Chapter 3 - part 7
"Yes,"
put in Sam, "but I’ve heard you lose a day or gain a day when you
go around the world."
"That’s
right, you do, or seem to; but that does not affect the keeping of the
Sabbath, as those who have tried it have found. And this gain or loss is
apparent, not real, as far as actual time is concerned. It comes from an
arrangement by astronomers so that time records can be adjusted on a round
world that marks the day by one revolution on its axis. To show you that
time is not really lost or gained by going around the world, suppose there
were twins, and one went one way around the world and gained a day, and
the other went the other way around the world and lost a day. Would they
no longer be twins, and would their birthdays be two days apart? And
suppose they were to keep on going around the world in opposite
directions, would there be years of difference in their ages after many
such Journeys? To ask such a question is to answer no.
The preacher
suddenly pulled his watch out of his pocket, and uttered an exclamation of
dismay. "Here I am wasting my time, and an hour for an important
appointment has passed. You must excuse me!" And with some loss of
dignity he clambered into his car, and exceeded the speed limit as he
honked up the street.
His auto-repairing
parishioner stepped to the door and watched him disappear. "Wouldn’t
that sideswipe you!" he ejaculated. When he turned back into the
shop, the familiar feet were protruding from under the car over in the
corner. He busied himself with his work without another word.
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