medium—needing no "Ether" or other medium to transmit its influence. In this respect also, Gravitation differs from the form of Radiant Energy. And more, it is not "cut-off" or interfered with by any intervening body, for its force operates through such intervening bodies. For instance, in an eclipse of the Sun, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but the Gravitation is not affected in the slightest, for the bodies would evidence such change immediately were it to occur.

So Gravitation acts instantaneously; is its own medium, and may not be interfered with by an intervening body. It, indeed, is in a different "class" from Light, Heat and Electricity.

And now let us consider the other forms of Attraction.

In the previous chapters we saw that the form of Attraction called "Cohesion" caused the molecules to tend to each other, and to remain in more or less close contact, the differing degrees of Cohesion determining the Density, etc., of the body. Were the Attractive force of Cohesion suddenly removed, the most solid bodies, as well as the lightest ones, would instantly fly into very fine powder, thus being resolved into their constituent molecules. The separation of the Molecules, that is, the "setting further apart," occasioned by Heat, is spoken of by Physicists as "Repulsion." But the writer holds that repulsion is an entirely different thing, and that the heat merely causes the Molecules to lose a portion of their Attractive power for each other. Until the heat being withdrawn, the Molecules respond to the uninterrupted Attraction. The Molecules are like lovers who are attracted toward each other, and remain attached unless separated violently, or by some fading of Attraction. Consider Heat as a disturbing element—a "misunderstanding" between the molecular lovers, who under its influence draw somewhat apart, and are only reunited when the obstacle is removed, and harmony again manifested.

As we have shown you in a previous chapter, the so-called "properties" of Matter, i.e. , Hardness, Tenacity, Malleability, Ductility, etc., are simply evidence of a persistent Cohesiveness of the Molecules—a strong "love" or "desire" for each other that caused them to adopt every possible means in their power to resist, and prevent, the separation of the Molecules forming the mass. It was like a desperate attempt to prevent the "breaking up of the family."

Each so-called Special Physical Property of Matter is seen to be but the action of the Molecule resisting separation, in obedience to that law of its being called "Attraction," or "Gravitation," or "Cohesion," or "Adhesion"—but which might as fitly be called "Desire," or "Love." And, remember, that this law does not seem to be merely one of self-preservation of the Molecule—for it remains intact even after the separation from its companions or family. It is more, for it is a law that causes it to bend all its energies in remaining within "molecular distance" or close companionship with its family, and resisting disintegration. It is like the "social instinct" in Man, if one may be pardoned from using the figure.

Now for the Attraction of the Atoms—"Chemical Affinity," or "Chemism," as it is called. An Atom, you know, is the chemical unit of Matter, and the smallest particle of Matter that can enter into combination (leaving the Corpuscle out of the consideration, for the moment). These Atoms exhibit and manifest an Attraction for each other that causes them to form combinations or "marriages," and thus to combine, forming a molecule. But remember, always, that when Atoms "combine" they do not merge their identities—they simply "marry," and nothing more. Each atom maintains its own identity, and is found intact if the "marriage" is destroyed by chemical process, which might be called the termination of the molecular marriage, by "divorce," that is, by one Atom forsaking its mate and seeking a new "affinity" in the shape of some more attractive (or attracting) Atom. For, alas, the Atoms are more or less fickle, and often leave their life-partners for some other fascinating Particle. At times there is manifested a condition of "how happy could I be with either, were t'other fair charmer away"—there is a conflict of attractions.

There is more "flirting" and "affairs of the heart" in the world of Atoms than in the region of the Molecules, for while the latter are apt to seek only the companionship of their own "family," or some nearly related family, the Atoms have quite a number of possible "affinities," and will invariably desert a lesser attraction for a greater one (thus forming a new molecule) and leave the deserted one to get along alone as best it may, or else form a new alliance with some other affinity who is either impervious to the attraction of the more brilliant charmer, or else is out of the danger of temptation.

But, if we analyze and carefully consider this "Chemical Affinity," "Chemism," we will see that it comes well under the definition of "Attraction" as given by Webster, and quoted in the first part of this chapter. It certainly comes under the rule of " the power in nature acting mutually between bodies, or ultimate particles, tending to draw them together ," etc.

The writer thinks that he is justified in asking you to consider Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion and Chemical Affinity as related forms of the same thing. If you do not like to call this "same thing" by the name of "Gravitation," suppose we call it "The Law of Attraction," of which Gravitation, Cohesion, Adhesion, Chemical Affinity or Chemism are but different aspects. (This "relation" is described in Chapter XIII.)

And the writer believes that this "Law of Attraction" is the underlying cause of all that we call Energy, Force, Power, Motion, etc., in the Physical world. For if "Gravitation" accounts for all "Mass Motion," or "Mechanical Motion"—if Molecular Cohesion, and the vibrations accompanying it, manifest in forms of "Molecular Motion"—and if Atomic "Chemical Affinity" or "Chemism," manifest in "Atomic Motion"—and if even the Corpuscles in their movements obey this same "Law of Attraction" in some form—and if all Force and Energy is but a "Mode of Motion"—then, if all this be true, are we not justified in claiming that this "Law of Attraction" is the Basis of All Energy, Force and Motion? And are we not justified in thinking of this "Law of Attraction" as always manifesting in the direction of drawing together particles of Substance—be those particles suns, planets, masses, molecules, atoms or corpuscles—in pursuance of some basic law imposed upon All-things, by That-which-is-above-Things?

The following quotation is interesting, in our consideration of this subject: