DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 The Glenn Negley Collection 
 of Utopian Literature 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/daybreakromanceoOOcowa 
 
DAYBREAK 
 
 A ROMANCE OF AN OLD WORLD 
 
■>-;-^ 
 
 
 ■■■^-ir- 
 
 samm 
 
 ^ 
 
 "HE MADE THE STAKS ALSO." 
 
DAYBREAK 
 
 A ROMANCE OF AN OLD WORLD 
 
 By JAMES COWAN 
 
 WITH DRAWINGS BY 
 
 WALTER C. GREENOUGH 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 GEORGE H. RICHMOND & CO. 
 1896 
 
Copyright, 1896, bv 
 GEORGE H. RICHMOND & CO. 
 
 Press of J. J. Little & Co. 
 Astor Place, New York 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 An Astronomer Royal, i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 A Fallen Satellite, 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Two Men in the Moon, 20 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 And One Woman 30 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Our Introduction to Mars, 44 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 A Remarkable People 53 
 
 CPIAPTER VII. 
 Rapid Transit on Mars, 66 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Thorwald Puzzled, 73 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Thorwald as a Prophet, 80 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 More Worlds than Two, 86 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 Mars as It Is, 93 
 
 CHAPTER XII, 
 We Reach Thorwald's Home, 102 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 A Morning Talk, no 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Proctor Shows us the Earth, 116 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 A Night Adventure, 121 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 An Unlikely Story, 131 
 
 CHAPTER XVII, 
 The Doctor is Convinced, 139 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Struck by a Comet, 149 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 I Discover the Singer, 156 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 A Wonderful Revelation, 167 
 
CONTENTS. vn 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 A Little Ancient History 176 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 Again the Moon, 183 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 We Search for Mona, . . . ■ 198 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 The Picture Telegraph, 213 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 An Unsatisfactory Lover, 224 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 An Enviable Condition, 232 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 The Children's Day, 245 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 Business Ethics, 250 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 The Industrial Problem, 257 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 Attempts to Solve the Problem, 271 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 Wine-drinking in Mars, 279 
 
Vlll CONTKNIS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 A Genuine Accident, 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 TiiK Emancii'Atiun uf Woman, 302 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 The Emancipation of Man, 321 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 An Exalted Theme 336 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 Vanquished Again by a Vo;ce 346 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 Until the Day Break, 360 
 
 CHAI'TER XXXVIII. 
 And the Shadows Flee Away 372 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 A Sudden Return to the Earih, 380 
 
 POSTSCRIPT 396 
 
DAYBREAK: 
 
 A ROMANCE OF AN OLD WORLD, 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 AN ASTRONOMER ROYAL. 
 
 It was an evening in early autumn in the last year of the 
 nineteenth century. We were nearing the close of a voy- 
 age as calm and peaceful as our previous lives. 
 
 Margaret had been in Europe a couple of years and I had 
 just been over to bring her home, and we were now expect- 
 ing to reach New York in a day or two. 
 
 Margaret and I were the best of friends. Indeed, we 
 had loved each other from our earliest recollection. No 
 formal words of betrothal had ever passed between us, but 
 for years we had spoken of our future marriage as natu- 
 rally as if we were the most regularly engaged couple in 
 the world. 
 
 '•Walter," asked Margaret in her impulsive way, "at 
 what temperature does mercury melt ? " 
 
 "Well, to hazard a guess," I replied, "I should say 
 about one degree above its freezing point. Why, do you 
 think of making an experiment? " 
 
 "Yes, on you. And I am going to begin by being very 
 frank with you. You have made me a number of hurried 
 visits during my stay in Europe, but we have seen more of 
 
2 DAYBREAK, 
 
 each other in the course of this voyage than for two long 
 years. I trust you will not be offended when I say I 
 hoped to find you changed. I have never spoken to you 
 about this, even in my letters, and it is only because I am 
 a little older now, and because my love for you has 
 increased with every day of life, that I have the courage to 
 frame these words." 
 
 "Do tell me what it is," I exclaimed, thoroughly 
 alarmed at her serious manner. "Let me know how I 
 have disappointed you and I will make what amends I can. 
 Tell me the nature of the change you have been looking 
 for and I will begin the transformation at once, before my 
 character becomes fixed. ' ' 
 
 " Alas ! and if it should be already fixed," she replied, 
 without a smile. " Perhaps it is unreasonable in me to 
 expect it in you as a man, when you had so little of it as a 
 boy ; but I used to think it was only shyness then, and always 
 hoped you would outgrow that and gradually become an 
 ideal lover. You have such a multitude of other perfec- 
 tions, however, that it may be nature has denied you this so 
 that I may be reminded that you are human. If the choice 
 had been left with me I think I should have preferred to 
 leave out some other quality in the make-up of your charac- 
 ter, good as they all are." 
 
 "What bitter pill is this," I asked, "that you are 
 sugar-coating to such an extent? I^on't you see that I am 
 aching to begin the improvement in my manners, as soon 
 as ycu point out the direction? " 
 
 " You must know what I mean from my first abrupt ques- 
 tion," she answered. " To make an extreme comparison, 
 frozen mercury is warm beside you, Walter. If you are 
 really to be loyal knight of mine I must send you on a 
 quest for your heart." 
 
AN ASTRONOMER ROYAL. 3 
 
 " xAih, I supposed it was understood that I had given it 
 to you." 
 
 " I have never seen it," she continued, " and you have 
 never before said as much as is contained in those last 
 words. Here we are, talking of many things we shall do 
 after we are married, and yet you have nothing to say of all 
 that wonderful and beautiful world of romance that ought 
 to come before marriage. Is this voyage to come to an end 
 and mean no more to us than to these hundreds of passen- 
 gers around us, who seem only intent to get back to their 
 work at the earliest possible moment? And is our wedding 
 day to approach and pass and be looked upon merely as 
 part of the necessary and becoming business of our lives? 
 In short, am I never to hear a real love note? " 
 
 " Margaret, I have a sister. You know something of the 
 depth of my affection for her. When I meet her in New 
 York to-morrow or next day, if I should throw my arms 
 around her neck and exclaim, in impassioned tones, ' My 
 sister, I love you,' what would she think of me? " 
 
 *' She would think you had left your senses on the other 
 side," replied Margaret, laughing. " But I decline to 
 accept the parallel. I have not given up my heart to your 
 keeping these many years to be only a sister to you at last." 
 
 " But my mother ! Is it possible forme to love you more 
 than my mother loved me? And yet I never heard her 
 speak one word on the subject, and, now that I think of it, 
 I am not sure but words would have cheapened her affec- 
 tion in my mind. You do not doubt me, Margaret? " 
 
 " No more than you doubted your mother, although she 
 never told her love. No, it is not so serious as that ; but I 
 wish you were more demonstrative, Walter." 
 
 " \\'hat, in words? Isn't there something that speaks 
 louder than words? " 
 
4 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Yes, but let us hear the words, too. There is a beauti- 
 ful proverb in India which says, ' Words are the daughters 
 of earth and deeds are the sons of heaven.' That is true, 
 but let us not try to pass through life without enjoying the 
 company of some of the ' daughters of earth.' " 
 
 " I will confess this much, Margaret, that your words are 
 one of your principal charms." 
 
 " Oh, do you really think so? I consider that a great 
 compliment from you, for I have often tried to repress 
 myself, fearing that my impulsive and sometimes passionate 
 speech would offend your taste, you who are outwardly so 
 cold. Do you know, I have a whole vocabulary of endearing 
 terms ready to be poured into your ears as soon as you 
 begin to give me encouragement? " 
 
 *' Then teach me how to encourage you, and I will cer- 
 tainly begin at once. Shall we seek some retired spot, 
 where we can be free from observation, and then shall I 
 seize your hand, fall on my knees, and, in vehement and 
 extravagant words, declare a passion which you already 
 know I have, just as well as you know I am breathing at 
 this moment? " 
 
 " (jood ! " cried Margaret. " That's almost as fine as 
 the real scene. So you have a passion for me. I really 
 think you are improving." 
 
 Before going on with this conversation, let me tell you a 
 little more about Margaret and my relations to her. 
 
 There was good cause for her complaint. I was at that 
 time a sort of animated icicle, as far as my emotional nature 
 was concerned. But although I could not express my feel- 
 ings to Margaret in set phrase, I do not mind saying to you 
 that I loved her dearly, or thought I did, which was the same 
 thing for the time being. I loved her as well as I was 
 capable of loving anybody. What I lacked Margaret more 
 
AN ASTRONOMER ROYAL. 5 
 
 than made up, for she was the warmest-hearted creature in 
 all the world. If I should begin to enumerate her perfec- 
 tions of person and character I should never care to stop. 
 
 Her educational advantages had been far above the aver- 
 age, and she had improved them in a manner to gratify her 
 friends and create for herself abundant mental resources. 
 She had taken the full classical course at Harvard, carrying 
 off several of the high prizes, had then enjoyed two years 
 of post-graduate work at Clark, and had finally spent two 
 more years in foreign travel and study. As has been inti- 
 mated, I had been over for her, and we were now on our way 
 home, expecting to land on the morrov/ or the day after. 
 
 It you imagine that Margaret had lost anything by her 
 education or was less fitted to make a good home, it is 
 because you never knew her. Instead of being stunted in her 
 growth, broken in constitution, round-shouldered, pale-faced 
 and weak-eyed, the development of her body had kept pace 
 with the expansion of her mind, and she was now in the 
 perfect flower of young womanhood, with body and soul 
 both of generous mold. Her marvelous beauty had been 
 refined and heightened by her intellectual culture, and even 
 her manners, so charming before, were now more than ever 
 the chaste and well-ordered adornments of a noble char- 
 acter. She was as vivacious and sparkling as if she had 
 never known the restraints of school, but without extrava- 
 gance of any kind to detract from her self-poise. In short, 
 she was a symphony, a grand and harmonious composition, 
 and still human enough to love a mortal like me. 
 
 Such was the woman who was trying to instill into my 
 wooing a little of the warmth and sympathy of her de- 
 lightful nature. 
 
 As for myself, it will be necessary to mention only a 
 single characteristic. I had a remarkably good ear, as we 
 
6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 say. Not only was my sense of hearing unusually acute, 
 but I had an almost abnormal appreciation of musical 
 sounds. Although without the ability to sing or play and 
 without the habit of application necessary to learn these 
 accomplishments, I was, from my earliest years, a great 
 lover of music. People who are born without the power of 
 nicely discriminating between sounds often say they enjoy 
 music, but these excellent people do not begin to under- 
 stand the intense pleasure with which one listens, whose 
 auricular ner^^es are more highly developed. But this rare 
 and soul-stirring enjoyment is many times accompanied, as 
 in my case, with acute suffering whenever the tympanum is 
 made to resound with the slightest discord. The most 
 painful moments of my life, physically speaking, have been 
 those in which I have been forced to listen to diabolical 
 noises. A harsh, rasping sound has often given me a pang 
 more severe than neuralgia, while even an uncultivated 
 voice or an instrument out of tune has jarred on my sensi- 
 tive nerves for hours. 
 
 My musical friends all hated me in their hearts, for my 
 peculiarity made me a merciless critic; and the most seri- 
 ous youthful quarrel between Margaret and myself arose 
 from the same cause. Nature had given Margaret a voice 
 of rare sweetness and a fine musical taste, and her friends 
 had encouraged her in singing from her youth. One day, 
 before she had received much instruction, she innocently 
 asked me to listen to a song she was studying, when 1 was 
 cruel enough to laugh at her and ridicule the idea of her 
 ever learning to sing correctly. This rudeness made such an 
 impression on her girlish mind that, although she forgave 
 the offense and continued to love the offender, she could 
 never be induced again to try her vocal powers before me. 
 All through her school and college days she devoted some 
 
AN ASTRONOMER ROYAL. 7 
 
 attention to music, and while I heard from others much 
 about her advancement and the extraordinary quality of her 
 voice, she always declared she would never sing for me until 
 she was sure she could put me to shame for my early indis- 
 cretion, so painfully present in her memory. This became 
 in time quite a feature of our long courtship, for I was 
 constantly trying to have her break her foolish resolution 
 and let me hear her. Although unsuccessful, the situation 
 was not without a pleasurable interest for me, for I knew it 
 must end some time, and in a way, no doubt, to give me 
 great enjoyment, judging from the accounts which came to 
 my ears. Margaret, too, was well satisfied to let the affair 
 drift along indefinitely, while she anticipated with delight 
 the surprise she was preparing for me. 
 
 During the years she had just been spending abroad a 
 good share of her time had been given to her musical stud- 
 ies, principally vocal culture, and in her letters she provok- 
 ingly quoted, for my consideration, the flattering comments 
 of her instructors and other acquaintances. She did this 
 as part of my punishment, trying to make me realize 
 how much pleasure I was losing. Each time I crossed the 
 ocean to visit her I expected she would relent, but I was as 
 often disappointed ; and now this homeward voyage had 
 almost come to an end, and I had never heard her voice in 
 song since she was a child. Open and unreserved as she 
 was by nature, in this particular she had schooled herself to 
 be as reticent and undemonstrative as she accused me of 
 being. 
 
 Our talk on the subject of my shortcomings, that evening 
 on shipboard, had not continued much longer before I 
 acknowledged in plain language that I knew my fault and 
 was ready to cooperate in any scheme that could be sug- 
 gested to cure it. 
 
8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " What you need," said Margaret, " is some violent sen- 
 sation, some extraordinary experience to stir your soul." 
 
 " Yes," I answered, " my humdnun life, my wealth, 
 which came to me without any efifort of my own, and the 
 hitherto almost unruffled character of my relations with you 
 have all conspired to make me satisfied with an easy and 
 rather indolent existence. I realize I need a shaking up. 
 I want to forget myself in some novel experience, which 
 shall engross all my attention for a time and draw upon 
 my sympathies if I have any. 
 
 *' But what can one do in ' this weak piping time of 
 peace ' ? There are no maidens to be rescued from the 
 enchantments of the wizard, and it is no longer the fashion 
 ,to ride forth with sword and halberd to murder in the name 
 of honor all who oppose themselves. No more dark con- 
 tinents wait to be explored, neither is there novelty left in 
 searching the ocean's depths nor in sailing the sky above 
 us. Civilized warfare itself, the only field remaining where 
 undying fame may be purchased, seems likely to lose its 
 hold on men, and soon the arbitrator will everywhere 
 replace the commander-in-chief and the noble art of war 
 will degenerate into the ignoble lawsuit. So even univer- 
 sal peace may have its drawbacks." 
 
 " That is quite sufficient in that line," said Margaret. 
 ** Now let us come down to something practicable." 
 
 " Well, I might bribe the pilot to sink the steamer when 
 we are going up the bay, so that I could have the opportu- 
 nity of saving your life." 
 
 " It would be almost worth the trial if it were not for the 
 other people," she returned. " Such a role would become 
 you immensely." 
 
 " I regret that I cannot accommodate you," I said. 
 " But 1 have thought of something which would be rather 
 
AN ASTRONOMER ROYAL. 9 
 
 safer for you. How would you like to have me fall desper- 
 ately in love with some pretty girl? " 
 
 "Just the thing," exclaimed Margaret, laughing and 
 clapping her hands, "if you can only be sure she will not 
 return your passion." 
 
 " Small chance of that," I answered. " So you approve 
 the plan, do you? " 
 
 " Certainly, if you care to try it. Lady never held knight 
 against his will. But have you forgotten that, after the 
 resources of this planet are exhausted, as you seem to think 
 they are soon likely to be, you and I have other worlds to 
 conquer? Perhaps in that work you may find diversion 
 powerful enough to draw you out of yourself and, possibly, 
 opportunities for some heart culture." 
 
 I must explain that this was a reference to a plan of life 
 we were marking out for ourselves. Margaret was an enthusi- 
 ast on the subject of astronomy. I would include myself in 
 the same remark, only the word enthusiast did not fit my 
 temperament at that time. But our tastes agreed perfectly 
 in that matter, and we had always read with avidity every- 
 thing we could find on the subject. Margaret, however, was 
 the student, and as she had developed great proficiency in 
 mathematics, she had decided to make astronomy her pro- 
 fession. 
 
 It was understood that I was to perform the easier part of 
 furnishing the money for an obsen-atory and instruirients of 
 our own, and I was determined to keep pace with Margaret 
 in her studies as well as I could in an amateurish way, so 
 that she might be able to retain me as an assistant. We 
 were to be married at sunrise sharp, on the first day of the 
 next century, and to lay the comer-stone of our observatory 
 at the exact moment of the summer solstice of the same 
 year. These were Margaret's suggestions, but even I was 
 
lO DAYBREAK. 
 
 not averse to letting my friends see I had a little senti- 
 ment. 
 
 That night I dreamed of almost everything we had 
 been talking about, but lay awake at intervals, wondering 
 if I could, by force of will, work out the reform in my char- 
 acter which Margaret desired. The night passed, and it was 
 just as I was rising that a thought flashed upon me which I 
 determined to put into execution at the first opportunity. 
 This came early the next evening. .'^s we expected to 
 reach our wharf soon, we had finished our packing, and were 
 now sitting alone in a retired si)ot on deck on the starboard 
 side. As soon as we were comfortably arranged I said to 
 my companion : 
 
 "Margaret, as this is the last evening of this voyage, it 
 makes an epoch in our lives. Your school days are now 
 over, and henceforth we hope to be together. Would not 
 this be a most appropriate time for me to be introduced to 
 a voice with which I propose to spend the rest of my life? 
 Last night you were anxious to think of something which 
 would arouse my dormant heart and draw out in more pas- 
 sionate expression my too obscure affections. Your words 
 haunted my sleeping and waking thoughts until it fortunately 
 occurred to me that you yourself had the \ery means for 
 accom])lishing my reformation. You know how impression- 
 able I am to every wave of sound. Who knows but your \oice, 
 which I am sure will be the sweetest in the world to me, 
 may be the instrument destined to stir my drowsy soul, to 
 loose my halting tongue, and even to force my proud knees 
 to bend before you? In short, why not adopt my sugges- 
 tion, break your long-kept resolution, and sing for me this 
 moment? Is the possible result not worth the trial? " 
 
 To this long address, which was a great effort for me, 
 Margaret answered : 
 
AN ASTROiMOMER ROVAL. II 
 
 " You surprise me already, Walter. If the mere thought 
 of hearing me sing can prompt such a sentimental speech as 
 that, what would the song itself do? Perhaps it would 
 drive you to the other extreme, and you would become 
 gushing. Just think of that. But, seriously, I am afraid 
 you would laugh at my voice and send me back to Germany. 
 When you were talking I thought I could detect an under- 
 current of fun in your words." 
 
 " I assure you I was never more in earnest in my life, and 
 I am sorry you will not sing. Is your answer final ? " 
 
 " I think I will wait a little longer. We are liable to be 
 disturbed here. And now that you have made a start, per- 
 haps you will improve in manners becoming a lover without 
 any more help." 
 
 " No, I shall relapse and be worse than ever. Now is 
 your time to help me find my heart." 
 
 Without answering, Margaret sprang up impulsively, ex- 
 claiming : 
 
 " There ! I have forgotten that book the professor bor- 
 rowed. Men never return anything. I must go and get it, 
 and put it into my bag. And I had better run down and 
 see if auntie wants anything. You stay right here ; don't 
 move, and I'll be back in just three minutes." 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 A FALLEN SATELLITE. 
 
 I PROMISED, and then settled myself more comfortably 
 into my steamer chair to await Margaret's return. The 
 three minutes passed, and she did not come. Evidently it 
 was hard to find the professor, or perhaps he was holding 
 her, against her will, for a discussion of the book. At any 
 rate, I could do nothing but sit there, in that easy, half- 
 reclining position, and watch the full moon, which had just 
 risen, and was shining square in my face, if that could be 
 said of an object that looked so round. 
 
 I fell into a deep reverie. My mind was filled with con- 
 tending emotions, and such opposing objects as rolling 
 worlds and lovely maidens flitted in dim images across my 
 mental vision. I loved the best woman on the earth, and 
 I wondered if any of those other globes contained her 
 equal. If so, then perhaps some other man was as fortunate 
 as myself. 1 was drowsy, but determined to keep awake 
 and ])ursue this fancy. I remember feeling confident that 
 I could not sleep if I only kept my eyes open, and so I said 
 I would keep them fixed on the bright face of the moon. 
 But how large it looked. Surely something must be wTong 
 with it, or was it my memory that was at fault? I thought 
 the moon generally appeared smaller as it rose further 
 above the horizon, but now it was growing bigger every 
 minute. It was coming nearer, too. Nearer, larger — why. 
 
A FALLEN SATELLITE. I3 
 
 it was monstrous. I could not turn my eyes away now, and 
 everything else was forgotten, swallowed up in that one 
 awful sight. How fast it grew. Now it fills half the sky 
 and makes me tremble with fear. Part of it is still lighted 
 by the sun, and part is in dark, threatening shadow. I see 
 pale faces around me. Others are gazing, awe-stricken, 
 at the same object. We are in the open street, and some 
 have glasses, peering into the deep craters and caverns of 
 the surface. 
 
 I seemed to be a new-comer on the scene, and could not 
 help remarking to my nearest neighbor : 
 
 " This is a strange sight. Do you think it is real, or are 
 we all bereft of our senses ? ' ' 
 
 *' Strange indeed, but true," he answered. 
 
 "But what does it mean?" And then, assuming a 
 gayety I did not feel, I asked further: " Does the moon, 
 too, want to be annexed to the United States? " 
 
 "You speak lightly, young man," my neighbor said, 
 "and do not appear to realize the seriousness of our situation. 
 Where have you been, that you have not heard this matter 
 discussed, and do not understand that the moon is certain 
 to come into collision with the earth in a very short time? " 
 
 He seemed thoroughly alarmed, and I soon found that all 
 the people shared his feeling. The movement of the earth 
 carried us out of sight of the moon in a few hours, but 
 after a brief rest everybody was on the watch again at the 
 next revolution. The excitement over the behavior of our 
 once despised moon increased rapidly from this time. 
 Nothing else was talked of, business was well-nigh sus- 
 pended, and the newspapers neglected everything else to 
 tell about the unparalleled natural phenomenon. Specu- 
 lation was rife as to what would be the end, and what 
 effect would follow a union of the earth v,-ith its satellite. 
 
14 DAYBREAK. 
 
 While this discussion was going on, the unwelcome visitor 
 was approaching with noticeable rapidity at every revolu- 
 tion of the earth, and the immense dark shadow which it 
 now made, as it passed beneath the sun, seemed ominous 
 of an ill fate to our world and its inhabitants. It was a 
 time to try the stoutest hearts, and, of course, the multitude 
 of the people were overwhelmed with alarm. As no one 
 could do anything to ward oiif what seemed a certain catas- 
 trophe, the situation was all the more dreadful. Men could 
 only watch the monster, speculate as to the result, and wait, 
 with horrible suspense, for the inevitable. The circle of 
 revolution was now becoming so small that the crisis was 
 hourly expected. Men everywhere left their houses and 
 sought the shelterless fields, and it was well they did so, for 
 there came a day when the earth received a sudden and 
 awful shock. After it had passed, people looked at each 
 other wonderingly to find themselves alive, and began con- 
 gratulating each other, thinking the worst was over. But 
 the dreadful anxiety returned when, after some hours, the 
 moon again appeared, a little tardy this time, but nearer 
 and more threatening than ever. The news was afterwards 
 brought that it had struck the high mountain peaks of 
 Central Asia, tearing down their sides with the power of a 
 thousand glaciers and filling the valleys below with ruin. 
 
 It was now felt that the end must soon come, and this 
 was true, for at the earth's very next revolution the tired 
 and feeble satellite, once the queen of the sky and the 
 poet's glory, scraped across the continent of South America, 
 received the death blow in collision with the Andes, 
 careened, and fell at last into the South Pacific Ocean. 
 The shock gi\'en to the earth was tremendous, but no other 
 result was manifest except that the huge mass displaced 
 water enough to submerge many islands and to reconstruct 
 
A FALLEN SATELLITE. 15 
 
 the shore lines of every continent. There was untold loss 
 of life and property, of course, but it is astonishing how 
 easily those who were left alive accepted the new state of 
 things, when it was found that the staid earth, in spite of 
 the enormous wart on her side, was making her daily revo- 
 lution almost with her accustomed regularity. 
 
 The lovers of science, however, were by no means indiffer- 
 ent to the new-comer. To be able at last to solve all the 
 problems of the constitution and geography of the moon 
 was enough to fill them with the greatest enthusiasm. But, 
 while thousands were ready to investigate the mysterious 
 visitor, one great difficulty stood in the way of all progress. 
 It seemed impossible to get a foothold on the surface. 
 The great globe rose from the waves on all sides at such an 
 angle on account of its shape that a lodgment could not 
 easily be made. Ships sailed under the overhanging sides, 
 and in a calm sea they would send out their boats, which 
 approached near enough to secure huge specimens. These 
 were broken into fragments and were soon sold on the streets 
 of every city. 
 
 The first to really set foot on the dead satellite were 
 some adventurous advertisers, who shot an arrow and cord 
 over a projecting crag, pulled a rope after it, and finally 
 drew themselves up, and soon the lunar cliffs were put to 
 some practical use, blazoning forth a few staring words. 
 These men could not go beyond their narrow standing place, 
 for the general cur\e of the surface, although broken up 
 by many irregularities, presented no opportunities for the 
 most skillful climbing. 
 
 But it was impossible that, with the moon so near, the 
 problem of reaching it could long remain unsolved. Dr. 
 Schwartz, an eminent scientist, was the first to suggest that 
 it must be approached in a balloon, and at the same time 
 
l6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 he announced that he would be one of two men, if another 
 could be found, to undertake to effect a landing in that 
 way. Here, I saw, was my opportunity. I had often 
 dreamed of visiting the moon and other heavenly bodies, 
 and now here was a chance to go in reality. I had some 
 acquaintance with Dr. Schwartz, and my prompt application 
 for the vacant place in the proposed expedition was success- 
 ful. The doctor kindly wrote me that my enthusiasm in 
 the cause was just what he was looking for, and he was sure 
 I would prove a plucky and reliable companion. The mat- 
 ter attracted so much attention that the United States Gov- 
 ernment, moved to action by the public nature of the enter- 
 prise, took it up and offered to bear all the expense of the 
 equipment and carrying out of the expedition. Encouraged 
 by this assistance, the doctor began his plans at once. All 
 recognized that one great object was to settle the question 
 as to the existence of life on the other side of the moon ; 
 for, in spite of its rude collisions with mountains and con- 
 tinents before it rested as near the heart of the earth as it 
 could get, it had insisted, with an almost knowing per\-er- 
 sity, in keeping its old, familiar face next to us. To 
 solve this problem might take niuch time, and so we deter- 
 mined to go so well prepared that, if we once reached the 
 upper surface of the moon, we could stay as long as our 
 errand demanded. 
 
 It was decided to make the ascent from a town near the 
 coast of the southern part of Chili, and thither we went 
 with our balloon, some scientific apparatus, and a large 
 quantity of dried provisions. We took with us also papers 
 from the State Department showing that we were accredited 
 agents from our Government to the inhabitants of the moon, 
 if we should find any. Our arrangements were speedily 
 made, and on a still, bright morning we bade adieu to our 
 
A FALLEN SATELLITE. 17 
 
 friends who had accompanied us thus far, mounted our car, 
 and set sail. 
 
 We left the earth with light hearts, excited with the novel 
 and interesting character of the enterprise, and but little 
 realizing its difficulty and danger. Ordinary balloon jour- 
 neys had become frequent, and the evolution of the air ship 
 had almost passed beyond the experimental stage, but noth- 
 ing like our present undertaking had ever been attempted. 
 
 Our starting place was far enough from the resting point 
 of the moon to enable us to clear the rounded side, but in 
 order to reach the equatorial line of the fallen globe we 
 would be obliged to ascend over a thousand miles. 
 
 The fact that we were not appalled by the mere thought 
 of rising to such a height shows how thoroughly we were 
 carried away with the excitement. But we were better pre- 
 pared for a lofty flight than might be supposed. For among 
 the recent wonders of science had been the invention of an 
 air-condensing machine, by which the rarefied atmosphere 
 of the upper regions could be converted into good food for 
 the lungs. These machines had been successfully tested 
 more than once by voyagers of the air, but the present occa- 
 sion promised to give them a much more severe trial than 
 they had yet received. And, indeed, it is impossible to 
 imagine how we could have sun-ived without them. Another 
 important aid to science rendered by this air-condensing 
 apparatus is that in the process of condensation water is 
 produced in sufficient quantities to drink. Our little car 
 was tightly inclosed, and we took enough surplus gas with 
 us to keep it comfortably warm. So, with plenty of food, 
 air, water, and fuel, we were pretty well prepared for a 
 long journey. 
 
 Our instruments, placed just outside the glass sides of the 
 car, told us how fast we were rising and what height we 
 
 2 
 
IJS DAYBREAK. 
 
 had reached from time to time, and as we left the denser 
 atmosphere of the earth we were gratified to find that we 
 continued to rise rapidly. On one side of us we could see 
 the rugged surface of the moon, now, on account of its 
 rounded form, drawing nearer to us every hour as we ap- 
 proached the point where we hoped to land. We thought 
 it best to try to pass the center and land, if possible, some- 
 where on the upper hemisphere, which was the part of the 
 monstrous object that we wanted to investigate. But when 
 at length we thought we were about to fly past the moon's 
 equator successfully, an unexpected thing happened. 
 
 If we suppose the moon was resting, at the bottom of the 
 ocean, on one of its poles, we were going toward the equa- 
 torial line, and we thought we should not be able to retain 
 a foothold anywhere below that line certainly. But now, 
 what was our surprise to find ourselves under some mys- 
 terious influence. Our balloon refused to obey us as hereto- 
 fore, and in spite of nidder and sail we were drifting about, 
 and appeared to be going toward the moon's surface sooner 
 than we had intended. 
 
 In scientific emergencies I deferred to my companion, 
 and now asked for an explanation of this erratic behavior 
 of our balloon. Instead of replying at once, the doctor 
 stooped%nd cut a fine wire, which released one of the sand 
 bags suspended for ballast from the bottom of our car, and 
 told me to watch it. We both watched it, and instead of 
 starting with rapidity for the center of the earth, as all 
 well-conducted sand bags have done from the beginning of 
 the world, it seemed to hesitate and float around a minute, 
 as though it were no more than a handful of feathers. And 
 then, slowly at first, but soon more and more swiftly, forget- 
 ting its birthplace and its old mother earth, it fell un- 
 blushingly toward the moon. 
 
A FALLEN SATELLITE. 
 
 19 
 
 Intent on watching the fickle sand bag, we did not at first 
 notice that our whole conveyance was practicing the same 
 unhandsome maneuver. But we soon became aware that 
 we had changed allegiance also. We had started with the 
 earth at our feet and the moon looming up on one side of 
 us, but here we were now riding with the moon under us 
 and the earth away off at our side. 
 
 My fellow in this strange experience now found his voice. 
 
 "You doubtless realize," said he, "what has taken 
 place. We are now so far from the earth that its attrac- 
 tion is very weak and the nearer mass of the moon is draw- 
 ing us." 
 
 "That is quite evident," I said, "but you seem as 
 unconcerned about it as if such a trip as this were an every- 
 day affair with you." 
 
 " I am not at all indififerent to the wonderful character 
 of this journey," he replied, " but its scientific value swal- 
 lows up all personal considerations." 
 
 I believed this to be true, and I will say right here that 
 in all our future experiences the doctor showed the same 
 indifference to everything like fear, and seemed content 
 to go to any length in the interest of science. 
 
 We were now able to govern our movements by the ordi- 
 nary methods of ballooning, and after sailing over the sur- 
 face of the moon a few hours, studying its rugged outlines, 
 we began to think of selecting a place for landing. There 
 was no water to be seen and no forests nor other vegetation, 
 but everywhere were huge mountains and deep valleys, all 
 as bare and uninviting as it is possible to imagine. 
 
 But it would not do to turn a cold shoulder to her now, 
 and "10 we descended gracefully to make her close acquaint- 
 an' cast out our anchor, and were soon on the moon in 
 rea *.y. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 
 
 "Well, Doctor," said I, as soon as our feet touched 
 the ground, " the moon is inhabited now if never before." 
 
 "Yes, yes," he answered, " and I am glad to find the 
 inhabitants are of such a lively disposition." 
 
 " Oh, who can help being light-hearted," I rejoined, 
 " when one's body is so light? " 
 
 For as soon as we left our car we began to have the queer- 
 est sensations of lightness. We felt as if we were standing 
 on springs, which the least motion would set off and up we 
 would go toward the sky. Elverything we handled had but 
 a small fraction of the weight it would possess on the 
 earth, and our great air-condensing machines we carried 
 about with ease. But however high we might jump we 
 always returned to the ground, and whether we were on top 
 of the moon or on the bottom of it, it was pretty certain 
 that we could not fall off, any more than we could have 
 fallen off the earth before we voluntarily but so rashly 
 left it. 
 
 My exhilaration of spirit did not last, for I could not 
 help thinking of our condition. The law of gravitation 
 surely held us, although with less force than we had been 
 accustomed to, on account of the smaller size of the moon ; 
 and how were we to get away from it? 
 
 I again appealed to my companion. 
 
TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 21 
 
 " I do not like the idea of spending the rest of our lives 
 on the moon, Doctor, but can you tell me how we are to 
 prevent it? Can we ever get back within the earth's 
 attraction again? " 
 
 " I have been pondering the subject myself," he replied, 
 " and I think I can give you some hope of seeing home 
 once more. If our old measurements of the moon are 
 correct, and if we are, as I suppose, somewhere near the 
 equator, we must be about fifteen hundred miles from the 
 earth, following the curve of the moon's surface. Now, 
 after we have finished our investigations here, we can start 
 for home on foot. We can cover a good many miles a day, 
 since walking can be no burden here, and we can easily 
 tow our balloon along. As we approach the earth, my 
 impression is that we shall become more and more light- 
 footed, for we shall be gradually getting back to the earth's 
 attraction. Somewhere between this point and our planet 
 there must be a spot where the attraction of both bodies 
 will be equal, and we can stay on the moon or drop off and 
 return to the earth in our balloon as we please." 
 
 " What a curious idea," I answered ; " and yet, consider- 
 ing the strange behavior of our sand bag, I don't know but 
 you are right. And I have only one suggestion to make ; 
 that is, that we start earthward at once and try the experi- 
 ment. Let the investigations go. If there are any inhabi- 
 tants here they will never miss us, since we haven't made 
 their acquaintance yet. Science or no science, I object to 
 remaining any longer than necessary in this uncertainty in 
 regard to our future. You know very well we couldn't live 
 long in this temperature and with nothing for our lungs 
 but what comes through these horrid machines. And what 
 good would come of our discoveries if we are never to get 
 back to the earth again? I profess to have as much courage 
 
22 DAYBREAK. 
 
 left as the ordinary mortal would have, but in the present 
 circumstances I believe no one would blame us for wanting 
 to settle this question at once." 
 
 " It would seem a trifle ridiculous," said the doctor in 
 reply to this harangue, " for us to return to our planet 
 without any further effort to accomplish our errand. But I 
 will not deny that I share something of your feeling, and I 
 will start with you right away, on condition that you will 
 return here if we find that I am correct in believing we can 
 leave the moon at our pleasure." 
 
 " Agreed," I cried, and we were soon on our way. 
 
 So far we had been exposed to the sun and were almost 
 scorched by the intensity of its rays. We had never experi- 
 enced anything like such heat and would not have supposed 
 the human body could endure it. But now, soon after we 
 had started to find the place where the moon would let go 
 of us, the sun set and, with scarcely a minute's warning, 
 we were plunged into darkness and cold. The darkness 
 was relieved by the exceedingly brilliant appearance of the 
 stars, the sky fairly blazing with them, but the cold was 
 almost unendurable even for the few moments in which we 
 were exposed to it. We secured our car as speedily as pos- 
 sible, climbed into it, and got a little warmth from our gas 
 heater. 
 
 These extremes of temperature convinced us that no life 
 such as we were acquainted with could exist a great while 
 on the moon. 
 
 We found we could make no progress at all by night. 
 We could only shut ourselves up and wait for the sun to 
 come. In trying to keep warm we would work our air-con- 
 densers harder than usual, and the water thus produced we 
 would freeze in little cakes, and have them to help mitigate 
 the burning heat a short time the next day. 
 
TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 23 
 
 The country through which we were traveling was made 
 up of bold mountain peaks and deep ravines. There was 
 no sign of vegetation and not even the soil for it to grow 
 in, but everywhere only hard, metallic rock that showed 
 unmistakably the action of fire. 
 
 And so it was with the greatest difficulty that we made 
 our way earthward, although there was so little effort needed 
 in walking. As I pondered the doctor's idea, it seemed to 
 me more and more that he must be right. We were cer- 
 tainly held to the moon where we were by gravitation. It 
 was just as true that near the surface of the earth its supe- 
 rior attraction would draw all objects to itself. Accord- 
 ingly, if we kept on our way, why should we not in time 
 come to a place where we could throw ourselves once more 
 under the influence of the old earth, now becoming very 
 dear to us? 
 
 Thinking chiefly of this subject and talking of it every 
 day, we labored on, and finally were wonderfully encour- 
 aged with the belief that we were actually walking easier 
 and everything was becoming lighter. Soon this belief 
 became a certainty, and, since leaping was no effort, we 
 leaped with joy and hope. 
 
 And now how shall I describe our sensations as we went 
 bounding along, hardly touching the ground, until we 
 finally came to the place where it was not necessary to 
 touch the ground at all ? Now we knew that by going only 
 a little further we should be able to mount our car and set 
 sail for the earth again. But with this knowledge we lost 
 at once much of our desire, and thought we would not hasten 
 our departure. Here we were, absolutely floating in the 
 air, and it maybe believed that the feeling was as delicious 
 as it was unique. Using our hands as fins we could with 
 the slightest effort sail around at pleasure, resting in any 
 
24 DAYBREAK. 
 
 position we chose to take, truly a most luxurious expe- 
 rience. 
 
 " How shall we make our friends believe all this when 
 we try to tell them about it, Doctor? " said I. 
 
 "The best way to make them believe it," he replied, 
 " is to bring them up here and let them try it for them- 
 selves. I propose to organize an expedition on our return 
 and bring up a large party. We could manage to land 
 somewhere in this vicinity, I think, instead of going up as 
 far as you and I did. What a place this would be for sum- 
 mer vacations ! The moon is a fixture now; it cannot get 
 away. I am sure of that, for the law of gravitation will 
 never release it. So we may as well make what use of it 
 we can, and these delightful sensations will no doubt form 
 the most important discovery that we shall ever make on 
 this dried-up and worn-out satellite. You know many 
 people are willing to put themselves to much inconve- 
 nience and to undergo many hardships for the sake of a 
 change from the monotony of home life. If v/e can induce 
 them to come up here for a few weeks, and if they can 
 endure this rather erratic climate, they will find change 
 enough to break up the monotony for one year, I think." 
 
 After enjoying this rare exercise to our content, we began 
 preparing for the night which was now coming on. The 
 doctor had reminded me of my promise to return to our 
 former position on the moon, and we agreed to set out the 
 next day. Having fastened our car securely to the ground, 
 so that we might not drift off toward the earth, we entered 
 it and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. 
 
 Our resting place was near the center of what seemed to 
 be an immense crater, and some time before morning we 
 were roused by a violent shaking of the ground beneath us, 
 which startled us beyond expression. 
 
TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 2^ 
 
 " What's that? " I exclaimed. 
 
 " That feels very much like a moonquake," replied my 
 companion. 
 
 I was terribly frightened, but resolved to follow the doc- 
 tor's example and make light of what we could not help. 
 So I said : 
 
 " But I thought the lunar volcanoes were all dead ages 
 ago. I hope we haven't camped in the crater of one that is 
 likely to go off again." 
 
 " My opinion is," answered the doctor, " that there is 
 still water inside the moon which is gradually freezing. 
 That operation would sometimes crack the surface, and this 
 has probably caused the quakings that we have felt." 
 
 While we were talking the wind began to blow, and soon, 
 although it was long before time for the sun to rise, we 
 suddenly emerged from darkness into bright sunlight. We 
 sprang up instinctively to look about us and try to discover 
 what this could mean, when what was our consternation to 
 find ourselves adrift ! 
 
 There, in full view of our wondering eyes, was the whole, 
 round earth, hanging in space, and where were we? Then 
 we began to realize gradually that the trembling of the 
 ground was the grating of the moon against the earth as 
 it left its resting place, and the wind was caused by our 
 motion. 
 
 The novelty of the situation took away for a time the 
 sense of fear, and I exclaimed : 
 
 " Another scientific certainty gone to smash ! I thought 
 you said the moon could never get away from the earth. 
 What are we going to do now ? ' ' 
 
 "Well," replied the doctor, "this is certainly some- 
 thing I never dreamed of in my philosophy. I didn't see 
 how the moon could be drawn away from the earth when 
 
26 DAYBREAK, 
 
 once actually attached to it, but I suppose the sun and 
 planets all happen to be pulling in one direction just now 
 and are proving too much for the earth's attraction. But 
 what concerns us more at this time is covered by your ques- 
 tion, ' What are we going to do now? ' And I will answer 
 that I think we will stick to the moon for a while. You can 
 see for yourself that we are held here much more firmly 
 than when we were disporting ourselves in the air yester- 
 day, and the earth is now too far away for us to throw our- 
 selves and our balloon within its attraction." 
 
 I knew by the feeling of increasing weight that what my 
 companion said must be true, but we could not then appre- 
 ciate the dreadful nature of our condition, so wrapped up 
 were we in the grandeur of the object before our eyes. To 
 those who have never been on the moon in such circum- 
 stances it will be impossible to adequately describe our 
 feelings as we gazed upon our late home and knew that we 
 were fast drifting away from it. 
 
 There the round globe hung, as I had often pictured it 
 in my imagination — oceans and continents, mountains, 
 lakes, and rivers, all spread out before us — the greatest 
 object lesson ever seen by the eye of man. As we studied 
 it, recognizing feature after feature, lands and waters that 
 we knew by their familiar shape, the doctor broke our 
 reverie with these words, evidently with the endeavor to 
 keep up my sjjirits : 
 
 " That looks as natural as a map, doesn't it? You have 
 seen globes with those divisions pictured on them, but there 
 is the globe itself. If our summer tourists could take in 
 this experience also, it would make a vacation worth having. 
 Isn't it grand? I see you are thinking about our personal 
 peril, but I think I know men who would take the risk and put 
 themselves in our place for the sake of this magnificent view." 
 
TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 27 
 
 " If you know of any way to send for one of those 
 friends, I wish you would do so," I replied. " I would 
 willingly give him my place." 
 
 It may be believed that we were all this time anxiously 
 watching the earth, and it did not lessen our anxiety to 
 realize that we were traveling ver)' rapidly away from it. 
 I had reached a point now where I did not place much 
 dependence upon the doctor's science, but to get some ex- 
 pression of his thoughts I said to him : 
 - " Well, have you any opinion about our fate? Are we 
 doomed to pass the remainder of our lives circling around 
 our dear old earth, looking upon her face day by day but 
 never to approach her again? " 
 
 " I think you have stated the case about as it is," said 
 he, " if, indeed, this rate of speed does not carry us entirely 
 beyond the earth's attraction, out into illimitable space." 
 
 The thought of such an additional catastrophe silenced 
 me, especially as I could not deny its possibility. Life on 
 the moon, if we could only keep the earth in sight even, 
 seemed almost endurable now, beside the idea that we 
 might be cast out to shift for ourselves, without a tie save 
 such as the universal law of gravitation might find for us 
 somewhere. 
 
 It must not be imagined that our conversation was carried 
 on with ease or that we were half enjoying our novel situa- 
 tion. We were simply trying to make the best of a very 
 bad matter. Not long after we had started the wind had 
 taken away the balloon part of our air ship, and now 
 threatened every moment to tear the car from its moorings 
 and end our unhappy career at once. Besides this impend- 
 ing catastrophe, it was with the greatest difficulty that we 
 could get air enough to fill our lungs, but the cold was so 
 intense whenever our side of the moon was turned away 
 
28 DAYBREAK. 
 
 from the sun that we needed the severe labor on our con- 
 densers to keep us from freezing. 
 
 Meantime, our speed increasing every hour, the planet 
 that had once been our home was growing smaller before 
 our eyes. At length we were flying through space at such a 
 rate that we could not suppress our fears that the terrible 
 suggestion of the doctor's would be realized. We had both 
 made a mental calculation as to how large the earth ought 
 to look from the moon at its normal distance, and as it 
 approached that size we could not hide our anxiety from 
 each other. Without a word from the doctor I could see 
 by his face that hope was fast leaving him, and as we were 
 now going more rapidly than ever I felt that we had nothing 
 to do but accept our fate. 
 
 In regard to such intensity of feeling at this stage of our 
 experience, it maybe objected that our condition was hope- 
 less anyway, and it could make no difference whether we 
 remained within the earth's influence or not. But in spite 
 of our desperate situation we had some sentiment remain- 
 ing. The earth was the only home we had ever known, and 
 I am not ashamed to say that we did not like to lose sight 
 of it; especially as there was not the slightest possibility 
 that we should ever see it again, unless, indeed, our moon 
 should turn into a comet with eccentric orbit, and so bring 
 us back at some future day — a very unlikely occurrence, as 
 all will admit who know anything about moons and comets. 
 
 Our speed did not lessen but rather increased as we gradu- 
 ally broke away from the earth's attraction, and the dear 
 old earth was fast becoming a less significant object in our 
 sky. If our situation was lonesome before, it was now 
 desolation itself. 
 
 ** Doctor," said I, when I could control my emotions 
 enough to speak, " where now? " 
 
TWO MEN IN THE MOON. 29 
 
 "Well," he replied, with a grim attempt at a smile, 
 " my opinion is not worth much in our present strange cir- 
 cumstances, but it seems to me we are on our way either 
 to the sun or one of the large planets." 
 
 I did not reply, and we both soon found it wise to expend 
 no unnecessary breath in talking. The ether was now so 
 thin that it took oceans of it, literally, to make enough air 
 to keep us alive. 
 
 Our provisions were nearly exhausted, our strength was 
 failing, and I really believe we would not have lived many 
 days had not something occurred to divert our minds and 
 to relieve some of our physical discomforts. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 AND ONE WOMAN, 
 
 At the time we tied our car to the rocks, to prevent us 
 from drifting away from the earth, we did not anticipate 
 that the fastenings would receive any very severe strain, but 
 now the velocity of the wind was such that there was great 
 danger of our breaking away. The moon was not a Aery 
 hospitable place, to be sure, as we had thus far found it, but 
 still we preferred it to the alternative of flying off into space 
 in our glass car and becoming a new species of meteor. 
 
 And yet it seemed to be courting instant death to attempt 
 to leave the car and seek for other shelter. We could not 
 decide which course to take. Both were so full of peril 
 that there seemed to be no possible safety in either. 
 
 As I review our situation now, and think of us spinning 
 along on that defunct world we knew not whither, with no 
 ray of light to illumine the darkness of our future or show 
 us the least chance of escape from our desperate plight, it 
 is astonishing to me that we did not give up all hope and 
 lie down and die at once. It only shows what the human 
 body can endure and of what stuff our minds are made. I 
 think it would not be making a rash statement to say that 
 no man ever found himself in a worse situation and sur- 
 vived. 
 
 But help was nearer than we supposed. From what we 
 had seen of the moon we could not have imagined a more 
 
AND ONE WOMAN. 3I 
 
 unexpected thing than that which happened to us then. 
 Suddenly, above the roar of the wind and the thumping of 
 our car on the rocks, even above the tumult of our spirits, 
 there came to us the strains of more than earthly music. 
 Whether it was from voice or instrument we could not tell, 
 and in its sweetness and power it was absolutely indescrib- 
 able. At first we did not tr\' to discover its source but were 
 content to sit and quietly enjoy it, as it fell gently upon 
 us, per\'ading our whole being and so filling us with courage 
 and strength that we seemed to be transformed into new 
 men. 
 
 Then, wondering if we could discover from whence the 
 notes came, we turned and looked about us, when there was 
 revealed to us a vision of beauty which filled and satisfied 
 the sense of sight as completely as our ears had been 
 enchanted with the angelic music. 
 
 Not far from our car, with her flowing garments nearly 
 torn from her in the fierceness of the gale, was a young girl, 
 stretching out her hands imploringly toward us and pouring 
 forth her voice in that exquisite song. We soon discovered 
 it was not for herself that she was anxious, but for us ; for 
 when she observed that she had attracted our attention she 
 smiled and turned to go back the way she had come, beck- 
 oning us with hand and eye to follow her, and still sing- 
 ing her sweet but unintelligible words. Perhaps I flattered 
 myself, but I thought she was looking at me more than at 
 my companion, and I began with great eagerness to unfasten 
 the door of the car. 
 
 " Wait ! " cried the doctor. " Where are you going? " 
 I could not stop an instant, but answered with feeling : 
 "Going? I am going wherever she is going. I'll follow 
 her to the end of the moon if necessary, though the surface 
 be everywhere as bleak as our own north pole." 
 
32 DAVBRKAK. 
 
 " Well," he replied, "if it is such a desperate case as 
 that, I'll have to go along to take care of you." 
 
 I found that when such a woman beckons and such a voice 
 calls there is but one thing to do. The sirens were not to 
 be mentioned in comparison. Twenty thousand hurricanes 
 could not have prevented me from attempting to follow 
 where she led as long as I had breath. 
 
 We reached the ground in safety, and with the greatest 
 difficulty made our way in the footsteps of our guide, leav- 
 ing all our possessions behind us, to the doctor's murmured 
 regret. And now the words of the singer seemed to take on 
 a joyous meaning, and we could almost distinguish her invi- 
 tation to follow her to a place where the wind did not blow 
 and where our present troubles would be over. She kept 
 well in the leadbut walked only as fast as our strength would 
 allow, looking back constantly to encourage us with her 
 smile and ravishing one heart at least with the melody of 
 her song. 
 
 Presently we came to the edge of an immense crater, 
 hundreds of feet deep and as empty and cold as all the 
 others we had seen on the moon. Instead of going around 
 this, our leader chose a narrow ravine and took us down the 
 steep side to the bottom of the crater. W'e supposed she 
 did this just to give us protection from the wind, and we 
 were very much sheltered, but she did not stop here. Enter- 
 ing one of the many fissures in the rocks, she led us into a 
 narrow passage whose floor descended so rapidly and whose 
 solid roof shut out the light so quickly that in ordinary 
 circumstances we would have hesitated about proceeding. 
 But, although it was soon absolutely dark, we kept on, 
 guided by that marvelous voice, now our sole inspira- 
 tion. 
 
 " Come, come, fear no harm," it seemed to say, and we 
 
.Vv^*i 
 
 ■ I'UUKl.NG FORIH HEK \ ORE I.\ THAT EXQUISITE SONG. 
 
AND ONE WOMAN. ;^^ 
 
 were content to follow blindly, even the doctor no longer 
 objecting. 
 
 How many hours we proceeded in this way, going down, 
 down, all the time, toward the center of the globe, I have 
 no means of telling; but I distinctly remember that we 
 began, after a time, to find, to our great joy, that the air 
 was becoming denser and we could breathe quite freely. 
 This gave us needed strength and justified the faith with 
 which our mysterious deliverer had filled us. 
 
 At length we were gladdened by a glimmer of light 
 ahead of us, which increased until our path was all illu- 
 mined with a beautiful soft haze. Soon the way broadened 
 and grew still brighter, and then we were led forth into an 
 open street, which seemed to be part of a small village. 
 There were but few houses, and even these, cd though they 
 showed signs of a former grandeur, were sadly in need of 
 care. Not a creature of any kind was stirring, and in our 
 hasty review the whole place looked as if it might have 
 been deserted by its inhabitants for a hundred years. There 
 was one spot, however, so retired as to be entirely hidden 
 from our view at first, which had anything but a deserted 
 appearance. The house was small, but it was a perfect 
 bower of beauty, half-concealed with a mass of flowers and 
 vines. Here our journey ended, for our guide led us to the 
 door and, entering, turned and invited us to follow her. 
 
 The doctor and I were tired enough to accept with eager- 
 ness her hospitality, and soon we were all seated in a pleas- 
 ant room, which was filled with the evidences of a refined 
 taste. Now we had a much better opportunity to observe 
 the resplendent beauty of our new friend, and we found, 
 also, that her manners were as captivating as her other 
 personal qualities. At intervals, all through our long walk, 
 her song had ceased and we expected she would make some 
 3 
 
34 DAYBREAK. 
 
 attempt to speak to us; but being disappointed in this, it 
 struck me after we had entered the house that I ought to 
 end the embarrassment by addressing her. The circum- 
 stances of our meeting were peculiar, to say the least, and, 
 of all the thousand things I might have appropriately said, 
 nothing could have been more meaningless or have better 
 showTi the vacant condition of my mind than the words I 
 chose. 
 
 " It's a fine day," I said, looking square in her eyes and 
 trying to speak pleasantly. 
 
 In answer she gave me a smile which almost deprived 
 me of what little wit remained, and at the same time emitted 
 one exquisite note. 
 
 I was now at the end of my resources. I had always 
 thought I could talk on ordinary topics as well as the aver- 
 age man, but in the presence of this girl, with everything 
 in the world unsaid, I could not think of one word to say. 
 The doctor soon saw my predicament and hastened to assist 
 me, and the remark which he selected shows again his won- 
 derful self-possession in the midst of overwhelming diffi- 
 culties. He waved his hand gently toward me to attract her 
 attention and said : 
 
 " My friend and I are from the United States and have 
 come to make you a visit. This is your home, I suppose, 
 away down here in the middle of the moon? It is ver}' kind 
 of you to bring us here. I hope you will excuse me for my 
 rudeness, but what time do you have supper? " 
 
 This time three little notes of the same quality as before 
 and then a little trill, and the whole accompanied by a 
 smile so sweet that I suddenly began to wish the doctor had 
 been blown off the top of the moon. It was a wicked 
 thought and I put it away from me as quickly as possible, 
 being assisted by the recollection that the doctor had a 
 
AND ONE WOMAN. 35 
 
 charming wife already, who was no doubt thinking of him 
 at this very moment. 
 
 We were not making much progress in opening conversa- 
 tion, but our charming hostess seemed to understand either 
 the doctor's words or his looks, for, stepping into another 
 room, she called us presently to sit down to a table well 
 supplied with plain but substantial food. She soon made 
 us feel quite at home, just by her easy and agreeable ways. 
 We did not once hear her voice in ordinary speech, and at 
 length we began to suspect, what we afterward learned to 
 be true, that she talked as the birds talk, only in song. 
 Whether she used her language or ours she would always 
 sing or chant her words, and every expression was perfect 
 in rhythm and melody. 
 
 The doctor and I hesitated to say much to each other, 
 out of deference to the feelings of this fair lunarian, but he 
 took occasion to remark to me quietly that as she could not 
 tell us her name just yet he proposed to call her Mona* 
 for the present. I assented easily, as it made little differ- 
 ence to me what we called her, if she would only remain 
 with us. 
 
 It happened that the doctor, who knew everything, was 
 well acquainted with dactylology and the latest sign lan- 
 guage, used in the instruction of deaf mutes, and as it 
 seemed likely that our stay in our present abode might be a 
 prolonged one, he told me he would try to teach Mona to 
 converse with us. I could not object, although I secretly 
 wished I could have taken the place of instructor. But it 
 soon occurred to me that I must be a fellow pupil, if we 
 were all to talk in that way j and so, with this bond of sym- 
 pathy established between us, Mona and I began our 
 lessons. 
 
 * Mona is old Saxon for moon. 
 
36 DAYBREAK. 
 
 During the closing years of the century great progress had 
 been made, on the earth, in the method of talking by arbi- 
 trary signs and motions. The movements of the body and 
 limbs and the great variety of facial expressions were all so 
 well adapted to the ideas to be represented that it was com- 
 paratively easy for an intelligent person to learn to make 
 known many of his thoughts. As our studies progressed 
 day after day it began to dawn on me that Mona, in spite 
 of the disadvantage of not knowing our spoken language, 
 was learning faster than I was. I was somewhat chagrined 
 at this at first, but it finally turned out to my advantage, 
 for the doctor announced one day that Mona had acquired 
 all he knew and could thenceforth teach me if I pleased. 
 Here was a bond of sympathy that I had not looked for, 
 but I was glad enough to avail myself of it, and delighted 
 to find that Mona was also pleased with the plan. With 
 her for a teacher it did not take me long to finish. Her 
 graceful movements made poetry of the language, and the 
 web she was weaving around my heart was strengthened 
 every hour. 
 
 As Mona gradually learned to express herself to our com- 
 prehension we began to ask her questions about herself and 
 her history. The doctor, being less under the spell of her 
 charms than I was, showed a greater curiosity, and one of 
 the first things he asked was : 
 
 " When do you expect the other uieml)crs of your family 
 home?" 
 
 Mona was at first puzzled, but saw his meaning as soon as the 
 motions were repeated, and answered with a few simple signs : 
 
 " I have no friends to come home. I am alone." 
 
 The expression we [)ut into our faces told her of our sor- 
 row and sympathy better than any words, and the doctor 
 continued : 
 
AND ONE WOMAN. 37 
 
 " But these other houses ! Surely they are not all empty ?' ' 
 
 " Yes," she replied, " their inmates are all gone. I am 
 the only inhabitant left." 
 
 And then she told us from time to time that there were 
 no other villages anywhere in the moon and that she was 
 absolutely the last of her race. Our method of conversa- 
 tion was not free enough to allow her to tell us how she had 
 discovered the truth of this astounding information, and 
 there were a thousand other questions for whose answers we 
 were obliged to wait, but not forever. 
 
 The doctor and I talked freely to each other now, and 
 playfully said a great many things to Mona, who, though 
 she did not understand them, laughed with us and gave us 
 much pleasure with her easy, unembarrassed manner and 
 piquant ways. And she not only jabbered away with hands 
 and face in the manner we had taught her, but she did not 
 cease also to make life bright for us by repaying us in our 
 own coin and talking to us in her natural, delicious way. 
 With such music in the house life could not be dull. 
 
 My infatuation increased as the days went by, and I 
 began to seek every possible occasion to be alone with 
 Mona. I often encouraged the doctor to go out and learn 
 what he could of our surroundings, excusing myself from 
 bearing him company on the ground that I did not think it 
 safe to leave Mona alone. Or if Mona wanted to go out I 
 would suggest to the doctor that I needed the exercise also, 
 and that he really ought to be writing down our experiences 
 while he had leisure, as there was no telling how soon the 
 moon would land us somewhere. 
 
 I did not then know whether the doctor saw through my 
 designs or not. I thought not, for I did not suppose he 
 was ever so deeply in love as I was. But if he did he was 
 good enough to take my little hints and say nothing. 
 
38 DAYBREAK. 
 
 On these occasions, whether Mona and I remained in the 
 house or walked abroad, I wasted no time in asking her 
 more questions about the moon or such trivial matters, but 
 spent all my efforts in trying to establish closer personal 
 relations between us. While she was exceedingly pleasant 
 and agreeable, she did not seem to understand my feeling 
 exactly, although I tried in every way to show her my heart. 
 She was not coquettish, but perfectly unaffected, and simply 
 did not realize my meaning. For once the sign language 
 did not prove adequate ; and so, as my feelings would not be 
 controlled, I was fain to resort to my natural tongue, and 
 poured forth my love to my own satisfaction if not to her 
 comprehension. I did not stint the words, astonishing 
 myself at the fullness of my vocabulary, and hoping that 
 the fer\'or of my manner and the passion exhibited in my 
 voice would make the right impression on my companion. 
 
 Day after day, as opportunity offered, I returned to the 
 same theme. Mona was sympathetic in her own charming 
 way, but apparently not affected in the manner I was look- 
 ing for. And still, " I love you, I love you," was repeated 
 in her ears a thousand times. The fact that she did not 
 understand the words made me all the more voluble, and I 
 lavished my affectionate terms upon her without restraint. 
 
 One day, after this had been going on for some time, the 
 doctor came in from a walk and found us together as usual. 
 He had a rare blossom in his hand, and stepping to Mona's 
 side he offered it to herwith some gallantry. She accepted 
 it with a beaming countenance which set my heart to 
 thumping, and then she burst forth in a strain so sweet that 
 it thrilled my whole being and roused in me again that jeal- 
 ous fear that Mona was learning to care more for the doctor 
 than for me. But how shall I describe my emotions when 
 she suddenly blended syllables of our language with the 
 
AND ONE WOMAN. 39 
 
 accents of her song, and, still looking into the doctor's eyes, 
 closed her entrancing melody with the burning words, '' I 
 love you " ? 
 
 I wonder how other men have borne such a shock as that. 
 It seemed to me that by simply'living during the next few 
 minutes I was proving myself stronger than others. And I 
 was able to think, too. It occurred to me that perhaps 
 Mona was merely a parrot, repeating, with no perception of 
 their meaning, words which she had so often heard from 
 me. But this idea passed swiftly away when I remembered 
 the warmth of her expression and the ardor of her manner, 
 both of which, alas, she had also learned from me. 
 
 As I recovered somewhat from the effects of the blow I 
 found Mona's eyes were fixed on me, and she looked so 
 innocent, so entirely unconscious of wrong, that if I had 
 any anger in my heart it melted away and left me more her 
 slave than ever. There was something in her behavior which 
 I could not comprehend, and it was evident that she had 
 not yet acquired any particular fondness for me, but these 
 were not sufficient reasons to make me cease to care for her. 
 My love was too strong to give her up, even after I had just 
 heard her declare, in such a passionate way, her love for 
 another. These thoughts passed through my mind as she 
 beamed upon me in her radiant beauty, smiling as sweetly 
 as ever, as if to encourage me still to live and hope. 
 
 But how did the doctor receive this remarkable love- 
 song? Like the philosopher he was. Being astonished 
 beyond measure at what he had heard, he sat and pondered 
 the subject for some minutes. What chiefly interested him 
 was not the personal element in Mona's words, which was 
 so vital a point to me, but the fact that she could make use 
 of any words of our language. The possibilities which this 
 fact opened up to him were of the greatest moment. If 
 
40 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Mona could learn to talk freely she would be able to give 
 us much information that would be of great scientific 
 value. After he had pursued these thoughts a while it 
 suddenly struck him that the expression she had used was 
 a singular one to begin with, and he turned to me and 
 laughingly said : 
 
 " You must have taught her those words. I did not." 
 
 "I shall have to acknowledge it," I replied, "but I 
 assure you I did not influence her to make such use of 
 them." 
 
 ** No, I suppose not ; but that question is of small ac- 
 count beside the knowledge that Mona has begun to learn 
 our speech. Now let us give all our attention to her 
 instruction." 
 
 We did so from that hour, the doctor from high motives 
 of philosophy and philanthropy, while I was actuated by 
 more selfish reasons. Although I had learned that I had 
 been too hasty in my attempt to gain Mona's affections I 
 did not despair of success. I should have to take time 
 and approach the citadel of her untutored heart with more 
 caution. In the pleasant task of teaching her the intrica- 
 cies of the English language I anticipated many delight- 
 ful opportunities of leading her into the Elysian fields 
 of romance. If she could learn to understand fully my 
 intense feeling for her I had no doubt she would return 
 my passion. With such a hopeful spirit does the love god 
 inspire his happy victims. 
 
 In order to assist in the realization of these rosy fore- 
 thoughts, I suggested to the doctor that each of us should 
 take his turn in Mona's instruction, so as to make it as easy 
 and informal for her as possible. He had no objections to 
 make, and we began a task which proved to be much simpler 
 than we had imagined. Mona had heard us talk so much 
 
AND ONE WOMAN, 41 
 
 that she had half-learned a great many words and expres- 
 sions, and her remarkable quickness of intellect helped her 
 to pick up their meaning rapidly as soon as we gave her sys- 
 tematic aid. Hence it was not long before she began to 
 converse with considerable freedom. 
 
 From the first the doctor and I had been curious to know 
 if she would give up the musical tone and simply talk as 
 \ye did, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that her 
 song was not interrupted by the form of words she used. 
 Whatever the phrase she wanted to employ she turned it 
 into verse on the instant and chanted it forth in perfect 
 melody. So spontaneous was every expression that her very 
 thoughts seemed to be framed in harmony. Her voice was 
 not obtrusive nor monotonous and generally not loud, but 
 was always well adapted to the sense of what she was sing- 
 ing. The tones mostly used in conversation were low and 
 sweet, like rippling water, but these were constantly varied 
 by the introduction of notes of greater power and range. 
 
 To have such use made of our rugged speech was a revela- 
 tion to us, and words, as we employ them, are inadequate 
 to express our enjoyment of Mona's song, when to its 
 former beauty was added the clear enunciation of language 
 that we could understand. 
 
 It was through this rare medium that the doctor and I 
 learned, from day to day, something of the history of 
 Mona's race. The surface of the moon had once been 
 peopled, as we supposed, but as the day of decay and death 
 approached the outside of the globe became too inhospi- 
 table to longer support life. The interior had cooled and 
 contracted, and as the solid crust was rigid enough to keep 
 its place, great, sublunar caverns had been formed. Into 
 these rushed the water and the atmosphere, accompanied by 
 the few remaining inhabitants. The conditions were not 
 
42 DAYBREAK. 
 
 favorable, in such places, to the continuation of the race, 
 although their advanced knowledge in every direction pre- 
 vented them from melting away suddenly. 
 
 Settlements had been formed in many different sections 
 of the moon, and interior communication was established 
 between them. As the people gradually passed away, those 
 who remained naturally drew nearer together until at last 
 the remnant of the population of the globe were all gathered 
 in the little village where we were now living. Here the 
 process still went on, and year after year saw a constantly 
 diminishing number. A few years before our arrival 
 Mona's last companion, a girl of her own age, had died, 
 and ever since then this tuneful creature, possessed of the 
 most sunny disposition we had ever known, had lived alone, 
 with the knowledge that there was not another living being 
 in all the moon. 
 
 " So you see," she sang, " I was as glad to find you as 
 you were to hear me." 
 
 " But," asked the doctor, " how did you know we were 
 out there, nearly ready to be blown off into space? " 
 
 " I didn't know it till I saw you. I went out to try to 
 discover what was the matter with my old world. For some 
 time I had had the queerest sensations imaginable. I was 
 accustomed to being out of doors a great deal, and I first 
 began to notice that I could walk and run more easily than 
 before. I was becoming rather sprightly for one who was so 
 soon to pass off this deserted stage. Then everything 1 took 
 up seemed to be growing marvelously light, and I began to 
 have a feeling that I must hold on to all my movable posses- 
 sions, to keep them from getting away. After this unac- 
 countable state of things had existed for a while, there came, 
 one day, a terrible shock, which threatened to crack the 
 moon's skull and rattle its fragments down upon my head. 
 
AND ONE WOMAN, 43 
 
 This was followed at intervals by similar or lighter shocks, 
 and it was all so exceedingly unusual that I became very 
 curious to know what was happening. Then all was quiet 
 for many days, but when at length the quakings began again 
 my natural instinct of self-preservation told me I ought not 
 to take the risk of another such siege, and so I started to 
 make my way to the surface by a well-known path. The 
 trouble did not continue as I feared, but I kept on, fortu- 
 nately for you as well as for myself, and found the outside 
 world too uncomfortable a place for any of us to remain in 
 longer than necessary." 
 
 This halting prose represents the meaning of what Mona 
 said, but it gives a feeble idea of the beauty of her poetic 
 expressions, chanted in melodious phrase and in ever-chang- 
 ing, ever-joyous tune. 
 
 We replied by explaining to her what had happened to her 
 disjointed world, expressing our gratitude also for her kind- 
 ness in bringing us to her sheltered home. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 OUR INTRODUCTION TO MARS. 
 
 Ever since the doctor had been inside of the moon he 
 had not ceased to regret that we had left all our goods in 
 the car of our balloon. He mourned the loss of the instru- 
 ments and other apparatus which had cost him so much care, 
 and then there were our official papers. Our introduction 
 to Mona had been rather too informal, and we thought we 
 might stand better with her if we could show her our cre- 
 dentials, though, to be sure, she could not read them. 
 
 Several times the doctor proposed to me that we should 
 go out and bring in what we could carry if, perchance, we 
 should find the wind had left us anything. But I had my 
 own reasons for preferring to remain where we were. I 
 was happy and was expecting every day to be happier still, 
 and so I put the doctor off by reminding him that the 
 weather was very bad outside and that we had been glad 
 enough to get in with our lives. 
 
 I think he would have agreed with me and would have 
 been contented to stay if the question had been left entirely 
 to ourselves. But Mona heard us talking it over one day 
 and said we could go without much risk if we cared to try 
 it, and she would go with us to take care of us. 
 
 Although it would be difficult to tell how Mona could 
 help us when we were outside, this idea sounded so assuring 
 that the doctor determined to make the attempt. I was 
 
OUR INTRODUCTION TO MARS. 45 
 
 obliged to acquiesce, fearing, in my ignorance of all that 
 was to happen to us, that the trip would keep me too much 
 from Mona's side. 
 
 After due preparation we started, and reached the upper 
 end of the long passage without incident. But as we 
 emerged we noticed that the light had a peculiar tinge of 
 red, quite different from its usual tone. Meditating on 
 this phenomenon, and speaking to each other as we could 
 find breath, we ascended the side of the crater, when there 
 burst upon our view a magnificent world, apparently but a 
 little way off. Its ruddy face showed us plainly what had 
 caused the red light, and the doctor made haste to exclaim : 
 
 " Aha ! let me introduce you to the planet Mars." 
 
 "Yes," I replied, "and we may become too well ac- 
 quainted before a great while if our rapid flight is not 
 checked." 
 
 We soon found our car just as we had left it, and were 
 glad to take advantage of its shelter. In the new danger 
 which loomed up before us so threateningly, we all agreed 
 that it would be rash to return into the interior of the moon, 
 to be crushed to death in the shock of the impending colli- 
 sion ; and yet, in remaining where we were, the doctor and 
 I felt that no reputable insurance company would call our 
 lives a very good risk. 
 
 But now was our opportunity to witness some of the 
 depths of Mona's character. What was there in her nature 
 so entirely different from anything we had ever known? 
 We had seen persons of cheerful disposition before, and 
 had heard of many exhibitions of courage and indifference 
 to danger, but here we had the very personification of fear- 
 lessness and contentment. She talked freely of our situa- 
 tion and of what was likely to happen, but appeared to be 
 as light-hearted as ever, and her song was just as cheerful as 
 
46 DAYBREAK. 
 
 it had been in her quiet home. When we asked her if she 
 were not afraid, she replied that there was no such word in 
 her language and she could not appreciate its meaning. 
 
 " Fear," said the doctor, " is a feeling excited by the 
 apprehension of danger." 
 
 " I think I know about the danger we are in," she 
 answered, " but I have not the feeling you are trying to 
 describe. When I was alone in my underground village 
 and thought the roof was about to fall down and bury me 
 there, I had no fear, as you say. I know that Avhatever has 
 come to me or to any of my race has always been for our 
 good, and I am sure it will be so in the future. I have but 
 a short time to remain as the sole inhabitant of this now 
 useless globe, and the manner of my taking off is not of the 
 slightest moment. This old world's day is now passed, and 
 I realize in that fact the reason for its unseemly behavior, 
 first knocking its toughened crust so rudely against the 
 earth and then coquetting in this manner with Mars. It 
 certainly no longer shows any respect for the race it has 
 nourished, and hence I see that my day, too, will soon be 
 over. Whatever may be your fate you will doubtless see no 
 more of me after this excursion is ended." 
 
 In the light of history this seemed extremely probable, 
 and yet Mona was not half as concerned about it as I was. 
 I thought she ought to have shown more anxiety about her 
 future for my sake if not for her own, and I ventured to 
 say, although in a rather doleful tone : 
 
 " I hope, Mona, if the doctor and I are freed from this 
 peril that you will escape with us. If I thought there was 
 no hope of that, I am sure I should propose that we return 
 at once to the middle of the moon and be buried together." 
 
 She laughed aloud as she sang out in joyous notes : 
 
 " Your mournful voice, my ardent friend, makes me think 
 
OUR INTRODUCTION TO MARS. 47 
 
 you would not be very happy with the last alternative. 
 But cheer up, we will all stand by each other to the last." 
 
 It was in her abounding good nature and in her faculty 
 for inspiring us with her own hopeful disposition that we 
 found Mona fulfilling her promise to take care of us. 
 
 But now our attention could not be diverted from the 
 planet which was rapidly growing before our eyes. As we 
 approached nearer and nearer every minute, flying at such 
 a terrific rate and aimed, apparently, for a direct collision, 
 it may be imagined that the doctor and I, in spite of Mona's 
 presence, began to be exceedingly anxious lest our journey 
 and our lives should meet an abrupt and common end. 
 
 Unless such excursions as ours become more frequent in 
 the future, it will probably always remain a mystery how this 
 one came to a close. I can only relate our experience during 
 the time that we retained our consciousness, and leave the 
 imagination to picture the rest. As we entered the atmos- 
 phere of the planet, the rush of air increased till it seemed 
 as if a hundred Niagaras were sounding in our ears. I 
 remember having a dim feeling of satisfaction in the belief 
 that such a violent contact with the atmosphere must 
 impede the moon's progress, and offer us some chance of 
 landing in safety. Then I was bereft of all sense, and 
 when I regained consciousness I was lying in the bottom 
 of our car in perfect quiet and apparently unharmed. 
 
 I called aloud for the doctor, but no voice replied. Ris- 
 ing, I looked about me and found I was afloat on a ruddy 
 sea, alone, as far as my senses could inform me, alone in a 
 new world. Such a sensation of homesickness came over 
 me, such a longing for human fellowship, that our former 
 lonesome condition on the moon seemed like a paradise 
 compared to my present wretchedness. 
 
 So this was Mars, which we had studied with our telescopes 
 
DAYBREAK, 
 
 and about whose condition and history we had so often 
 speculated. And now, as I leaned my elbows on the edge 
 of the car and gazed off over the deep, I wondered, with 
 more interest than I had ever before possessed, if the world 
 I had discovered were inhabited. Perhaps because it was 
 such a vital question with me, my naturally hopeful dis- 
 position began to find reasons for a cheerful view. There 
 were certainly favorable evidences all about me. I was 
 breathing an atmosphere evidently made for lungs like 
 mine. The air was soft and pleasant, and though I was 
 drenched with water by my fall I was not uncomfortable. 
 I tasted the water and, oh ! joyful reminder of home, it was 
 salt. The sun shed a beautiful light around me, and as I 
 glanced upward to see how bright and cheerful the sky was, 
 my reverie was suddenly broken off, for directly over my 
 head, poised as quietly as if it had always been there, was 
 our old moon. It seemed but a few miles away and I gazed 
 at it with mixed feelings, with thankfulness that I had 
 escaped from its inhospitable surface with my life, and 
 with scorn for its present behavior. For there it was, 
 apparently perfectly at home and ready to bear the torch 
 for Mars as faithfully as it always had for the earth, its 
 rightful mistress. 
 
 " Inconstancy," I cried, " thy name is Luna." 
 When the novelty of this sensational discovery was gone, 
 my mind returned to the contemplation of myself, and my 
 situation seemed to me so unique as to remove some of the 
 natural feeling of fear. When one is shipwrecked in the 
 ordinary way his anxiety is caused by the uncertainty that 
 anyone will come to his rescue ; while in my case I did not 
 even know there was anyone to come. But when I looked up 
 at the moon and remembered its erratic climate and our 
 wild, unearthly journey, I could not suppress a feeling of 
 
K'*Q5-'#^'- 
 
 I^M «W4 .W. 
 
 BJs;rtdVS'»r3S:r^«?i;:j 
 
 %-^^«fli^i»s«^ 
 
 D 
 
 , 
 
 THORWAl.D DISCOVERS ONE OF THE EARTH-DWEI.LERS. 
 
OUR INTRODUCTION TO MARS. 49 
 
 satisfaction with my changed condition. If the doctor had 
 only been with me we would have been able to extract con- 
 siderable comfort from our surroundings. But, as it was, I 
 was very lonesome, and whatever consolation I got from my 
 reasoning about the planet's habitability was increased a 
 thousand fold by seeing a speck upon the horizon, which I 
 hoped might prove to be a sail. I watched it with intense 
 interest, and was not disappointed. I will not try to 
 describe my feelings as this ship of Mars approached me, 
 while I sat wondering what manner of men I should see. 
 The first thing that struck me was the enormous size of the 
 craft, and as it drew near I could see that it was manned 
 by beings proportionately large, I now began to fear I 
 should be run down, but soon I noticed one of the passen- 
 gers or crew who seemed to be looking at me through a 
 glass. In a little while the vessel slowed up, and a boat Avas 
 put off in which a number of giants, including the man 
 with the glass, rowed toward me. When they had nearly 
 reached me I heard the latter say to the others : 
 
 " Yes, this is surely the little fellow we are searching 
 for." 
 
 I could not imagine what he meant by this, although it 
 occurred to me that it was a pleasant thing to have him 
 speak good, plain English ; but the other circumstances 
 were so entirely novel that, instead of opening the conversa- 
 tion with some conventional remark, like a sensible person, 
 I burst out with : 
 
 " But Proctor says Mars has passed its life-bearing 
 period." 
 
 I hardly knew what I said, but it proved that they were 
 just the words to commend me to my new friend, for as he 
 reached over and lifted me into the boat he said : 
 
 " Why, how did you know Proctor? You must have mis- 
 4 
 
50 DAYIiREAK. 
 
 umlerstoo!! him, for he would never say such a thing as 
 that." 
 
 While I was })uzzling over this strange speech he con- 
 tinued : 
 
 " I think we have some one in the ship whom you will 
 be glad to see." 
 
 I began to fear I should not get on very well in Wars if 
 all the inhabitants talked in such riddles, but I said, as 
 politely as I could : 
 
 " I am sure I need not wait to get to the ship to be 
 pleased. I am delighted to see you and your companions 
 here." 
 
 While we were returning to the vessel I gave Thorsvald, 
 for such I found to be his name, a brief account of our 
 journey on the moon and of my mysterious arrival on their 
 planet. I expatiated on the merits of the doctor, and told 
 Thorwald that he was probably still on the moon or else at 
 the bottom of their ocean. 
 
 I was thinking that Thorwald did not show much sym- 
 pathy with me, when, our boat having nearly reached the 
 ship's side, I looked up and saw the doctor himself stand- 
 ing on the deck, a pigmy among giants. I was soon by his 
 side, and we embraced before our new-found friends without 
 a blush. 
 
 " Where's j\lona? " were the first words he said. 
 
 ' ' Mona ! " I repl ied. ' ' W'ho's Mona ? ' ' 
 
 " Who's Mona? " he returned. " Well, you have recov- 
 ered pretty rapidly." 
 
 I now discovered that, although I had found the body of 
 my friend, the best part of him was missing. In the fall 
 from the moon he had evidently lost his wits. I thought I 
 would not let him know too suddenly what was the matter, 
 and so I merely said : 
 
OUR INTRODUCTION TO MARS. ^t 
 
 " Yes, I went into the water, but was not much hurt. 
 When I came to my senses I found myself in our car still. 
 Tell me how you escaped." 
 
 *' Oh, I happened to fall near this ship, fortunately, and 
 they picked me up, and then, at my request, they set out 
 to search for you and Mona." 
 
 *' Well," said I, " you found me, and I am very thankful 
 for it, but Mona I fear you will never see." 
 
 " What was the last you saw of her? " he asked. 
 
 I had great difficulty in keeping myself from laughing in 
 the doctor's face at his odd fancy, but the thought came to 
 me with some force that I must not let his mental condi- 
 tion become known to the men of Mars around us ; and so, 
 instead of replying to his question, I turned to Thorwald 
 and asked him if he could tell us how the moon had landed 
 us so easily on their planet. 
 
 In answer he gave it as his opinion that as the moon 
 came rushing toward them so swiftly it compressed the air 
 in its path to such a degree that it acted as a cushion, 
 preventing a collision and sending the moon bounding back 
 over the path by which it had come. Probably at the 
 moment when it was nearest the surface, we had fallen off 
 into the ocean. The rebound, he supposed, was not suffi- 
 cient to carry it beyond the attraction of the planet, and so 
 it poised itself and began to make a revolution around Mars 
 in its old-fashioned way. 
 
 Thorwald told us we had taken the best possible time to 
 visit them, for Mars had not been so near the earth before 
 in a great while. 
 
 Our new acquaintances were from nine to ten feet tall 
 and proportionately large every other way, so that they 
 appeared quite monstrous to us. But they were agile and 
 even graceful in their movements, while in manner they 
 
52 DAYBREAK. 
 
 were so gentle and pleasing that we recognized at once their 
 high culture. 
 
 The vessel was soon under way and made rapid progress, 
 and though our voyage was not very long, it proved to be 
 an exceedingly profitable one to the doctor and me, for we 
 learned more, through conversation with our new friends, 
 about the history and condition of Mars than we could have 
 gained in any other way. The men were all kind to us and 
 seemed to be all equally able to impart information, but 
 most of our intercourse was with Thorwald. He gave us 
 much of his time, at internals as he could be spared from 
 work, for every man helped at the service of the ship. 
 There seemed to be no system of leadership, but all 
 appeared to know what was to be done, and did it without 
 orders and without clashing. 
 
 As we entered into conversation about the earth and i\Iars, 
 I was surprised to find the doctor taking his full share in 
 it with his usual intelligence. His questions and answers 
 were all so pertinent that I should have supposed his mind 
 was entirely unaffected, had I not known to the contrary. 
 When I saw he could hold his own so well, I determined to 
 take the first opportunity when we were alone to ask him 
 aarain who Mona was. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 
 
 The conversation with our new friends was not all on one 
 side, for we had many questions to answer about the earth, 
 the Martian mind showing as great a thirst for knowledge 
 as ours. One of the first things Thorwald said after we had 
 settled down to a good talk was : 
 
 " But, Doctor, your little head is so full of thought that 
 it seems to me you ought not to have been surprised to find 
 us so large here. You knew before you came that Mars is 
 much smaller than the earth and, therefore, the attraction 
 of gravitation being less, that everything can grow more 
 easily. Things may as well be one size as another if only 
 they are well adapted to each other, and we would ne\er 
 have known we were large or that you were small had we 
 not been brought together. In the sight of Him who made 
 both the earth and Mars, and fashioned one for you and the 
 other for us, we are neither great nor small. In fact, size 
 is never absolute but only relative." 
 
 " That is very clear to us now," said the doctor, " and I 
 promise not to be surprised again, even when I walk the 
 streets of your cities and see you in your houses." 
 
 "Then, Doctor," said I, " if we had found inhabitants 
 on the moon what great folks they must have seemed 
 to us." 
 
 This was an exceedingly foolish remark for me to make. 
 
54 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 for it resulted in the doctor's almost betraying his condi- 
 tion to our friends. 
 
 Of course Thorwald was interested in what I said, and 
 eagerly inquired : 
 
 " So you found no inhabitants in the moon? " 
 
 " Just one," spoke up the doctor quickly. 
 
 " What ! you found one and left him there? " 
 
 " It was a woman," said the doctor. 
 
 This talk had been so rapid that I had not had a chance 
 to interfere, but I saw that I must stop it now for the doc- 
 tor's sake. When I could see him alone I could tell him 
 his memory was playing him a trick and he must avoid 
 that subject. So, before Thorwald could speak again, I 
 said ; 
 
 " Let me suggest, Thorwald, that we let the moon rest 
 till we have heard more of Mars, which I am sure is of 
 greater importance. We have told you many things i-n 
 regard to our planet, and are willing to answer all the 
 questions j^ou may please to ask from time to time, but now 
 we would like to listen a while." 
 
 " Yes," said the doctor, " we started on this expedition 
 to add to our scientific knowledge, and we seem in a fair 
 way to accomplish our purpose ; so that, if you will find a 
 way to send us back to the earth some time, I think our 
 friends will admit that we have been successful. But first 
 we want to learn all we can about this wonderful world. 
 How long has your race existed? Our astronomers tell us 
 Mars is too old to be inhabited, and, considering some of 
 my own recent experiences in finding my science unreliable, 
 it rather consoles me to discover that they are mistaken." 
 
 "They are right," Thorwald answered, "in believing 
 that Mars is very old, and so our race is nearing its matu- 
 rity. It is impossible to judge accurately of the age of the 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 55 
 
 planet itself, but we know it is exceedingly old from the 
 evidences of changes that have taken place on its surface. 
 Neither can we tell when our race was born, though we 
 have legends and traditions dating back fifty thousand years, 
 and authentic history for nearly half that time." 
 
 The doctor and myself now began to realize that we 
 had indeed something to learn from these people, and I 
 remarked : 
 
 " These figures astonisli us, Thorwald, and you can 
 hardly understand how interested we are. But please con- 
 tinue. From what little I have seen I should think you 
 are much farther advanced in everyway than the inhabitants 
 of the earth." 
 
 " We believe," replied the Martian, " that our planet is 
 much older than the earth, and if we are right in that it is 
 but natural that our civilization should be older al;;o. If 
 the tendency of mind is toward perfection, if in your 
 experience you have found that, in the main, men look 
 upward more than dowmward, what would you expect to find 
 in a world so beautiful as this and where life has existed so 
 long? From what we know of our own history and from 
 what we have learned of the worlds around us, we believe 
 the life-bearing period of Mars has long since passed its 
 middle point, and that both our planet and our race have 
 passed through convulsions and changes to which other 
 worlds, perhaps the earth, are now subjected." 
 
 This appeared so reasonable that I said to him : 
 
 " We must believe that Mars is an afternoon planet. And 
 now we want to hear whatever you may choose to tell us 
 about your civilization." 
 
 " That is a broad subject," replied Thorwald, '' but it is 
 something I like to talk about. If I judge rightly of what 
 you have already told me of the earth and its people, I 
 
56 DAYBREAK. 
 
 think we were in just about your situation ages ago and 
 that we have merely matured. That is, the causes now at 
 work on the earth are having in us their legitimate effect. 
 These processes are slow but sure. To the Infinite time is 
 of no more importance in itself than is size. 
 
 " I know of no better topic to begin with," continued 
 Thorwald, " than the matter of government. You wondered 
 at the peculiar discipline on board this ship. It is but a 
 type of what you will find on land. We have no govern- 
 ment in its strict sense, for there is no one that needs gov- 
 erning. We have organization for mutual help in many 
 ways, but no rulers nor legislators. The only government is 
 that of the family. Here character is formed so that when 
 the children go forth into the world no one desires to wrong 
 his neighbor. We know from our histories of all the 
 struggles our ancestors passed through before the days of 
 universal peace and brotherhood. Now we go and come as 
 we please, with no fear of harm. We are all one nation 
 because all national boundaries have been obliterated, and 
 we have a common language. There are no laws of com- 
 pulsion or restraint, for all do by instinct what is best for 
 themselves and their neighbors." 
 
 " Oh, happy Mars ! " here broke in the usually prosaic 
 doctor. " That sounds like a story. And yet what is it," 
 he continued, addressing me, " but the effect of perfect 
 obedience to our golden rule? If men should really learn 
 to do to others as they would have others do to them, what a 
 transformation it would accomplish," 
 
 " So that is what you call the golden rule, is it? " asked 
 Thorwald. "And are you all trying to live by it? " 
 
 "Well," I replied, "that is what many of us ])rofess 
 to be doing, but I must say we fall far, very far short of the 
 mark. I do not know a single inhabitant of the earth, with 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 57 
 
 the possible exception of my companion here, who fully 
 obeys that command." 
 
 The doctor's smile was not lost on Thorwald, who 
 replied : 
 
 " It was rather too bad of you to bring so far away from 
 the earth the only good man the planet contained ; but I am 
 glad to know the golden rule, as you may well call it, has 
 been given to men. We have had the same here, and, oh ! 
 if I could make you realize something of the struggle our 
 race has had in working it into life and practice, you would 
 gain some hope for the people of the earth. I mean, the 
 result of this struggle would give you hope, for I am not 
 ashamed to say that we are now living up to the full require- 
 ments of this law, and if you should spend the remainder 
 of your lives with us I am sure you would not find my state- 
 ment untrue. It is only by actually loving our neighbors 
 as ourselves that we are able to live as we do. The law of 
 love has replaced the law of force. It is well for you to 
 understand this at the beginning, for it is the secret of 
 our wonderful success in all the higher forms of civiliza- 
 tion." 
 
 " It must have helped you greatly," said I, " in the mat- 
 ter of which you have just been speaking, that of govern- 
 ment." 
 
 "Yes, it has," he replied. "In our histories we have 
 full accounts of the long course of events when we were 
 divided into hundreds of nations, each with its own pride 
 and ambition, and each striving to build up itself upon the 
 misfortunes or the ruins of its neighbors. You can perhaps 
 imagine what a mass of material we have for reading and 
 study." 
 
 " We can," spoke up the student doctor, " and it fairly 
 makes my mouth water. But tell us briefly, Thorwald, 
 
58 DAYBREAK. 
 
 how you ever passed from those troublous times to the 
 blissful state in which we now find you." 
 
 " The transition was exceedingly slow ; it seemed, in fact, 
 impossible that such a change could ever be effected. But 
 it began with the establishment of universal peace, which 
 was demanded by the growing spirit of brotherly love, and 
 assisted by commercial reciprocity and a world language. 
 Gradually national boundaries were found to be only an 
 annoyance, and in time — a long time, of course — we became 
 one nation and finally no nation. For now no one exer- 
 cises any authority over his neighbors, since the need for 
 all artificial distinctions has long since passed away." 
 
 "Then," said I, " you have no doubt lost all fear and 
 anxiety over the conflicting interests of capital and labor." 
 
 " Yes," replied Thorwald, " for we have no such distinc- 
 tions in society as rich and poor, workingmen and capital- 
 ists. We all work as we please, but there is so little to do 
 that no one is burdened, and one cannot be richer than 
 another because all the material bounties of nature and art 
 are common to all, being as free as the air. I suppose, as 
 this seems to be strange talk to you, that you cannot realize 
 what it is to belong to a society where everyone considers 
 the interests of his neighbor as much as his own. You will 
 find when you reach that point that most of your troubles 
 will be gone, as ours are." 
 
 "Our troubles!" said the doctor. "Many of our 
 troubles, to be sure, arise from our passions and appetites — 
 in other words, from our selfishness — and these will no 
 doubt disapi^ear when we reach that blessed state of which 
 you have spoken, a condition prayed for and dimly expected 
 by many of our race. But other troubles of ours come from 
 sickness and severe toil, from accidents, famines, and the 
 convulsions of nature. How, for example, can you have 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 59 
 
 escaped the latter, unless, indeed, God has helped those 
 who have so wisely helped themselves? " 
 
 "Your last thought is right," answered our friend. 
 " Nature has certainly assisted us. While the crust of the 
 planet was thin we know the central fires heaved and shook 
 the ground and burst forth from the mountains, causing 
 great destruction and keeping the world in fear. We do not 
 know how thick the crust of the planet now is, but nothing 
 has been felt of those inner convulsions for many ages. 
 One of our feats of engineering has been to see how far we 
 could penetrate into the surface of the globe. A well of 
 vast size has been dug, the temperature being carefully noted 
 and observations made of the many different substances 
 passed through — watep, coal, gas, oil, and all kinds of min- 
 eral deposits. The work has progressed from one generation 
 to another, and no one can tell when it will be called fin- 
 ished, as it is determined to dig toward the center of the 
 planet as fast as our ever-increasing skill will permit." 
 
 " Did you find out how thick the crust is? " I asked. 
 
 " No," he answered, " we are not much nearer the solu- 
 tion of that question than before, but we have made valu- 
 able discoveries as to what the crust is composed of. The 
 temperature has gradually, though slowly, increased, and we 
 believe the time will come when the work will have to be 
 abandoned on account of the heat. We have gone far 
 enough to know that when the fuel on the surface of our 
 globe is all used up we shall only have to tap the center to 
 get all the heat we want." 
 
 " What a capital idea that will be," I interrupted, " to 
 throw at some of our pessimistic friends on the earth. 
 Doctor." 
 
 "We see now, Thorwald," my companion said, "that 
 your planet is too old to give you any more trouble from 
 
6o DAYBREAK. 
 
 earthquake and volcano, but how about other natural phe- 
 nomena, the tempest and cyclone for example? " 
 
 " Well," replied Thorwald, " we have a theory that 
 time, the great healer, has cured these evils also. Let me 
 ask, Doctor, if the earth ever receives any accretions of 
 matter from outside its own atmosphere? " 
 
 " Yes, we have the fall of meteorites, foreign substances 
 which we believe the earth encounters in its path around 
 the sun." 
 
 " I supposed such must be the case," Thorwald con- 
 tinued. ' ' And now, when you consider the great age of Mars, 
 perhaps you will not be surprised to learn that this new 
 matter, coming to us from the outside, was sufficient to 
 increase the weight of our globe and gradually decrease the 
 rate of speed at which we were traveling through space." 
 
 " I am surprised, though," said the doctor, " because the 
 accumulation of meteorolites on the surface of the earth is 
 so exceedingly slow that it would take millions of years, at 
 the present rate, to increase its diameter one inch." 
 
 " But perhaps they came much faster in past ages. Let 
 me ask you, Doctor, if it is not a fact that the rate of revo- 
 lution of Mars around the sun is slower than the earth's? I 
 suppose you are far enough advanced in astronomical sci- 
 ence to answer that." 
 
 " Yes," replied the doctor, " you are correct. I believe 
 the earth speeds along at nineteen miles a second, while 
 Mars travels only sixteen miles in the same time." 
 
 " We know by our computations that our speed is much 
 less than it once was, and our theory is that this has in 
 some way hushed those terrible storms and winds which we 
 know were formerly so frequent." 
 
 Here the doctor thought he saw a chance to make a point, 
 and spoke as follows : 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 6l 
 
 " If the meteorites come in quantities sufficient to have 
 caused such changes, it seems to me their fall must be 
 as great a menace to your peace as the evils they have 
 cured. They do not strike the earth in large numbers, but 
 still we have a record of a shower of meteoric stones which 
 devastated a whole village. I suppose all parts of your 
 globe are by this time well populated, and how can you be 
 entirely free from trouble when you are living in constant 
 danger of the downfall of these great masses of rock? " 
 
 " But we don't have meteorites now," replied Thorwald. 
 
 "Oh, you don't?" 
 
 " No, they ceased falling long ago. Mars is going slow 
 enough for the present." 
 
 " Very kind of them, I am sure, to stop when you didn't 
 need them any longer," said the doctor; " and I suppose 
 you have some plausible reason to give for their disappear- 
 ance." 
 
 " Yes, we believe that the interplanetary space was well 
 filled with these small bodies, circling around the sun, and 
 when their multitudinous and eccentric orbits intercepted 
 the orbits of the planets, they came within the attraction 
 of these larger masses. Mars has merely, in the course of 
 time, cleared for itself a broad path in its yearly journey 
 and is now encountering no more straggling fragments." 
 
 " There, Doctor," said I, " you are well answered. And 
 now, Thorwald, tell us how you have escaped other evils, 
 famine and fire for instance." 
 
 " Fire," continued our friend, " was one of the first foes 
 subdued. We quite early learned to make our habitations 
 and everything about us of fireproof materials, and, if I 
 mistake not, you on the earth will not long endure an enemy 
 which can be so easily put down. You will find all mate- 
 rials can beso treated with chemicals as to be absolutely 
 
62 DAYBREAK. 
 
 safe from the flames. We have fire only when and where 
 we desire it. 
 
 " When you speak of famines you touch a more difficult 
 subject, but here, too, time and skill have wrought wonder- 
 ful changes. In our histories we read of the time when the 
 weather was chiefly noted for its fickleness, and when some 
 parts of our globe were mere desert wastes, where rain was 
 unknown and no life could exist. And in the inhabited 
 portions one section would often be deluged with too much 
 rain while another would have none, both conditions lead- 
 ing to a failure in agriculture and much consequent suffer- 
 ing. A long time was spent in gathering statistics, which 
 finally proved that if the rainfall were distributed there would 
 be just about enough to water sufficiently the whole surface 
 of the globe. Nature provided rain enough, but it did not 
 always fall where and when it was most needed. It seemed 
 to be left with us to find a remedy for this apparent evil. 
 When I say ' us ' in this way I mean our race as a whole, 
 for most of these changes took place many ages ago. 
 
 " Our philosophers had seen so many difficulties removed 
 and improvements made in things supposed to be fixed that 
 they began, once upon a time, to assert that rain and snow 
 and the weather in general ought to be subject to our will. 
 They said that in the advanced state of civilization toward 
 which we were progressing it would seem to be an anoma- 
 lous thing that we should continue to be subjected to the 
 annoyances of so changeable a tyrant as the weather. We 
 seemed destined to gain control of so many of the forces of 
 nature that our future mastery in this department looked to 
 them reasonable. For a long time these views appeared 
 fanciful to the many, but this did not deter a few enthusi- 
 asts from study and experiment. As knowledge and skill 
 increased we began, little by little, to gain control of the 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 63 
 
 elements; but do not imaij;ine it was anything less than a 
 slow and laborious work. 
 
 " First, as we learned something of the laws which con- 
 trol the precipitation of the moisture suspended in the 
 atmosphere, we discovered a way to produce rain by me- 
 chanical means. As this discovery was gradually developed 
 we found we had really solved the problem. For, as there 
 was only a certain amount of moisture taken up into the air, 
 the quantity of rain could not be increased nor diminished, 
 and so when we made it rain in one place it was always at 
 the expense of the rainfall somewhere else. 
 
 " Since those early days vast improvement has been made, 
 until now these laws, once so mysterious and so perplex- 
 ing, are obedient to our service. The whole face of our 
 planet has been reclaimed, and drouth and famine on the 
 one hand and floods on the other are entirely unknown. 
 Each section of country is given rain or snow or sunshine 
 just as it needs it, and there is no uncertainty in the 
 matter." 
 
 When Thorwald had reached this point my curiosity 
 prompted me to ask him to tell us in a few words how they 
 could make it rain when they pleased, and he answered 
 that he would be glad to give us details of all these matters 
 if we insisted on it, but he thought it would be better for 
 him to present a general view of the state of their society, 
 leaving it for us to see with our own eyes how things were 
 done, after we had reached our destination. 
 
 I readily acquiesced, with an apology for my interruption, 
 and Thorwald resumed : 
 
 " The doctor spoke of accidents, sickness, and severe toil 
 as among the sources of your troubles. With us, at the pres- 
 ent day, all natural laws are so well understood and so 
 faithfully obeyed that there are no accidents. Machinery 
 
64 DAYBREAK. 
 
 and appliances of all kinds are perfect; nothing is left to 
 chance, but everything is governed by law. And as we 
 follow that law in every instance nothing can ever happen, 
 in the old sense of that word. To take a homely example, 
 you have of course learned that it is not well to put your 
 hand into the fire, and so, though you use a good deal of 
 fire you keep your hands out of it. You know what the law 
 is, and you do not tempt it. By our long experience we 
 have learned the operation of all laws, and in every posi- 
 tion in life we simply avoid putting our hand into the fire. 
 To be sure, we have been assisted in this by superior skill 
 and by our general steadiness and ripeness of character. If 
 I read history aright accidents were caused by ignorance or 
 neglect of law, and I am sure the people of the earth, 
 when they begin to realize fully how unnecessary they are, 
 will soon outgrow them. 
 
 " As for sickness, you cannot understand how strange the 
 word sounds to me. Just think for a moment how useless, 
 how out of place, such a thing as sickness is. Like the sub- 
 ject just spoken of, it comes from disobedience to law, and 
 although I know we were a long time in ridding ourselves 
 of it, it seems to me now that it must be one of the easiest 
 of your troubles to remove. With us the science of medi- 
 cine became so perfect that it accomplished a great deal of 
 the reform, but more was done by each individual acquiring 
 full knowledge of himself and acting up to that knowledge. 
 In learning to love our neighbors we did not forget to foster 
 a proper love for ourselves. In fact, our creed teaches that 
 self-love is one of our most important duties. When one 
 is instructed to love his neighbor as himself it is presup- 
 posed that his affection for himself is of that high quality 
 that will always lead him to do the very best he can for 
 every part of his being. So, as our development continued, 
 
A REMARKABLE PEOPLE. 65 
 
 we came in time to love ourselves too well to despise or 
 abuse or neglect the bodies we lived in. We studied how 
 best to nurture and care for those bodies, and when that 
 lesson was thoroughly learned we found that sickness and 
 pain were gone, and with them, also, all fear of death. For 
 now we die when our days are fully ended. The span of 
 our life has been doubled since we began to know and care for 
 ourselves, and, at the close, death is anticipated and recog- 
 nized as a friend." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 RAPID TRANSIT ON MARS. 
 
 Here Thorwald paused and said he should be obliged to 
 leave us a short time to attend to some duty in the man- 
 agement of the vessel. When he returned I remarked that 
 neither he nor his companions seemed to have to work very 
 hard. 
 
 "That," he answered, "is just the thought I want to 
 speak of next, as the doctor has said many earthly troubles 
 arise from severe labor. Here there is no hard work for us. 
 It is all done by some kind of mechanism. Look at the 
 handling of this ship, in which, as you say, no one is bur- 
 dened. The hard and disagreeable parts of the work are 
 taken out of our hands and are put into the hand of machi- 
 nery, which in its perfec'tion is almost intelligent. It is so 
 in all departments of work. Inventions looking toward 
 the saving of labor have closely followed each other for 
 so many years that their object is about accomplished, 
 and all the pain and sorrow accompanying daily toil are 
 things of the dead past. Even our animals are relieved 
 from distressing labor and share with us the blessings of an 
 advanced civilization, every heavy weight being raised and 
 every burdensome load being drawn by an arm of steel or 
 aluminum, which neither tires nor feels. We do not need 
 to pity a machine. Why should flesh and blood, whether 
 of dumb beasts or of more intelligent beings, suffer the agony 
 
RAPID TRANSIT OX MARS. 67 
 
 of labor when the work can be better done by mechanical 
 means? 
 
 " While speaking of the lower animals I may as well say 
 here that we have no wild beasts. All have been tamed; 
 not merely brought into subjection, but made the friends 
 and companions in a sense of our higher race. Every ani- 
 mal, large and small, has lost its power and will to harm 
 us. The wasp has lost its sting, the serpent its poison, and 
 the tiger its desire to tear. And not only is their enmity 
 to us all gone, but they no longer prey upon each other. 
 Perfect peace reigns in this realm also." 
 
 " What has brought about this highly interesting condi- 
 tion?" I asked. "Was there a natural tendency toward 
 perfection on the part of the beasts? " 
 
 " No," replied Thorwald, " I think not. The change has 
 been accomplished by us. Nothing that has life could help 
 being uplifted by contact with our ever-expanding civiliza- 
 tion. We believe the chief factor in working this great 
 betterment in the animal creation has been our success in 
 entirely eliminating ilesh as an article of food. We early 
 came to see it was not necessary for ourselves and that with- 
 out it we were much better prepared to assume the higher 
 duties belonging to our advanced life. We then began to 
 experiment with the animals nearest us. It was a slow and 
 discouraging task at first, but finally we obtained results that 
 gave us hope of success. We found in the course of many 
 years that the digestive organs of the animals on which we 
 were experimenting were gradually becoming accustomed to 
 a vegetable diet. We continued the work, extending it to 
 one class of animals after another, until in time all car- 
 nivorous instincts disappeared." 
 
 This interested the doctor exceedingly, and he remarked 
 that he should think there would have been some kinds of 
 
68 DAYBREAK. 
 
 animals that would resist all efforts to work such a change 
 in them ; but Thorwald answered : 
 
 " I have never read of such cases, but if there were any 
 the species must have become extinct, for now, in all 
 this world, no conscious life is taken to support another 
 life. No blood is let for our refreshment and no minutest 
 creature is pursued and slain to appease the appetite of its 
 stronger neighbor." 
 
 " Does this condition extend even to the fish of the sea? " 
 inquired the doctor. 
 
 " Even to the fish of the sea," answered the Martian. 
 
 " Now that you discover," he continued, " what improve- 
 ment has been wrought in the lower animals, you can under- 
 stand that their comfort is an object of our solicitude, and 
 that we take great pleasure in knowing that they are relieved 
 from all hard labor." 
 
 " But you haven't told us," said I, " what is the source 
 of the power that does all your work." 
 
 " Let me ask," replied Thorwald, '' if you ha\e begun to 
 use electricity yet? " 
 
 " Yes," I answered, " we are trying to harness it, but it 
 is still far from obedient to us." 
 
 " I perceive," said our friend, " from this and other things 
 you have told me, that your development is going on in 
 about the order which has prevailed on Mars. Do not be 
 discouraged in your efforts to bring that mysterious and 
 wonderful agent, electricity, into complete subjection. 
 You will find it your most useful servant, and in connec- 
 tion with aluminum it will enable you to solve numerous 
 problems and remove many difficulties from your j)ath of 
 progress. 
 
 " Here we have made full use of both of these valuable 
 helps. Electricity enters into every department of life. 
 
RAPID TRANSIT ON MARS. 69 
 
 It runs our errands, takes us from place to place, builds our 
 houses, cooks our food, and even is applied to the growth 
 of our food when we are in haste for any article. Its laws 
 are so well understood that there is no fear of personal 
 injury from its use, and I will show you how familiar an 
 aid it is to us. Here," he continued, taking from his 
 pocket a brightly polished case of metal, " is a compact 
 storage battery, containing, not electricity itself, of course, 
 but elements so prepared that a simple touch will start 
 into motion a powerful current, able to perform almost 
 any task I may ask of it. This case, you see, is so small 
 and light that it is no burden, and yet it contains power 
 enough to serve me for many days. Of course, all our work 
 of a fixed character has appliances with the power perma- 
 nently attached, and these portable reservoirs are carried 
 about with us only for detached and unexpected tasks," 
 
 To my experienced eye the doctor's face looked a little 
 skeptical at this last remark, and he said : 
 
 " But how can the power be applied in these emergen- 
 cies? Suppose, for example, it were necessary for you to 
 go from here to the other end of this vessel in half a sec- 
 ond, how would the electricity in your box help you do 
 it?" 
 
 " If I really thought, Doctor, you wanted to be rid of me 
 I would be tempted to try it ; but, as I told your companion 
 just now, you had better learn all you can of our history 
 before you begin to see what we can do. 
 
 " I haven't told you half of the wonders performed by this 
 marvelous power. It has long been our chief reliance for rapid 
 traveling. You find us in this ship ; but, although navigation 
 is a perfected science, this mode of traveling is tedious, 
 and ships are used only for pleasure and such out-of-the- 
 way trips as this. Journeys from place to place over estab- 
 
70 DAYBREAK. 
 
 lished routes are made in large tubes, in which the cars are 
 propelled by electricity. These tubes run both on land and 
 water, being suspended in the latter a little way below the 
 surface. Both tubes and cars are air-tight, and the adjust- 
 ment is so perfect that the cars slide along with the greatest 
 ease. Riding in an air-tight chamber would not be pleas- 
 ant if much time were to be occupied in that way, but the 
 cars are propelled so swiftly that the time from one station 
 to another is hardly appreciable. At every stop the cars 
 are opened and apparatus set in motion which changes the 
 air completely almost in a moment. Where the tubes run 
 under water shafts for air are put in at the stations. There 
 is always a double line, one tube for each direction. No 
 chance is left for accidents. 
 
 " Of course we navigate the air, swiftly and safely. If 
 not in too much haste we always take the aerial passage, 
 and often on a pleasant day the sky over a great city will be 
 as full of air ships, or balloons as we still sometimes call 
 them, as its harbor is of pleasure boats. In this depart- 
 ment inventors had a fruitful field, the use of aluminum 
 offering abundant opportunity for the greatest variety of 
 devices, and the development of the flying machine was one 
 of the most interesting features in the march toward our 
 present high civilization. Perhaps the presence of so many 
 electrical machines in the air and the utilization of so 
 much electricity on land and water have, after thousands of 
 years, done much toward freeing us from the thunderstorm, 
 with its deadly lightning. We have fairly robbed the clouds 
 of their electricity and taught it to do our work. 
 
 " Swift and economical as our modem electric cars are, 
 there is one mode of traveling sometimes adopted which is 
 more rapid still, and the cheapest and in some respects the 
 easiest way of getting over the surface of the globe ever 
 
RAPID TRANSIT OX MARS. 7 1 
 
 dreamed of. It was discovered by accident, just before 
 accidents entirely ceased, in the following manner : 
 
 " A couple of scientific enthusiasts, of the kind we call 
 cranks — I don't know what you call them on the earth — 
 conceived the idea that they could find something better to 
 take the place of the highly purified and buoyant gases 
 which we used in our flying machines. They obsen'ed, in 
 the lofty flights they were accustomed to make into the air, 
 that as they ascended the atmosphere grew lighter, and this 
 led them to think they might go far into the upper regions, 
 collect large quantities of rarefied air, bring it do\\Ti, and 
 use it for floating flying machines. Of course, they under- 
 stood that any vessel this thin air was put into must be 
 strong enough to prevent being collapsed by the weight of 
 the denser atmosphere on the surface. But they thought 
 small spherical vessels of very thin metal could be made 
 that would withstand this pressure and still hold enough to 
 float and carr}' some weight besides. They had a large 
 number of these hollow balls made and started on a trial 
 trip, expecting to bring do\\Ti only a small quantity each 
 time. But, in their endeavor to obtain the verj^ best quality 
 of lifting material possible, they went much higher than 
 they intended, although this did not cause them as much 
 inconvenience as might have been expected, since they were 
 provided with the latest improved breathing apparatus. 
 The result of their adventure, however, was a discovery of 
 such magnitude that it drove from their minds all thought 
 of their real errand and we never again heard of that pro- 
 ject. After remaining at an extreme height a few hours, 
 the surface of the planet being hidden by clouds, they 
 began to descend, and when they were near enough to see 
 the features of the country below them, everything looked 
 strange and unkno^^Tl. They could not account for this, but 
 
72 DAYBREAK. 
 
 continued their fall, fully persuaded that it must be their 
 own world and not some other which they were approach- 
 ing. But even if they had not been correct in that, they 
 could hardly have been more surprised than they were to 
 find, on landing, that they were almost exactly on the oppo- 
 site side of the globe from the place where they made the 
 ascent. They seemed to have traveled half way around the 
 world in that incredibly short space of time, when in reality 
 they had remained stationary and the world had traveled 
 around them. The fact is, they had risen above all the 
 denser portion of the planet's atmosphere, and had reached 
 a stratum of extremely rarefied air, which, it seems, does 
 not accompany the globe in its revolution. Of course, the 
 facts were at once heralded to the four quarters of the world, 
 and the two aerial travelers found themselves famous. But 
 they did not wish to let such an astounding discovery rest 
 upon the results of a single experiment, and so they proved 
 themselves worthy of their new fame by going home the 
 way they came. That is, they mounted their flying ma- 
 chine, rose again to the same lofty height, remained there 
 about the same time as before, descended, and were near 
 their home." 
 
 Here the doctor asked : 
 
 " And has this singular mode of traveling become popular, 
 Thorwald?" 
 
 " For long distances east and west it is often resorted to. 
 But I presume you are asking yourself whether you could 
 introduce it on the earth. When you return and begin to 
 think it over you will probably see so many practical diffi- 
 culties in the way that you will not attempt it. You must 
 have patience. All these things will come to your race in 
 time." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THORWALD PUZZLED. 
 
 "I FEAR," continued Thonvald, "that I am wearying 
 you with this long talk." 
 
 We assured him we were enjoying it too much to think of 
 being tired, and hoped he would not stop. But he said he 
 had some duties to attend to, and would take us to his room 
 and leave us by ourselves for a while. 
 
 As soon as we were alone the doctor looked at me with a 
 smile and said : 
 
 " Why did you act so queerly when I spoke of Mona? " 
 
 "Why did you speak so?" I asked in reply. "And 
 how could you tell Thonvald we found one inhabitant on 
 the moon ? ' ' 
 
 " Did you want to have me tell him a falsehood? " 
 
 " Of course not. I tried to catch your eye and keep you 
 from saying anything on the subject till we could consult in 
 regard to it. If we are going to color our narrative in order 
 to make it more mar\'elouswe must at least make our stories 
 agree." 
 
 " My friend," said the doctor, " I am now confirmed in 
 my suspicion that your brain was affected by your fall from 
 the moon." 
 
 I saw by this time that I need not hesitate further to tell 
 the doctor the truth. I disliked the task, but I saw it would 
 not be safe to leave him any longer in ignorance of his con- 
 
74 DAVRREAK. 
 
 dition. There was no telling what other preposterous tales 
 he might invent. So I said to him gently : 
 
 " Doctor, your last remark makes it easier for me to tell 
 you that the first words you said to me on this vessel showed 
 me that you were not right. I kept it from our new friends 
 here, and I thought I had better tell you how you are, so you 
 can be a little cautious. You talk all right on most sub- 
 jects, but you will do well to avoid the moon as a topic of 
 conversation. If the others ask any more questions about 
 the moon, you can just let me answer them." 
 
 I said all this seriously enough, but the doctor laughed 
 boisterously as he answered : 
 
 " Well, if this isn't a joke. You think I am crazy, and 
 I know you are crazy, and I can prove it. I will just ask 
 you one question, which please answer truthfully. Don't 
 you remember Mona ? ' ' 
 
 " Oh, there is Mona again ! Don't you see that only 
 proves your own madness? No, I don't remember Mona; 
 and you don't either." 
 
 " I must say," returned the doctor, " I never expected 
 to see you get over your infatuation so quickly." 
 
 " What direction did my infatuation, as you call it, 
 take?" 
 
 " Marriage, I should say." 
 
 " Now you interest me," I returned, " and you must tell 
 me more. Is this Mona of yours the sole resident of the 
 moon, of whom you spoke to Thorwald? " 
 
 '' Certainly she is, but you surely must be out of your 
 head to call her my Mona — I want no stronger proof." 
 
 " How so?" I asked. 
 
 " Why, because but yesterday you scarce wanted to have 
 me speak to her. You tried to keep your jealousy from me, 
 but there was not room enough in all the moon to hide it." 
 
THORWALD PUZZLED. 75 
 
 " This is very laughable," I exclaimed. 
 
 " You did not think so then. But let me try to bring it 
 all back to you by another question. Don't you remember 
 her voice? " 
 
 " Most truly I do not. Why, what was the matter with 
 her voice? Was it loud and harsh, or was it squeaky? I 
 cannot imagine anything very pleasant in the way of a voice 
 in such a wild and withered home as the moon would 
 make." 
 
 " True," answered the doctor, "as to the outside, but 
 you forget our visit to the interior." 
 
 " There it is again," said I. " Now, Doctor, the sooner 
 you get rid of these strange notions the better. So tell me 
 your recollections of our stay in the moon, and I will let 
 you know where you are wrong. ' ' 
 
 " Very well. You remember, of course, when we found 
 ourselves rushing away from the earth so swiftly." 
 
 " Yes, and then we remained shut up in the car day after 
 day, more dead than alive I think, until, fortunately, we 
 were spilled out upon this more favored globe." 
 
 " You seem to be sincere," said the doctor; " but if you 
 are, then you forget the most interesting part of our experi- 
 ence. Just as we were about to be overwhelmed with our 
 troubles we heard exquisite music, which we soon found 
 proceeded from a lovely maiden. You fell desperately in 
 love with her at first sight and never recovered till you 
 were plunged in the ocean of Mars. You insisted on follow- 
 ing her nod, and she led us at once through a narrow path 
 down into the center of the moon. Here, in her quiet home, 
 we taught her to sing in our language — her only speech was 
 song — and the first words she used were to say she loved 
 me. She did not understand what the words meant, of 
 course, but you looked as if you wished I had been blown 
 
76 DAYBREAK. 
 
 away before Mona had discovered us. After that I helped 
 you in your wooing all I could, but although your passion 
 increased every day your suit did not seem to prosper. 
 One day I expressed the wish that I had some of the things 
 we had left in the car, whereupon she led us out to the 
 surface again, where we arrived just in time to be thrown 
 upon this planet. Here we are, you and I, all safe, but 
 where is poor Mona? " 
 
 " I am sure it would take a wise man to answer that ques- 
 tion," I replied. "And now let me show you. Doctor, 
 how wrong you are. If you will only try to exercise a little 
 of that good judgment for which you are noted, you will be 
 convinced that this is only a pretty little fairy tale which 
 has somehow taken possession of a corner of your brain. 
 Now that the fairy is gone you must try to forget the rest. 
 Just think how unlikely the whole story is. Think of a 
 delicate girl living in such surroundings as we found there; 
 and then, how could we exist down in the center of the 
 moon ? ' ' 
 
 " Why, don't you remember Mona told us the water and 
 atmosphere had all run down there, making it the only 
 habitable part of the decaying globe? " 
 
 " Oh, that's only one of your scientific notions, probably 
 as true as the others that we have disproved. Too much 
 science has turned your head, and I will prove it to you 
 again by showing you how impossible is the part which I 
 play in your romance. I will tell you now, what you doubt- 
 less do not know, that I am engaged to be married to the 
 best woman in all the earth, excepting your own good wife, 
 of course." 
 
 " Is that a fact? " asked the doctor. " And do you love 
 her?" 
 
 " To be sure I do. I love her very dearly, and if I ever 
 
THORWALD PUZZLED. 77 
 
 see her again I shall tell her so in a manner to make her 
 understand it." 
 
 " Why, doesn't she understand it now? " 
 
 " Yes, I think so, but she thought I didn't show heart 
 enough in my wooing." 
 
 " Well, if she could see you with Mona she would learn 
 that you have plenty of heart when the right one appears to 
 make it spring into life." 
 
 " You speak as if you thought I did not love Margaret. 
 You do not know her. Why, I wouldn't once look at an- 
 other woman anywhere, not even in Mars, and most certainly 
 not in that puckered-up old world that we have just left, 
 happily for us." 
 
 "Do you know what I think about you?" asked the 
 doctor. 
 
 "No." 
 
 " I think you have an exceedingly poor memory. First, 
 you forgot Margaret as soon as the voice of that fair singer 
 fell on your ear, and now you have fogotten the singer again 
 the moment we have lost her. I await with much interest 
 your first introduction to a daughter of Mars." 
 
 "You will be disappointed," said I, "if you think I 
 shall be more than civil to her." 
 
 " If she be handsome and can turn a tune moderately 
 well, I shall be willing to wager a fair young planet against 
 the moon that you will propose to her in a week." 
 
 " I have done nothing to give you so poor an opinion of 
 me. It is only your own diseased imagination, and I do not 
 seem to be curing it very fast. I suppose, because your 
 mind is naturally so strong, it is the more difficult to destroy 
 such an hallucination as has taken possession of you." 
 
 " I would give it up," said the doctor. " The story is 
 all true, and not a work of my imagination. Isn't it more 
 
78 DAYBREAK. 
 
 reasonable to believe that you could forget the circum- 
 stances I have related than that I could invent such a 
 tale?" 
 
 " Oh, I never could forget it if I had been false to Mar- 
 garet. You do not know me. If your vagaries had taken 
 any other direction I might possibly be brought to think 
 you were right." 
 
 By this time we both began to realize that the conversation 
 was not proving a great success in the way we had hoped, and 
 so, after some pleasant words and a hearty laugh over the 
 situation, we found our way to the deck again. Here there 
 were various things to attract our attention, different mem- 
 bers of the crew being eager to show us about. The doctor 
 asked some question in regard to the system of steering 
 the vessel, and when one of the men had taken him back 
 toward the stern to explain the point, I found Thonvald 
 and quietly explained to him the mental condition of my 
 companion. 
 
 " The doctor is all right," I said, " on every subject but 
 one. His head must have been injured a little in his fall, 
 and he imagines and asserts with positiveness that we found 
 a young woman in the moon, the last of her race — a ridicu- 
 lous idea, is it not? " 
 
 " And did you find any inhabitants at all? " asked Thor- 
 wald. 
 
 ** Certainly not. No one could live in such a place. 
 It is indeed marvelous how we existed long enough to get 
 here. The doctor calls this creature of his brain Mona, 
 says she was a great beauty, and plainly intimates that I was 
 rather too attentive to her. You will see what a convincing 
 proof this is of his unsound condition when I tell you I am 
 engaged to the best woman on the earth, and so of course 
 could not show any marked preference for another. I have 
 
THORWALD PUZZLED. 79 
 
 told you about the doctor so that you may pass over unno- 
 ticed any allusion he makes to these subjects." 
 
 Thorwald thanked me and said he would be careful not 
 to embarrass us in the matter. And so I flattered myself 
 that in the future Thorwald and I would sympathize with 
 each other in commiserating the doctor. But I afterward 
 learned that the doctor, about this time, had also sought an 
 interview with Thorwald and had confided the following 
 secret to him : 
 
 " My friend," said he, " is a fine young fellow, but his 
 head must have been injured in his fall. He has entirely 
 forgotten the best of our experience in the moon. Queer, 
 too, for he fell in love with the only and last inhabitant of 
 that globe, a beautiful, sweet-voiced maiden named Mona, 
 who never talked but she sang." 
 
 Thorwald then made the doctor tell him the whole story, 
 and at the close he promised he would not pay much atten- 
 tion to anything I might say on the subject in future con- 
 versation. 
 
 So it was quite a puzzle to Thorwald to tell which of his 
 visitors from the earth was of unsettled mind and which in 
 his normal condition. He decided to hold the question 
 open and wait for further evidence. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THORWALD AS A PROPHET. 
 
 As may be supposed, the doctor and I were anxious to hear 
 more about Mars, and it was not long before we were all 
 seated together again, when Thorwald resumed his instruc- 
 tive talk. 
 
 " What further can I tell you of our condition and achieve- 
 ments? Every science has made mighty progress in be- 
 stowing its own benefit upon us. New arts have been 
 discovered in the course of our development, about which 
 you would understand nothing. The aim and result of all 
 science have been to add to our comfort and happiness — our 
 true happiness, which consists in improvement and the con- 
 stant uplifting of character. The evils that once vexed our 
 world, both those occasioned by natural phenomena and 
 those brought about by our own ignorance and sin, have, as 
 you have heard, almost completely disappeared. Even 
 mental troubles are gone, and no corroding care destroys our 
 peace, for there is nothing for us to dread ; no dark future, 
 filled with unknown evils, awaits our unwilling feet, and no 
 superstitious or unnatural fear disturbs the peaceful quiet 
 of our sleep." 
 
 " And are we to understand, Thorwald," I asked, " that 
 you believe all this rest from trouble and wrongdoing is 
 coming to the earth, too? " 
 
 " Before replying directly to your question," answered 
 
THORWALD AS A PROPHET. 8l 
 
 Thorwald, " let me ask you if there is any tendency in that 
 direction. Look back to the earliest days of your history 
 and compare the state of things then existing with that of 
 your own times. Has your world made any progress? Is 
 there any less violence? Are men learning to live without 
 fighting? Are the dark corners of the earth coming to 
 the light?" 
 
 " In these and many other directions," I answered, " I 
 think we can see improvement." 
 
 " Then," continued Thorwald, " it seems to me you must 
 believe with me that your world will one day come to the 
 condition in which you find us. Have not vour holy proph- 
 ets foretold a time of universal peace both tor man and 
 beast, a time when a higher law than selfishness shall gov- 
 ern all hearts and the earth be filled with the spirit of 
 love? " 
 
 "They have," I replied, "but most of us are so en- 
 grossed in the struggle for existence that we think lightly 
 or not at all of such things. These prophecies have never 
 impressed me as they do now when I see your condition, and 
 reflect that similar words may have been spoken and then 
 fulfilled here." 
 
 *' Let me assure you," Thorwald made haste to say, " that 
 the earth is still young. I can see by all you say that your 
 age is one of unusual vitality and progress. A firm faith 
 that victory will come and that the golden age is before you 
 will be a great help in your struggle with evil. Lay hold 
 of that faith. It is yours. It needs no prophet to tell you 
 that your race will one day reach our blessed state. First 
 will come the spirit of peace, and as I am sure war must be 
 repugnant to such minds as yours, you will readily learn to 
 put it away from you. Then will begin to cease all bitter- 
 ness between man and man, and you will be started on the 
 6 
 
82 DAYIiREAK. 
 
 road that leads to brotherly kindness. A world of sorrows 
 will fall away with the passing of individual and national 
 strife, not only the horror of the battlefield and the misery 
 that follows it, but also the more secret and world-wide 
 unhappiness that comes from the petty conflicts over the 
 so-called rights of person and property. Selfishness, that 
 monstrous source of evil, must be dethroned, and then the 
 rights of each will be cared for by all. This will usher in 
 for you a new era. 
 
 " And now, when the mighty energy that has been ex- 
 pended in learning and practicing the science of war, the 
 skill that has been given to the art of killing, the treasures 
 of money and blood, the time, the brain and the activities 
 that have been employed in carrying out plans of aggres- 
 sion, large and small, of neighbor against neighbor — when 
 these have all been turned toward the betterment of your 
 condition and the salvation of men from degradation and 
 sin, then will the arts of peace flourish and your day begin. 
 Then will nature herself come to your assistance, molding 
 her laws to your convenience and comfort. It will doubt- 
 less be a long time before a man can love and consider his 
 neighbor as himself, and before all of God's creatures on your 
 planet can dwell together in perfect peace, but, believe me, 
 the earth will live to see that time." 
 
 "Thorwald," spoke the doctor, "your words are so 
 inspiring that I almost wish my life could have waited some 
 thousands of years for that bright day you so confidently 
 promise for the earth, but I cannot help asking myself if it 
 is altogether a misfortune to live in the midst of the con- 
 flict, with something ahead to strive for. Will you pardon 
 my presumption if I ask you practically the same question? 
 You have told us of your wonderful history and that you 
 have now reached a condition of peace and quiet. With no 
 
THORWALD AS A PROPHET. 83 
 
 sickness or sorrow in your lives, with no evil passions to 
 rise and throw you, with nothing to fear from without or 
 within, yours must be a blissful condition. But still, is 
 there always content? In our imperfect state we are striv- 
 ing and learning. Our happiness largely consists in the 
 pursuit of happiness. If, some day, we should find all dififi- 
 culties removed, no obstacles left to contend against, no evil 
 in ourselves or others to overcome, not even our bodily 
 wants to provide for, it seems to me life would lose its zest 
 and become a burden hardly worth the carrying. Can you 
 remove this unhandsome doubt?" 
 
 " I will try," answered Thorwald. " I suppose if the 
 people of the earth, with their present capacities and aspi- 
 rations, should be brought suddenly to such a state of civi- 
 lization as ours, it would be as you say. As your develop- 
 ment continues, your minds and souls will expand and you 
 will be prepared to take up new duties and occupations as 
 they come. I cannot tell you Avhat these are, for at pres- 
 ent you would not understand me. You mistake if you 
 think we have ceased to learn. The mind is ever reaching 
 fonvard to new attainments, and the things which chiefly 
 occupy us now would have been beyond our comprehension 
 in our earlier days. Can you not find an illustration on the 
 earth? Suppose the untutored savage were suddenly required 
 to throw away his spear and arrow and engage in your pur- 
 suits. Doctor. Would he be happy? Your mind is full of 
 thoughts that he cannot grasp, your life is made up of 
 experiences and aspirations of which he has no conception. 
 You can see your superiority to the savage. Let me help 
 you to look forward and see your inferiority to the coming 
 man, who, I assure you, will never tire of life while any- 
 thing that God has made remains to be studied. As the 
 mind expands, new wonders and new beauties in creation 
 
84 DAYBREAK. 
 
 will unfold themselves and your race will learn to look back 
 with pity upon your present age, with its mean and trivial 
 occupations." 
 
 " But, Thonvald," I asked, " can you not tell us some- 
 thing of these higher pursuits? " 
 
 " But very little," he answered. " 1 might give you one 
 or two hints of some things which I think lie nearest you, if 
 indeed you have not already begun to consider them. 1 need 
 hardly speak of astronomy, which, from the nature of the 
 case, is the earliest of all sciences wherever there is intelli- 
 gent life to view the works of creation. You will find great 
 profit in advancing in this study as rapidly as possible. 
 We have not yet ceased to pursue it, and I think it is one 
 branch of knowledge which will never be exhausted, in the 
 present life at least. Our achievements in astronomy have 
 been marvelous. 
 
 " Do not neglect to look in the other direction also for 
 evidences of God's power and wisdom. The microscope 
 will almost keep pace with the telescope in revealing the won- 
 ders of creation. It will greatly assist you in many of your 
 higher employments. 
 
 " One thing that you will doubtless soon undertake is the 
 study of the speech of animals, which will go hand in hand 
 with the development of their intelligence. Both of these 
 will claim much attention, but very inadequate results will 
 be obtained until after you have tamed and domesticated 
 the various species. You will want to discover how far ani- 
 mals can be educated and whether their intelligence can 
 ever be developed into mind. As you progress in this study 
 you will feel the necessity of understanding their conversa- 
 tion and you will learn what you can of their language. 
 These tasks will seem of more importance to you when the 
 lower animals are all reclaimed and become the companions 
 
THORWALD AS A PROPHET. 85 
 
 and friends of man. You will try to discover the particular 
 purpose for which each species was created, and you will even 
 be led to inquire, by a long series of experiments, whether 
 they possess the faintest shadow of moral perceptions. 
 
 " Then there is the great subject of plant life. Does the 
 sensitiveness of plants ever amount to sensibility or feel- 
 ing? If so, is it a feeling you are bound to respect? That 
 is, should a wounded and bleeding tree excite in you even the 
 slightest shade of that sympathy you feel with a distressed 
 animal? These are inquiries which you doubtless think of 
 little moment now, but we have spent many years pursuing 
 them. 
 
 " These are only a few faint indications of the multitude 
 of questions which lie before you for studv. In every 
 investigation which you follow, whether connected with the 
 mysteries of your own complex being or with the unexplored 
 depths of creation around you, a chief source of interest 
 will be the constant discovery of a perfect adaptation in the 
 works of God. Of course you know something of it already, 
 but you will never cease to wonder at the unfolding of this 
 truth, as you come to realize more and more fully that crea- 
 tion is one, and is moved and ruled by one intelligence. 
 
 " Oh, do not imagine that in the ages to come there will 
 be nothing to make life interesting. As your civilization 
 advances and you are released gradually from trouble and 
 care, and from those petty affairs which now so occupy you, 
 your minds and souls will grow, and you will see far more 
 ahead of you worth striving for than you now do. Your 
 happiness can still consist largely in the pursuit of happi- 
 ness." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 MORE WORLDS THAN TWO. 
 
 It was now so late in the day that further conversation 
 was postponed, and after a plain but exceedingly enjoyable 
 supper we were shown to luxurious rooms, where we spent 
 our first night in Mars in great comfort. 
 
 In the morning Thorwald told us we would reach our port 
 in a few hours, and so we sat down as early as we could after 
 breakfast for a short talk. 
 
 The doctor furnished the text by opening the conversation 
 with this remark : 
 
 " It is wonderful to think we should find on this planet a 
 race of people so advanced, when so little thought is given, 
 on the earth, to the idea of life in other worlds." 
 
 " What has been the general opinion among you on that 
 subject?" asked Thorwald. 
 
 " The subject has not had standing enough to call forth 
 much opinion," the doctor answered. " There is an almost 
 universal indifference in regard to the matter. I think the 
 common notion is that the earth is about all there is in the 
 universe worth considering." 
 
 " But what are your own views, Doctor? " 
 
 " I have been one of those," he replied, " who believed 
 the notion of life outside the earth to be a beautiful theory 
 without one shred of scientific basis. We knew the earth 
 was inhabited and the moon was not, and there we stopped. 
 
MORE WORLDS THAN TWO. 87 
 
 We did not know, and thought we never could know, anything 
 that could be called evidence pointing to the existence of 
 life in the other planets or elsewhere, and we held that 
 there was no advantage in speculation. We thought it un- 
 wise to spend much time or thought on a subject about which 
 we could know nothing. On coming here and finding you I 
 have learned that Mars is inhabited, but I do not know any 
 more about the other planets or stars." 
 
 " Does not the mere knowledge that there are two life- 
 bearing bodies lead you to believe that there are more, 
 among the vast numbers of worlds which you have not 
 visited? " 
 
 " I don't see why it should. How can we believe any- 
 thing without evidence? No one has ever come to us from 
 those distant globes, and they are too far away for us to see 
 what is taking place on their surface." 
 
 " It seems strange. Doctor, to hear you reason in that 
 way, but I suppose some of our race were just as narrow, if 
 you will pardon me for using that word, as you are, before 
 our wonderful successes in astronomy. I believe you have 
 not properly considered the subject, for it seems to me you 
 had knowledge enough, before you left the earth, to justify 
 you in holding to a strong probability of life beyond your own 
 globe. 
 
 " Let us see what some of that knowledge is. You know, 
 to begin with, that one world is inhabited. Then if you 
 should find other bodies as large as the earth and bearing 
 any resemblance to it, there would be no improbability in 
 the thought that they or some of them were filled with life. 
 The improbability is certainly taken away by the knowledge 
 that one such body, the earth, is inhabited. 
 
 " You start, then, without prejudice, on a voyage of dis- 
 covery, aided by your telescope and your reasoning facul- 
 
88 DAYBREAK. 
 
 ties. First you find, within distances that you can easily 
 measure, a small group of dark bodies, which you have 
 called planets, all apparently governed by a common law, 
 in obedience to which they are circling around a large body 
 of quite different character, which gives them light and 
 heat. Of these dark bodies, which shine in the sky only 
 by reflected light, the earth is one, and, you are surprised 
 to find, not the most important one, judging from all you 
 can discover. Some of the others are much larger and are 
 attended by more satellites. In fact, the earth is indistin- 
 guishable in this little group. While it is not the largest, 
 neither is it the smallest. It is not the farthest from the 
 sun nor the nearest to it. It is merely one among the 
 number. And how much alike the members of this family 
 are. Your telescopes do not point out any material dif- 
 ferences, although each has its individual characteristics. 
 Let us enumerate some of the many points of resemblance. 
 They all turn on themselves as well as revolve around the 
 sun. All see the night follow the day, and in most of them 
 there must occur the regular succession of seasons. To 
 each one the sun is the source of light and heat, many of 
 them have moons, and all can see the stars. Nor does the 
 resemblance stop here. For you have discovered that one 
 has an atmosphere, another is surrounded with clouds, while 
 on the surface of our own globe you see the polar snows 
 increase in winter and melt away in summer. Is it not 
 probable that if you could get nearer to these globes you 
 would find still closer resemblances ? And if they are like 
 the earth in so many ways, is it at all unlikely that they may, 
 at some period of their existence, be the abode of intelligent 
 life ? For what other purpose were they made, Doctor ? " 
 "They make very pretty objects for us to look at," 
 replied my companion. 
 
MORE WORLDS THAN T\VO. 89 
 
 " Yes, those that can be seen," said Thonvald ; " but is 
 that all ? \\'ere those great worlds, some of them hundreds 
 of times larger than your own globe, created merely to add 
 a little variety to your sky, and to give you the pleasant task 
 of watching their movements under the pretty title of morn- 
 ing and evening star ? " 
 
 " Speaking from the knowledge I had when I left the 
 earth," the doctor answered, " I can say I never heard that 
 they were put to any other use. No one ever came down 
 to us from any of them to tell us they were inhabited." 
 
 " And do you think," asked Thonvald, " that the myriads 
 of stars were also made simply to delight the eye of man? " 
 
 " How do I know that they were not? " the doctor asked 
 in reply. 
 
 " Because of the absolute unreasonableness of the thought, 
 if for no other reason," answered Thorwald. "But now 
 let me recall to your mind more of the knowledge possessed 
 by the inhabitants of the earth. I think I know about 
 what that knowledge is, from my acquaintance with the 
 present state of your development. Astronomv has been 
 our master science, and I can remember fairly well the 
 extent of our knowledge when we had reached your stage. 
 If I should fall into the error of attributing to you more 
 than you have already discovered you can easily correct me. 
 
 " If, now, you leave the little group of dark bodies which 
 are so like the earth, and go out still further into space, 
 what do you find? At distances so great that onlv the 
 speed of light can be used as a measuring line, you discover 
 vast numbers of self-luminous bodies, which you call stars. 
 Your natural eye can tell but a small fraction of their num- 
 ber. For example, look at the constellation you have 
 named the Pleiades and you see six or seven stars. Yiew it 
 through a three-inch telescope and you can count perhaps 
 
9© DAYBREAK. 
 
 three hundred. Now attach a photographic plate to the 
 telescope, and with an exposure of four hours the light 
 coming from that small patch of sky falls upon the sensi- 
 tive film with a cumulative effect until you have a picture 
 of more than two thousand three hundred stars." 
 
 " Yes," broke in the doctor, " you are gauging correctly 
 the state of our knowledge. Our largest telescopes reveal 
 in the entire sky, it is said, one himdred million stars." 
 
 "Then," answered Thorwald, "if the glories of the 
 heavens were made merely to delight the eye of man, why 
 was not the eye created of sufficient power to behold them? 
 As it is, only a small proportion of the stars can be seen 
 without the aid of instruments too costly and too delicate 
 for general use. 
 
 " But have you the means of establishing any likeness 
 between the earth and those distant bodies? You have dis- 
 covered that the law of gravitation is universal and that the 
 motions of the stars resemble those of the solar system. 
 Have you made any discoveries tending to prove the exist- 
 ence of other systems like our own? " 
 
 " Yes," replied the doctor, " our recent investigations of 
 the periods of some of the variable stars show irregularities 
 in brightness, period, and proper motion. A close study of 
 these irregularities has convinced some of our astronomers 
 that there are invisible bodies near them, evidently planets 
 circling around a central sun. The theory is that the dark 
 bodies cause slight perturbations in the star, which account 
 for the irregularities in period, motion, etc. So Neptune 
 was discovered by the effect it had upon the observed 
 movements of Uranus. This is the first evidence we have 
 had tending to prove that there are other groups of worlds 
 like ours, and it is considered quite significant." 
 
 " I can readily believe it," said Thorwald, " and I know 
 
MORE WORLDS THAN TWO. 9I 
 
 how helpful every bit of evidence is, in your search for 
 knowledge. But if I mistake not you have the aid of 
 another instrument, which is destined to play an important 
 part in your future studies. You get much nearer those 
 distant orbs when a spectroscope is placed at the end of the 
 telescope, and the ray of light coming from sun and star is 
 widened out into a band of color, which tells a marvelous 
 story. That light, that has been for years, and perhaps for 
 centuries, on its way to you, now discloses the very nature 
 of the substances which compose those fiery globes. And 
 what are those substances? It must have been a startling 
 truth to the man who first read from the spectrum of the 
 star he was studying, that it contained matter with which he 
 was familiar, materials of which the earth itself is made. 
 By this science you have learned beyond doubt that many 
 of the commonest elements of the earth's crust exist also 
 in other worlds, and, what is of great significance, that the 
 materials most closely connected with living organisms on 
 the earth, such as hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, and iron, 
 are the very ones which are found most widely diffused 
 among the stars. I think I am not wrong in assuming that 
 you are somewhat acquainted with the spectroscope and 
 have made these discoveries." 
 
 *' You are quite right," said the doctor. " This branch of 
 scientific investigation has already been carried so far with 
 us, and the results of the experiments are so constant and 
 uniform, that when it is asserted, for example, that such 
 and such a metal is present in a state of vapor in the sun's 
 atmosphere, it is estimated that the chances in favor of the 
 correctness of the assertion are as 300,000,000 to i." 
 
 '' You are helping my argument. Doctor," resumed Thor- 
 wald. " But now let me call your attention to another 
 field of inquiry, in our search for evidence to establish a 
 
92 DAYBREAK. 
 
 likeness between the earth and the other parts of the uni- 
 verse. You told me, a while ago, that you have the fall of 
 meteorites on your globe. Have you considered the strik- 
 ing evidence they bring you ? Let us imagine we have a 
 meteoric fragment here. Take it in your hand and think 
 of it a moment. You have few things on your earth as 
 interesting as this piece of metallic stone. What a world 
 of questions it starts ! What is its composition ? Whence 
 comes it ? Once it was in existence, but not here. 
 Where, then, was its home ? Out, out in the depths of 
 space, where burning suns roll and comets have their dwell- 
 ing place. The stars have fallen indeed, and here is one 
 of the pieces. Before it came to us as a messenger from 
 the sky did it have an independent existence, or is it a 
 fragment of a shattered world ? How long has it been 
 whirling in its unknown orbit, and what story has it for us 
 from its distant birthplace ? If we can discover whence 
 meteorites come, and of what they are composed, I think 
 you will agree with me that they furnish valuable testimony 
 in our inquiry. You have no doubt had many theories as 
 to their origin." 
 
 I was just about to make answer to this implied question, 
 when Thorwald rose and eagerly scanned the horizon. After 
 a moment he exclaimed : 
 
 " We shall have to break off our conversation for a time, 
 as we are nearing our port. I knew by other means that 
 land must soon appear, and now I can see it." 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 MARS AS IT IS. 
 
 The doctor and I looked in the direction indicated and 
 speedily realized that, the superiority of the dwellers on 
 Mars extended to the sense of sight, for we could see 
 nothing. But we were sailing so swiftly that the shore we 
 were approaching was before very long brought within our 
 vision also, and among the alert crew, who were now pre- 
 paring to bring the vessel into its harbor, there could be 
 none so interested in what was to come as the doctor and 
 myself. We were to see what had been accomplished by a 
 race of whose perfections we had been hearing so much. 
 
 As we effected a landing and walked up the streets of the 
 city, we were not nearly so much impressed with the size 
 and beauty of the buildings and the appearance of the peo- 
 ple as we were by the spirit of absolute peace and quiet 
 which prevailed. With perfect skill, and without noise or 
 bustle, the ship was brought to its dock and the crew went 
 ashore. The screams and calls, the rattle of vehicles and 
 the babel of sounds we had been accustomed to on such 
 occasions, were all missing. The silence and order were 
 almost oppressive because they were so strange. But there 
 was no lack of activity among the immense creatures who 
 thronged around us. Everyone was busy, knowing appar- 
 ently just what to do without direction from others, and 
 just the best way to do it. Beings with lungs powerful 
 
94 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 enough to wake the mountain echoes went about with mild 
 and tuneful voices, and, though each one seemed possessed 
 of a giant's strength, no severe labor was required of any. 
 
 The streets and walks were paved with a soft material, 
 yielding slightly to pressure, but so firm and tough that 
 it showed no sign of wear, an ideal pavement, over which 
 the wheels rolled as noiselessly as they would over a vehet 
 carpet. It was, moreover, laid in beautiful patterns of 
 the most varied colors. The vehicles, of which there were 
 many kinds for different uses, were so faultlessly made that 
 they moved with the utmost quiet and apparent ease, the 
 power that propelled them being invisible. There were no 
 tracks or wires, but all were guided in any direction and 
 with any speed at the pleasure of the riders. 
 
 Thorwald led me from the vessel, and another stalwart 
 son of Mars took charge of the doctor. After walking a 
 few steps up the street we all stepped into an empty car- 
 riage without saying as much as " by your leave," Thorwald 
 touched a button, and we were off. 
 
 " This," said Thorwald, " is one of the best illustrations 
 of the manner in which we are applying electricity. You 
 saw them also unloading the heavy freight from the boat by 
 the same power. So all our work is done. No fleshly limb 
 is strained, no conscious life is burdened, by any of the 
 labor of our complex society. This subtle force is so well 
 controlled and its laws are so thoroughly understood that 
 it is equal to every demand." 
 
 "I am entranced, Thorwald," said the doctor, "with 
 everything I see. But I would like to ask if you own 
 this comfortable carriage and had it sent to the wharf to 
 meet you." 
 
 " I own it," our friend replied, " just as I own the street 
 we are riding over or the house I live in. I own this or 
 
MARS AS IT IS. 95 
 
 any other vehicle whenever I desire to use it. You saw a 
 great number of carriages near the wharf, and there are 
 several over on that corner. Anyone is at perfect liberty 
 to appropriate one to his own use at any time, and when he 
 is through he merely leaves it at a convenient place by the 
 roadside for some one else to take." 
 
 " I should think they would be stolen," said I. 
 
 Thorwald laughed at my ignorance and answered : " Why, 
 who is there to steal when everybody, either friend or 
 stranger, can use them as often and as long as he likes ? " 
 
 The talk promised to grow more interesting still, but 
 now our attention was turned to the delightful scene through 
 which we were passing. It will be utterly impossible to 
 describe the beauty of the landscape, where nature and art 
 seemed to be striving to outdo each other. Before reaching 
 land I had imagined that the houses, if they were to be 
 proportioned to the inhabitants, must pierce the sky. But 
 we were surprised to find that they were all comparatively 
 low, of not more than two or three stories. And all, even 
 those near the wharf, were surrounded with ample grounds. 
 Some of the houses were larger than others, some more 
 ornate than their neighbors, and the architecture varied as 
 much as the size and arrangement of the grounds. But all 
 were beautiful beyond description. One thing that ap- 
 peared very strange to us was that the prevailing color of 
 the vegetation was red, although that shade did not pre- 
 dominate as much as green does on the earth. For 
 instance, after we had admired a stretch of lawn brilliant 
 as a crimson sky, we would come to another which would 
 surprise and please us with a lovely shade of blue. Still 
 another was green, and then one glowed with a variety of 
 colors, whose combination showed a most refined taste. As 
 with the grass, so it was with the foliage of the trees. The 
 
g6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 richest tints of our autumnal forests were here present in 
 permanence, but with a much greater wealth of coloring. 
 Flowers, too, of every hue and form were to be seen on all 
 sides, and their appearance was so perfectly natural that if 
 they had been set with design then the art itself had con- 
 cealed the art of their arrangement. 
 
 With all this mass of color there were no unpleasant 
 contrasts, no discordant tones. As, amid the bustle of 
 the landing place, our ears had not been shocked with rude 
 noises, so now we received through our eyes only a delight- 
 ful sense of quiet beauty. 
 
 Riding, now slowly and now more rapidly, through such 
 a scene, we could think of nothing better to question our 
 friend about, so the doctor found his voice and said : 
 
 " This far surpasses our anticipations, Thorwald, and I 
 am sure this place must be exceptional, even on Mars. I 
 suppose it is a resort where some of your wealthy people 
 have built themselves homes in which to enjoy their leisure 
 months." 
 
 "Nothing of the kind," replied Thorwald. "These 
 people live here all the year, they are not wealthy, and 
 there is nothing to distinguish this city above others." 
 
 " Why, this seems more like a private park than a city. 
 Where are your crowded streets and houses for the poor ? " 
 
 " After all I have told you of our high civilization. Doc- 
 tor, do you not imderstand that we have long since abol- 
 ished poverty ? " 
 
 "Yes," answered the doctor, "I understand that in a 
 general way; but I did not suppose everybody was rich, 
 as it is certain everybody must be to own such palaces as 
 these." 
 
 ''You are still wrong," said Thorwald. "We have no 
 such distinctions as rich and poor. All our cities are of 
 
MARS AS IT IS. 97 
 
 this character, only there is great variety in the residences 
 and in the way in which the streets and lots are laid out. 
 These places that we are passing are inferior to many, but 
 no houses are built that are at all mean or uncomfortable. 
 Indeed, I think we have to-day passed some of the poorest 
 that I know of. As to the word city, we use it only as a 
 convenient expression. It really means nothing more than 
 a certain locality, for, as I told you at the beginning of our 
 conversation, we have no need of government of any kind. 
 In some sections one city runs into another, so that the 
 whole country is filled with the beauty and delight of the 
 landscape which you see about you." 
 
 " But," asked the doctor, " with the population spread 
 out in this marvelous way, is there room for everybody ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," answered Thorwald. "All the surface of 
 our planet is brought into use; the waste places are re- 
 claimed, and there is abundant room for all. And now, as 
 this pleasant air and easy motion seem to be agreeable to 
 you, we may as well ride slowly for a while longer. 
 
 " In your intercourse with us you will find it is never 
 necessary for us to hurry when, for any good reason, we 
 choose to loiter, and, therefore, if you care to hear me 
 talk, I will take the time to correct another wrong impres- 
 sion you seem to have. 
 
 "You spoke. Doctor, about the people owning these 
 houses. No one owns them." 
 
 ' ' Do they belong to the state ? ' ' asked the doctor. 
 
 " There is no state." 
 
 "Well, this is a curious condition of affairs," resumed 
 the doctor. " Here is valuable property belonging to no 
 one and no government to claim it. I should think any- 
 one that happened along could take possession." 
 
 "Now you are right," said Thorwald. "That is just 
 7 
 
98 DAYBREAK, 
 
 the state of the case. It is with houses and all other prop- 
 erty as I told you it was with this carriage. All the right 
 one has to any object is the right to use it. Everything 
 that has been produced by art and skill is just as free as the 
 bounties of nature, such as air and water and land, which 
 of course no one would ever dream of subjecting to private 
 ownership." 
 
 The doctor winced as he heard Thorwald include land 
 among these free bounties of nature, and the expression of 
 his face did not escape the quick eye of the Martian, who 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " So you earth-dwellers are still in the habit of buying 
 and selling land, are you ? " 
 
 " That was the practice when we left home," replied the 
 doctor. '' And I cannot understand how we can do differ- 
 ently. Your views of property are so strange to us that I 
 am sure my companion will join me in asking you to ex- 
 plain them more fully." 
 
 " I certainly do," I said. 
 
 " Property," began Thorwald, " we do not have, but we 
 have many of the rights of proprietorship in the things we 
 use from time to time. And what other benefit than the 
 free use of what we need could be derived from the posses- 
 sion of things ? Suppose I, for example, owned a thousand 
 acres of land and a hundred fine mansions. I could culti- 
 vate but a small part of the land and occupy but one 
 house at a time, and of what value would the remainder 
 be ?" 
 
 " Would not such palaces as these on this beautiful street 
 bring a' good rent ? " I inquired. 
 
 " Don't be stupid," replied Thorwald good-naturedly. 
 " You must know by this time that we are not a race of 
 self-seekers, each one taking advantage of the necessity of 
 
MARS AS IT IS. 99 
 
 his neighbor. But I suppose it is difficult for you to appre- 
 ciate a state of society in which each individual considers 
 the feelings and needs of others as much as his own. With 
 us this principle is not preached any more, but it is actually 
 practiced in all our affairs." 
 
 " I will try to keep that in mind," I said, '' although it 
 is a fact I can hardly realize. But about this matter of 
 houses I want to make another inquiry. After you have 
 become established in a beautiful home to which you have 
 no more right than anj^one else, what is to prevent some 
 other man (I use the word for convenience) coming forward 
 and asking you to give it up to him ? " 
 
 " Nothing," answered Thorwald. " In such a case I 
 should immediately move out and let him have it, knowing 
 he must be entirely unselfish in the matter and that there 
 must be some sufficient reason for the request." 
 
 " But would you go to all the trouble of moving without 
 even knowing his reason ? " 
 
 " Yes, I would do it to accommodate him, but then the 
 trouble would be nothing. We would merely have to go 
 out and take another house." 
 
 " But would you not have to move all the furni- 
 ture ? ' ' 
 
 " Oh, no. We could take anything we pleased, of 
 course, but it is not usual to make radical changes. An- 
 other house would contain all that was desirable. As a 
 matter of fact, however, such removals are by no means 
 frequent. We usually remain in one place and acquire all 
 the tender associations of home which could be possible 
 under any system. But if a family should increase so that 
 it would be better for them to take a larger house, they 
 could easily find one, or if not they would ask those who 
 are fond of that work to build one to their taste. The 
 
lOO DAYBREAK. 
 
 moment a thing is made or produced it belongs to the gen- 
 eral store, to be used by any and all who need it." 
 
 "Under such conditions," said I, "what we call the 
 eighth commandment would be superfluous." 
 
 " If that refers to theft," answered Thorwald, " you are 
 certainly right, for it is impossible to steal where everything 
 is free. 
 
 " It will be well for you to understand how happily we 
 have solved this question of property, but of course we 
 could not have found such a solution until we had first 
 reached a high spiritual plane and learned the lesson of 
 true brotherhood. From your words I know just about the 
 point in our development which corresponds with the pres- 
 ent state of your race, and therefore I know something of 
 the nature of the struggle through which the earth is now 
 passing. I warn you that the unrestricted right of private 
 ownership is a menace to your civilization, all the greater 
 because its evil is probably not clearly seen. We are 
 assured by our historians, who try to point out the causes 
 for all the great convulsions in our career, that excessive 
 individualism in property rights, with its selfish disregard 
 of others, was a potent factor in the downfall of many of 
 the enlightened nations of our antiquity. We have noticed 
 that even our animals have the instinct of possession, and 
 it is certain that the love of ownership and accumulation 
 has been one of the hardest evils to eradicate from our nat- 
 urally selfish nature. If you should ever return to the 
 earth, do not neglect to signal for this danger." 
 
 " But what is the remedy ? " asked the doctor. " The 
 system of which you have been speaking might be called 
 the mainspring of our society. I can hardly imagine what 
 we should be without it. With our note of warning, what 
 .message of help will you send ? " 
 
MARS AS IT IS. lOI 
 
 *' Doctor," answered Thorvvald, "it pleases me to hear 
 you ask that question, and I am rejoiced also that I have so 
 good an answer for you. The remedy is to be found in the 
 law of love. Follow that law as closely as possible. Theway 
 will be hard, the progress slow, but every step taken will be 
 a solid advance. It is the only safe road, and you will find 
 that every other will lead to disappointment and disaster." 
 
 Whenever Thonvald struck these high spiritual themes he 
 spoke with such enthusiasm and positiveness that our respect 
 for him increased rapidly. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 WE REACH THORWALd's HOME, 
 
 All this time we had been riding leisurely along, enrap- 
 tured with the delightful country, while the way itself and 
 the estates on either hand offered such variety of landscape 
 that the view never became tiresome nor uninteresting. 
 
 But as the day was waning, our friends quickened the pace 
 and showed us a burst of speed. This was most exhilarat- 
 ing, and soon brought us to the station where Thorwald told 
 us we were to take an express train for home, which was 
 about two hundred miles distant. 
 
 When we alighted we left our carriage by the roadside 
 among many others, and entered an immense building. 
 Both inside and out there were plenty of people moving 
 around, but without noise or unpleasant bustle. With no 
 delay, and also with no haste, we entered what appeared to 
 be a smaller apartment opening out of the general waiting- 
 room. It had the appearance of an elegant drawing-room, 
 the rich but comfortable-looking furniture being disposed 
 in a careless manner, which helped to make us feel at 
 home, if anything could bring us that sensation. There 
 was a door at each end of the room, and soon these were 
 closed and we felt an almost imperceptible jar. The 
 doctor glanced hastily at Thorwald and said : 
 
 " Can it be possible that we are to travel in this apart- 
 ment ? ' ' 
 
WE REACH THORWALD S HOME. 103 
 
 " Yes," answered Thonvald, " this is our modern travel- 
 ing coach, and we are already on our way to the city in 
 which my friend here and I reside." 
 
 This latter fact surprised us, for we could not perceive 
 by our senses that we were in motion. But as we sat won- 
 dering and trying to imagine ourselves flying through space, 
 the doors opened, a pleasant breeze fanned our cheeks, 
 and the doors closed again, we felt that slight jar repeated, 
 and then we were quiet once more. This occurred every 
 two or three minutes, and, remembering what Thorwald had 
 previously told us, we realized that we were riding in a per- 
 fectly tight car in a vacuum tube and that these short but 
 frequent stops were to keep us supplied with fresh air. 
 
 Thorwald explained this to us again, and told us that the 
 coaches were of dii^erent sizes to accommodate large or 
 small parties, and that one could ride alone if he chose to. 
 The cars started so frequently that it was seldom necessary 
 to wait more than a few minutes. The doctor thought there 
 must be great liability to accident, but Thorwald said : 
 
 " No, we do not consider the risk worth taking into 
 account. Let me illustrate with a familiar example. 
 Suppose you had just seen a cable tested with a ton's 
 weight without a strain. Should you fear to take hold of 
 the cable and lift yourself from the ground lest it might 
 break and you should fall? The mechanism of this road is 
 just as sure as that. The force that is driving us forward 
 is no longer mysterious. The laws of electricity are well 
 defined, and its mighty power is under perfect control. 
 Nothing is left to chance, and the result is that there have 
 been no accidents for many, many years, and practically 
 speaking there cannot be any." 
 
 When we first entered the coach we noticed that there 
 were no windows, and as the doors had no glass we won- 
 
I04 DAYBREAK. 
 
 dered why it was not dark. The light was good broad day- 
 light, exactly like that which fills a room when there are 
 good windows, but where the direct rays of the sun do not 
 enter ; and, as we could see no lamps nor fixtures, we could 
 not understand how the illumination could be artificial. But 
 such it was. We carried an electric battery with us, and 
 the lamps were out of sight, and so arranged that they gave 
 us only reflected light. The system was so perfect that the 
 imitation sunlight was just as good as the real, as far as we 
 could discover. 
 
 " This is the way we light all our interiors," said Thor- 
 wald, " and of course the apparatus is so governed that 
 we can have any amount of illumination we please, little 
 or much." 
 
 The doctor was about to ask some question in relation to 
 this practical improvement, when he was stopped by hearing 
 a little silver-toned bell ring. In an instant the doors 
 opened, and Thorwald rose and announced that we had 
 reached the end of our journey. We could not have been 
 in the car more than fifteen minutes, and the doctor and I 
 supposed our ride of two hundred miles had just begun. 
 
 " Well, if you travel at this rate," said the doctor, " I 
 do not wonder you have obliterated all national boundaries, 
 for the ends of the world are right at your doors. And 
 now, Thorwald, I would like to see the great tube through 
 which we have been carried so swiftly." 
 
 Thorwald smiled a little and led the way through an- 
 other superb waiting-room out into the open air. Here 
 the doctor looked in all directions, but could see nothing 
 of the object for which he was searching. 
 
 " You have seen all any of us can see," said Thorwald. 
 " We merely step into the comfortable car, sit a few 
 minutes, step out again, and go home. In the meantime we 
 
WE REACH THORWALD S HOME. I05 
 
 have been carried under ground and under water, across 
 valleys and through hills, but the way itself, the tube 
 through which the car flies, is entirely hidden from sight. 
 Where it is above ground, trees and shrubbery screen it 
 from view, so that it does not mar the landscape. We 
 think much of this, and should regret exceedingly if it 
 became necessary for any such utilitarian object to interfere 
 with our aesthetic enjoyment of nature." 
 
 Thorwald's friend now took leave of us, expressing the 
 hope that he would soon see us again. He had taken some 
 little part in our conversation, but had left the burden of 
 it to Thorwald, who was older, and who was, moreover, our 
 first acquaintance. 
 
 It seemed singular to the doctor and me that we had at- 
 tracted so little attention among the people whom we had 
 encountered since leaving the ship. To give the reason for 
 this, which we afterwards discovered, is to reveal one of 
 the pleasantest peculiarities of the Martian character — that 
 is, the entire absence of a disagreeable curiosity. Our 
 dress and appearance and the rather n«vel circumstances 
 connected with our arrival on the planet, which must 
 quickly have become known, were certainly calculated to 
 excite their interest, and in a similar situation on the 
 earth there is no telling what might have happened to us 
 from a curious mob. But here all was order and quiet. 
 Everybody went about his own business and treated our 
 party with additional respect, it seemed, because some of 
 us were strangers. We found out later how anxious all 
 these people were to learn everything about us, but they 
 were content to wait till the knowledge should come to 
 them in a proper way. 
 
 Thonvald now selected a light, pretty carriage, and after 
 a brisk ride through another charming avenue and up a 
 
Io6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Steep hill, we alighted at the door of a noble mansion 
 whose majestic proportions were in harmony with the wide, 
 open plateau upon which it stood alone. Upon entering, 
 Thorwald was at once affectionately greeted by his wife, 
 and while he was introducing us as natives of another world 
 his son and daughter came bounding toward him from an 
 adjacent room. 
 
 These were quite small children, but in a few moments 
 Thorwald brought in from another part of the house a young 
 woman of about my age, apparently, and introduced her as 
 a neighbor. It needed but a glance to tell us that she was 
 beautiful as a dream, and she moved about with that exqui- 
 site grace which comes only from the highest culture. 
 She spoke to us with such ease and naturalness that we were 
 at once relieved from whatever embarrassment the circum- 
 stances might easily occasion. 
 
 " Antonia is our very dear friend," said Thorwald, " and, 
 although she hides her curiosity so well, you will find her 
 an exceedingly interested listener to your history and 
 adventures." » 
 
 "Yes," said the charming voice of Antonia, "Thor- 
 wald has told me just enough about you to make me want 
 to know more. Your moon, which is so much larger than 
 our little satellites, caused a great sensation when it was 
 seen coming toward us so rapidly. The situation was well 
 calculated to cause us anxiety, if we had been subject to 
 such a feeling, but, as usual with us at the present day, it 
 has turned out to our advantage ; for it has given us two 
 such worthy representatives of a neighboring race." 
 
 "I am sure," I answered, " that the advantage is greatly 
 on our side." 
 
 I could not say more, for I was conscious that the doctor 
 was watching closely to see how I was affected by the pres- 
 
WE REACH THORWALD S HOME, 107 
 
 ence of this royal girl. When he saw I was inclined to be 
 somewhat quiet he felt impelled to say something, and 
 offered the following compromising remark : 
 
 " If we had only brought Mona safely off the moon with 
 us, you would have had something more worthy of your 
 interest than we are, and my friend here also would now 
 be in better spirits." 
 
 Antonia had a question in her eyes but her perfect breed- 
 ing kept her from putting it into words, after the final 
 expression of the doctor's speech. Of course, I could not 
 ignore the allusion, and said : 
 
 " Mona is a friend of the doctor's whom I have not the 
 pleasure of knowing. I suppose he thinks her cheerful 
 disposition, of which I have heard before, would make our 
 present situation even more enjoyable than it is. Speaking 
 for myself, however, I think that would be impossible." 
 
 With that she rose, and, with a pleasant word of adieu to 
 us, told Thorwald she would come in another day after we 
 were well rested. 
 
 It was now approaching night-fall and dinner was to be 
 speedily announced. The doctor and I were shown to a 
 suite of dressing-rooms, and as soon as we were alone he 
 said : 
 
 " Do you think Antonia is as handsome as Mona ? " 
 
 " If you will show me Mona I shall then be able to 
 judge. But how did I carry myself on my first introduction 
 to a daughter of Mars ? Do you think I am in any danger 
 of putting her in Margaret's place in my heart ? " 
 
 "Perhaps not," replied the doctor. " You kept com- 
 mand of yourself pretty well ; but I think the secret of that 
 is that you have not quite forgotten Mona." 
 
 " Excuse my frankness. Doctor, but I must tell you I am 
 getting a little tired of Mona. I wish I might never hear 
 
I08 DAYBREAK. 
 
 her name again. If I can resist the charms of such an 
 exquisite bundle of perfections as Antonia is, do you think 
 I am likely to be overcome by a mocking-bird of your 
 imagination ? " 
 
 " If you could only hear the voice of that bird once 
 more," replied the doctor, " you would soon begin to sing 
 another tune. But let us go down if you are ready, and 
 not keep them waiting." 
 
 We had looked forward with much interest to our first 
 meal in one of these sumptuous houses, and, moreover, 
 being quite hungry, we were glad to find that we were just 
 in time to sit down. If we had felt any fear lest the 
 absence of meat would make a meager bill of fare, the 
 experience of the next hour relieved us. The dishes were 
 all strange, but highly palatable, and the fact that there 
 wa,s nothing that appeared to be in the least unwholesome 
 did not detract from the delicious savor which every viand 
 possessed. The rich variety of courses and the elegance of 
 the service made it a dinner long to be remembered, and 
 gave a new zest to our life on Mars. 
 
 It had been a long day to us, and we were allowed to 
 retire at an early hour, being conducted to adjacent and 
 communicating rooms. But, though our fatigue was great, 
 it is not strange that we lay awake awhile, talking of the 
 wonderful things we had seen and heard. Speaking of the 
 Martian method of rapid transit the doctor said : 
 
 " Besides its expedition, there is another feature to 
 recommend their way of traveling." 
 
 " What is that ? " 
 
 " Why, there is no danger of getting a seat just behind a 
 window fiend." 
 
 "There is something in that," I answered, "but I am 
 thinking just now of our dinner. We must certainly learn 
 
WE REACH THORWALD S HOME. I09 
 
 how to cook eggs and vegetables before we return to the 
 earth." 
 
 The character of our conversation, judged from these 
 scraps, shows that we had no excuse for remaining awake 
 any longer. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A MORNING TALK. 
 
 Next morning we arose early, but found the family 
 already up. Thorvvald seemed disposed to lose no time 
 in showing and telling us everything interesting, and so 
 invited us at once to the top of the house, to take a view 
 of the country. The sun was just rising, and its pleasant 
 rays lighted up a scene of surpassing beauty. We seemed 
 to be set in the middle of a vast park, whose boundaries 
 extended in all directions as far as we could see. The 
 landscape presented the most varied character, wood and 
 water, hill and plain, and every feature needed to make a 
 most delightful picture. Not the least of its charms, and 
 perhaps the greatest, was the profusion of color, which filled 
 the vision and satisfied the sense of beauty with its con- 
 trasts and its harmonies. Some of the hills might justly 
 be called mountains, and yet on the rugged sides as well as 
 on the summit of each were grand mansions surrounded by 
 cultivated fields. 
 
 The doctor made some remark about this latter fact, and 
 Thorvvald said : 
 
 " These situations, which would be almost inaccessible 
 without the aid of electricity, are now the favorite sites for 
 building. This wonderful power levels all hills in the ease 
 with which it docs its work. No task is too hard for it and 
 it asks no sympathy, so we may as well ride and carry our 
 
A MORXIXG TALK. Ill 
 
 freight up hill, if we prefer it, and build our houses on the 
 mountain tops. One characteristic of our nature has not 
 changed, and there is still a great variety of taste, so that 
 plenty of people choose the lower land to build upon, I 
 see by your faces that you both admire this panorama and 
 think we were wise to place our house on such high ground. 
 We like to have our friends take this view in the morning, 
 when the world has been freshened by the night's rain." 
 
 " Is it not just as beautiful at sunset after a shower? " I 
 asked. 
 
 " Oh," answered Thorwald, " I haven't told you that it 
 never rains in the day-time, have I ? " 
 
 " No, indeed, that's another surprise for us. But how is 
 it managed ? " 
 
 " You will remember I told you," said Thorwald in re- 
 ply, " that it was found that rain enough fell for all parts 
 of the world if it could only be rightly distributed. Then 
 when we had discovered by a long series of experiments how 
 to make the clouds shed their water at our pleasure, we set 
 about devising a means whereby we could give each section 
 the right quantity of rain at just the right time. 
 
 " We established a central bureau in each country and 
 let the people in every city or district vote and send in 
 their request for a shower or a long rain ten days in advance. 
 At first it required only a majority vote, but this occasioned 
 no end of trouble, as half the community would often be- 
 lieve they were suffering for want of rain when the other half 
 wanted fair weather. Then the rule was changed so as to 
 make a three-quarters vote necessary, which did not help 
 matters much, for very often the crops would be seriously 
 damaged before so large a proportion of the people could 
 be brought to see the desirability of a rainy day. 
 
 " At length the happy thought was conceived of letting 
 
112 DAYBREAK. 
 
 it rain over each part of the country every night, and giv- 
 ing the right to vote only on the quantity desired. This 
 keeps everything fresh and has been found of immense 
 benefit to vegetation. Besides, it inconveniences no one, in 
 the present state of our society, however it might have been 
 when the plan was first adopted." 
 
 "What of those people," I asked, " whose occupation 
 or pleasure calls them out in the night ? " 
 
 "We have no such class," replied Thorwald. "We 
 have found by long experience that it is best to follow the 
 indication of nature, and take the day for labor and the 
 night for rest. This practice and the attention devoted to 
 our diet have been chief factors in lengthening the span 
 of our lives. If this line of action is best for one it is best 
 for all, and, as everybody is doing the best he can, it fol- 
 lows that there are literally no people out at night." 
 
 " I suppose you would call me stupid again," said I, 
 " if I should ask if you have any such old-time personages 
 as guardians of the peace." 
 
 " Indeed I should," answered our friend, " for you ought 
 to know us better. If you will excuse a poor witticism, 
 the peace is old enough on our planet to go without a 
 guardian." 
 
 As we smiled at this the doctor was encouraged to try his 
 hand, but, not feeling equal to addressing a pleasantry to 
 the usually august Martian, he turned to me and remarked : 
 
 " This would be a pretty poor place for an umbrella trust, 
 wouldn't it ? " 
 
 As we left our place of outlook and made our way down 
 stairs, Thorwald resumed : 
 
 " As I have said before, we have reached our present 
 happy condition through many bitter experiences. We 
 read that at one time people had so much work to do and 
 
A MORNING TALK. 113 
 
 were so thoughtless as to what was good for their physical 
 welfare that they began to rob themselves of their proper 
 rest. Others found it convenient to follow occupations 
 which obliged them to work all night and get what sleep 
 they could in the day-time. Night was considered about 
 the only time that could be utilized, also, for the activities 
 of social life. 
 
 " This condition lasted a long time, with the tendency 
 continually toward the practice of encroaching more and 
 more upon the hours of rest appointed by nature. It was 
 then the period of making many laws, and large and influ- 
 ential legislative bodies began to set a bad example to the 
 rest of the world by holding their sessions mainly in the 
 night. Newspapers thought it necessary to appear full- 
 fledged at the break of day, and the railroads made but 
 little distinction between darkness and daylight in the 
 matter of carrying people hither and thither. The change 
 was slow, but it was in the wrong direction. Darkness was 
 driven out by more improved methods of lighting, and 
 houses and streets were brilliant the whole night long; and 
 it finally became the fashion in both society and business 
 circles literally to turn night into day. For a time that 
 remained the universal custom, strange as it seems to us 
 now, but the practice of sleeping in the day-time never 
 became natural. This means that the whole world was 
 living on from year to year without the amount of rest 
 required to keep the race alive. There could be but one 
 result. A brood of nervous troubles fell upon us; life 
 began to shorten, and we became aware that a serious crisis 
 was before us. As soon as we were convinced that we were 
 bringing all this evil upon ourselves by our disregard of 
 the laws of nature, there was a change; and it is well for 
 us that there was still virility enough left in the race to 
 
114 DAYBREAK, 
 
 make a change possible. A gradual reform was instituted 
 which, overcoming many difficulties and delays but with no 
 serious set-backs, brought us, after long years, to our pres- 
 ent happy way. Of course, our improvement in every other 
 direction, moral as well as physical, assisted us all along 
 in this reform. Now, looking back on our course, and com- 
 paring our present with our former state, we are perfectly 
 sure what is best for us, and he would be a rash man who 
 should intimate that we are not doing right in using the 
 night for rest. 
 
 " But this is getting to be quite a long talk for so early 
 in the morning. Let us see if breakfast is not ready." 
 
 This meal proved to be as appetizing as the first, although 
 the dishes were entirely different ; being made up, appar- 
 ently, of fruit and cereals. 
 
 The doctor and I had been exceedingly interested in the 
 way the dinner of the evening before had been served. 
 We did not understand it, and now we were equally puzzled 
 to see the breakfast courses come and go. No one came 
 in to make any change in the table, and our hostess seemed 
 to have as little to do with it as the rest of us. She pre- 
 sided with great dignity, and, as I watched the changes 
 going on with such perfect ease and quiet, I could not 
 refrain from saying : 
 
 " If it is proper for me to ask, will you tell us how this 
 is done, Mrs. — ■ " 
 
 "We do not use those titles now," she interrupted. 
 " Call me Zenith, the name by which I was introduced to 
 you. I suppose Thorwald has told you that electricity 
 does nearly all our work. I arrange things in order before 
 the meal begins, and then by merely touching a button 
 under the table the apparatus is set in motion which brings 
 and takes away everything in the manner you see." 
 
A MORNING TALK. II5 
 
 "It is wonderful," I exclaimed. "And if we are to 
 believe all that Thorwald has told us, I suppose you have 
 no servants for any department of work." 
 
 " You are not entirely right," she returned. " We have 
 excellent servants. This obedient power, that does our 
 work so willingly, is our servant, and so is the mechanism 
 with which our houses are filled, and through which this 
 silent force is exerted. Many of our animals are domes- 
 ticated and trained to do light services, but as for servants 
 of our own flesh and blood, no such class exists. We all 
 share whatever work there is, and no labor is menial. 
 Whatever I ask others to do I am glad to do for them when 
 occasion offers. Do not suppose we are idle. There is 
 work for us, but with our abundant strength and continual 
 good health it is never a burden. Then there are the duties 
 connected with our higher life and education, for we are 
 ever seeking to fit ourselves for a still better existence 
 than this." 
 
 We had now finished breakfast and were walking through 
 the house. Zenith was a beautiful woman, although, from 
 our point of view, of such generous proportions. She pos- 
 sessed the perfect form and the vigor and health of all the 
 Martians. She was, moreover, graceful, modest, and win- 
 ning. But Thorwald and the other men that we had seen 
 possessed these latter qualities also, and Zenith exhib- 
 ited the same strength of mind and the same devotion to 
 lofty aims as her husband. In their equipment for the 
 duties of life and in the ability to do valiant service for 
 their kind they seemed equal. Evidently neither had a 
 monopoly of any class of advantages, either of mind, body, 
 or estate. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 PROCTOR SHOWS US THE EARTH, 
 
 We discovered at once that the Mars dwellers understand 
 what genuine hospitality is, for we found ourselves at per- 
 fect liberty to do what best pleased us without restraint from 
 our hosts. With so much to tell us of their own high civili- 
 zation and with so many questions still to ask about the 
 earth, there was no haste nor undue curiosity. Much less 
 was there any attempt yet by Thorwald to resume the argu- 
 ment about the habitability of other worlds. 
 
 But at the same time we were aware that our friends were 
 at our service, and early in the afternoon Thonvald asked 
 us if we could think of anything we should like to see. 
 
 " Yes," I answered, " I should like to see the earth." 
 
 " No doubt, my friend, but I don't see exactly how I am 
 going to take you there." 
 
 " I did not expect that," said I ; " but, after all you have 
 hinted about your advance in astronomical science, I 
 thought you might give us a pretty good view of the earth 
 without going any nearer to it than we are now." 
 
 " Oh, that's what you mean, is it? Excuse me for being 
 so dull. Is it not singular that I should wait to be asked 
 to show you the wonders of our telescopes ? Zenith, let us 
 all go with them to see their home, about which we have 
 so often speculated. 
 
 "We have many good observatories," continued Thor- 
 
PROCTOR SHOWS US THE EARTH. I17 
 
 wald, speaking to the doctor and me, '' some of which are 
 noted for one line of study and some for another. The 
 one that has given the most attention to observing the earth 
 and tliat has the best instruments for that work is situated 
 on the other side of our planet." 
 
 '•' Then, of course," said I, " we will choose one nearer 
 home for our visit." 
 
 "Why so?" asked Thonvald. "It is always wise to 
 get the best when you can." 
 
 " Yes, but we do not want you to take the time and 
 trouble to make a journey half around your world just 
 because I said I would like to see the earth." 
 
 " Oh, our time is yours, and we will not make trouble of 
 it; we will call it a pleasure trip. We may as well take 
 the children, Zenith; they will enjoy it. How soon can 
 you all be ready? " 
 
 " In five minutes," answered Zenith. 
 
 " Then we had better get off at once," said Thorvvald. 
 
 And without further words this remarkable family scat- 
 tered to different parts of the house and in five minutes Avere 
 ready to begin a journey of five or six thousand miles, and 
 the only reason they did not start at once was that the doc- 
 tor and I were not quite so expeditious. We were soon on 
 our way, however, having locked no doors behind us and 
 leaving everything just as if we were to return in an hour. 
 
 We took an electric carriage to the station, and from 
 there went by the tubular road to the metropolis. This 
 was a great city whence there was direct communication 
 to all the principal centers of population on the planet. 
 As we had not been in any haste in making the changes 
 necessary to reach this stage of our journey, it was now late 
 in the day, and I began to wonder how we were to continue 
 the trip without being out in the night. When I men- 
 
Il8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 tioned my thought to Thonvald, he removed the difficulty 
 in a moment by saying : 
 
 " We simply travel west and leave the night behind us. 
 You know the surface of Mars, even at the equator, goes 
 east at the rate of only five hundred miles an hour, and as 
 our modern cars take us much faster than that, it is easy for 
 us to keep ahead of the night by going in the right direc- 
 tion. So in making long trips we try to travel west." 
 
 " But suppose you want to go east? " 
 
 " Then we go west to get east, and we arrange the speed 
 so as to get to our destination in the day-time." 
 
 We left our car and found another just ready to start for 
 the distant city in which our observatory was situated. It 
 was a small car comparatively, and we had it all to our- 
 selves. There were all sorts of conveniences in it, and we 
 composed ourselves for a good rest. After a ride of sev- 
 eral hours we reached our destination. It was now about 
 noon, so that we had actually made nearly half a day, be- 
 sides the time spent in sleep while riding. I know some of 
 my friends on the earth, who say the day is too short for 
 them, would appreciate such an impro\ement as that if 
 they could have it. 
 
 W^e passed part of the afternoon in riding about the 
 city. The same language was spoken here as was used on 
 Thorwald's sideof the globe; but, although communication 
 was so easy, we found enough difference in the architecture 
 and in the general appearance of the people to make travel 
 interesting. 
 
 Toward night we all alighted at the door of the observa- 
 tory, and the doctor and I had the pleasure of making the 
 acquaintance of a man of Mars who had spent many years 
 in studying the surface of the earth. It may be imagined 
 that he was glad to meet us and to get our answers to many 
 
PROCTOR SHOWS US THE EARTH. II9 
 
 questions which had long perplexed him, some of which he 
 had never hoped to have solved. 
 
 Proctor, for this was the name by which he was intro- 
 duced, was one of the oldest men we had seen, and im- 
 pressed us as one possessed of great wisdom. His manner 
 was so dignified, also, that it seemed quite as inappropriate 
 to address him without a title as it was to call our hostess 
 plain Zenith. But when I asked Thorwald aside what I 
 should call him, he said : 
 
 " Call him by his name, just as you do the rest of us. 
 We have but one name each." 
 
 ** I should think that would be confusing," said I. 
 *' For example, how are you to be distinguished from any 
 other Thorwald? " 
 
 " There is no other that I ever heard of. There are 
 names enough to go all around." 
 
 As night came on we were brought face to face with the 
 great instrument whose work of observing the earth was 
 known far and wide. 
 
 Proctor was occupied a short time in adjusting it, and 
 then asked us if we could recognize what was in the field. 
 I motioned to the doctor, but as he insisted that I should 
 take the first view I put my eye to the glass with much 
 trepidation. Instead of the magnified disk of the earth, 
 which I expected to behold, I saw but a small portion of 
 the surface, and that a familiar stretch of coast line. I 
 never knew whether Proctor thought by our accent or by 
 the cut of our clothes that we were New Englanders, but he 
 had so pointed the telescope that our first sight of the earth 
 showed us dear old Massachusetts Bay, with its islands and 
 boundaries. I did not speak till the doctor had looked, 
 and then we told the others of our pleasant surprise. 
 
 Proctor made another adjustment, saying he would bring 
 
120 DAYBREAK. 
 
 the globe still nearer to us, and we looked and saw a patch 
 of beautiful green country. It appeared to be but a few 
 miles away, and we thought we ought to distinguish large 
 objects. But the appearance was deceptive in this respect, 
 and Proctor told us they had not been able to determine 
 definitely whether the earth was inhabited. They could 
 see important changes going on from time to time ; they 
 believed they could tell cultivated from wild land; certain 
 peculiar spots they called large cities ; and there were 
 many such indications of inhabitants. But they had not 
 yet beheld man nor his unquestioned footsteps. As to their 
 belief on the subject, they had the strongest faith that the 
 earth was peopled by an intelligent race, and Proctor added 
 that he rejoiced to see that faith so happily justified by our 
 presence. To which the doctor pleasantly replied that he 
 should be sorry to have him judge of the intelligence of the 
 race at large from two such inferior specimens. 
 
 One question which Proctor asked was, whether we had 
 ever made any attempt to communicate with the other 
 planets. We told him we had not, but that if we should 
 ever try such a thing it would probably be with Mars ; but 
 that it would be useless to think of it with our present 
 astronomical attainments, for if we should succeed in 
 attracting the attention of another world we would not know 
 it, because we could not see the answer. 
 
 Proctor said they had sometimes seen moving masses 
 which were not clouds, but which they took for smoke and 
 were not sure but they might be intended for signals. We 
 replied that if it were smoke that they saw it was probably 
 caused by forest fires, but if we ever reached the earth again 
 we would organize a company and try to make some elec- 
 tric signals which they could see. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 A NIGHT ADVENTURE, 
 
 It was late when the conversation closed, and Proctor 
 said we were to spend the night with him of course, and in 
 the morning he would take pleasure in introducing to us the 
 other members of his household. 
 
 The residence buildings, beautiful and commodious struc- 
 tures, adjoined the observatory, and to each of us was given 
 a separate apartment. After Proctor had left us, Thorwald 
 came into my room a moment and I said to him : 
 
 " Proctor is a friend of yours, is he not? " 
 
 "Certainly," answered Thorwald, "what could he be 
 but a friend? But then I never saw him before to-day." 
 
 " Is it possible? Are strangers always treated so hos- 
 pitably?" 
 
 " I see nothing unusual in his treatment of us. We are 
 always at perfect liberty to stay wherever night overtakes us, 
 and it makes no dil^erence with the quality of the hospi- 
 tality whether the guests are acquaintances or not." 
 
 The memory of that night will remain with me many 
 years. Before falling asleep I let my mind dwell on the 
 singular circumstances in which we were placed and the 
 strange manner of our leaving the earth. I had never expe- 
 rienced anything that seemed more real, and yet I could 
 not make it appear quite reasonable that we were in truth 
 living on the planet Mars. All I could say was that it was 
 
122 DAYBREAK. 
 
 an instance where the facts were against the theory, and I 
 knew that in such cases it was always safest to believe in 
 the facts. I could distinctly remember each step of our 
 journey, and there could be no mistake about our present 
 understanding. What settled the question more firmly than 
 ever was this thought : If we were not on Mars, where were 
 we? We must be somewhere. 
 
 By the time I had disposed of all my doubts I was becom- 
 ing drowsy, and then I began to think of the doctor and 
 his unfortunate condition of mind. This malady would 
 doubtless increase and I should have to look out for him, 
 and at the same time fill the arduous position of the only 
 sound representative of our race in Mars. I resolved to try 
 once more to make my companion see how ridiculous his 
 strange fancy was and realize the danger of clinging to it. 
 
 With this thought my brain lost coherence, and I passed 
 over the invisible boundary into dreamland. It was a 
 beautiful evening in summer. I was at home among my 
 friends and we were sitting in the open air. The doctor 
 was there, taking his turn with me in telling the story of 
 our adventures. This went on till our listeners were tired 
 out, and then one of the company gave a little variety to 
 the occasion by singing a capital song. 
 
 Here the scene changed to the country. It was morning 
 in the woods. The trees wore their spring foliage, bright 
 flowers spread their beauty and fragrance around us, and 
 the air was filled with the music of birds. The sweet notes 
 of these songsters were by far the most vivid part of the 
 dream. Now loud, now soft, the unbroken melody absorbed 
 our attention and made it difiicult for us to understand how 
 our situation again gradually changed, until the air became 
 piercingly cold, the cruel wind beat upon us furiously, and 
 the violent elements seemed bent upon our destruction. 
 
A NIGHT ADVENTURE. I23 
 
 The doctor and I were alone, and the surroundings bore a 
 strange resemblance to the inhospitable surface of the moon. 
 But what are those sweet sounds still ringing in our ears? 
 Sure no birds could live in such a wild place. No, it is 
 not a bird's song. It is more like a human voice. I thought 
 I had never before heard music so pure and rich. But 
 wait — had I not heard something like it once before? There 
 was a mystery about it that enhanced its sweetness. Now 
 I was really thinking, for before I knew how it happened 
 I found myself wide awake. The dream was over, but, oh ! 
 wonderful dream, the best of it remained. i\Iy sense of 
 hearing, always acute, had waked long before and left 
 my other faculties to slumber on and dream out the unreal 
 accompaniments of a real voice. For now, with my 
 eyes open and my mind released from sleep, I still heard 
 that marvelous, half-familiar song. 
 
 Could I be deceived? I determined to know beyond a 
 doubt that I was awake. I rose and, throwing on a dressing- 
 gown, turned up the light and walked about the room. I 
 looked in the mirror to see if my eyes were open, and then 
 ate a little fruit from a tempting dish that stood on the 
 table. In one corner of the room was an elegant writing- 
 desk. I opened it, found its appointments complete, drew 
 up a comfortable chair, and, choosing pen and paper, deter- 
 mined to record my impressions for future perusal, if by any 
 means my memory should fail me. This is what I wrote : 
 
 " I, the undersigned, am in my private room in the house 
 
 of Proctor, the astronomer, province of , planet Mars. 
 
 It is about the middle of the night, precise date unknown. 
 I am wide awake, in my usual health, appetite good, heart 
 a little fluttering but temperature and pulse normal. I have 
 been awakened from sleep by strains of distant music, 
 
124 DAYBREAK. 
 
 which mingled with my dreams but refused to be silenced 
 when the rest of the dreams melted away. Now, while I am 
 writing, the delicious melody fills my ears. I never before 
 heard so sweet a voice, unless, indeed, I have heard the 
 same voice before. In regard to this I can form no present 
 opinion. I must take another time to consider it. Now I 
 cannot think, I am so engrossed in listening to the singer's 
 entrancing notes. The song is so full of light and cheer 
 and sends such beautiful thoughts trooping through my brain 
 that I wish it may go on forever." 
 
 I signed my name to this with a firm hand, and then, as 
 I leaned back in my chair to close my eyes and drink in 
 more deeply still this rare enjoyment, darkness seemed to 
 fall suddenly upon my spirit. The voice ceased, and in a 
 moment the last sweet echoes had died away. 
 
 I crept into bed as speedily as possible, to try to for- 
 get my sadness in sleep. But oblivion would not be forced, 
 and so I took what comfort I could in thinking of that 
 interrupted song, and in trying to feel over again in 
 memory that pleasure which my fleshly ears no longer gave 
 me. I could still recognize a distinct tinge of familiarity 
 in the notes, but when I came to the question of locating the 
 singer I was utterly without a clew. I knew well enough 
 that there was no earthly voice which could enter into the 
 comparison, and so I need waste no time in going over that 
 part of my life. But I had heard no singing of any kind in 
 Mars before this night. How was it possible that I could 
 have experienced that delightful sensation before and not be 
 able to fix the place or time? It was a puzzling question, 
 but I refused to give it up. I knew the song, and the 
 memory of it warmed my heart with each recurring flash, 
 but the singer I did not know. 
 
A NIGHT ADVENTURE. I25 
 
 At length I fell asleep, and woke to find the sun of Mars 
 shining pleasantly upon my bed. I recalled at once the 
 experience of the night and confirmed my memory by find- 
 ing on the desk the paper I had written, and still there was 
 enough suspicion in my mind of the reality of the whole 
 thing to make me anxious to know if the doctor had heard 
 what had so impressed me. But on going to find him I 
 discovered that he had left his room, and so it happened 
 that we did not meet till the family came together in the 
 morning reception-room, in preparation for breakfast. Here 
 Proctor presented us to his wife, Fronda, and his daughters, 
 two stately girls, whom he did not name. Thorwald and 
 Zenith kindly helped the doctor and me to answer the many 
 questions which these new friends were so eager to ask, so 
 that, as breakfast proceeded, all became engaged in the 
 conversation. My own mind, however, was somewhat 
 preoccupied. I thought perhaps Thorwald might be in 
 haste to depart for home, and I was determined not to let 
 the company separate till I had made an attempt to dis- 
 cover who my midnight singer was. So, when there came 
 a convenient lull in the talk, I made bold to say: 
 
 " Can anyone present tell me who it was that woke me 
 in the night ' with concord of sweet sounds ' ? " 
 
 A general smile passed around the table at this question, 
 while Fronda looked at me and said pleasantly : 
 
 " It must have been Avis. She is very fond of singing 
 and considers all hours her own. I hope it did not disturb 
 your slumbers." 
 
 " It was no disturbance, I assure you. But is Avis present ? 
 I should like to thank her for the great pleasure she gave 
 me." 
 
 '* No," replied Fronda, " she took an early breakfast and 
 started out for a long walk." 
 
126 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Then I may as well tell you all about it," I said. 
 
 And I related my dream and then read to them all the 
 paper I had written. Everyone listened with the greatest 
 eagerness and showed more interest, I thought, than the 
 circumstances as I had related them called for, but I after- 
 wards learned that they had excellent reasons for it. 
 
 When breakfast was over I was glad to find that Thorwald 
 seemed to be in no haste to go home. I began to feel an 
 intense longing to see Avis, and I had planned, if Thorwald 
 should insist on leaving too soon, to propose to Proctor 
 that I would stay a few days and assist him in the observa- 
 tory. 
 
 The doctor and I soon found an opportunity to speak 
 together privately, and he began : 
 
 " So the voice of Avis was a little familiar to you? " 
 
 " Yes," I replied, " but I am not able to tell from what 
 niche in memory's hall it comes." 
 
 " Does it recall anything you heard or saw on the 
 moon? " 
 
 " That dreadful place? No, indeed," I replied. " Are 
 you going to bring up Mona again? " 
 
 " You asked me never to mention that name again, and 
 now you have spoken it." 
 
 " Well," I asked, " will you forgive me for that foolish 
 request if I will let you talk to me about her now ? " 
 
 "I am not anxious to talk about her," the doctor 
 answered, " especially as I know the topic is not a pleasant 
 one to you." 
 
 Without noticing this last remark, I asked abruptly : 
 
 " Was Mona a good singer? " 
 
 "Fair." 
 
 " As good as Avis? " 
 
 " I think so, though I am not a critic." 
 
A NIGHT ADVENTURE. I27 
 
 " Did I understand you to say she was handsome? " 
 
 "Beautiful." 
 
 " And I fell in love with her? " 
 
 " You had all the symptoms. But why do you insist on 
 talking on such a disagreeable subject? Come, let's go and 
 find Proctor." 
 
 " Wait. One question more. Have you seen Avis? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Who is she?" 
 
 " I believe she is a friend of the family merely." 
 
 " Does she live here? " 
 
 " She is staying here for the present." 
 
 " Is she beautiful, too? " 
 
 " I shall leave you to be your own judge of that when you 
 see her. Now, not another question." 
 
 " Well," I said, as we started to find some of the others, 
 " if the Mona of your imagination gives you as much pleas- 
 ure as Avis has given me before I have seen her, I do not 
 wonder that you cherish her memory." 
 
 This conversation left me still more anxious to see Avis, 
 and I looked for her return every moment, but the morning 
 passed and finally the day wore to its close without bringing 
 us together. I didnot.like to make my strong desire known 
 by asking after her, and, besides, I began to have a slight 
 suspicion that there was some design in keeping us from 
 meeting. 
 
 When it was time to retire that night I took the doctor to 
 my room, and I think it was a surprise to both of us when 
 we fell to talking about Mona again. At my request the 
 doctor related at considerable length our experience on the 
 moon, as he remembered it, and set Mona out in most 
 attractive style. I let him go on, without laughing at him 
 as I had formerly done, and the longer he talked the more 
 
128 UAYDREAK. 
 
 serious and thoughtful I became. As he told the details of 
 our daily life, recalling many of Mona's words and actions, 
 a new thought flashed through my mind — the thought that 
 possibly the doctor was right after all. At that instant, 
 when my interest was most intense, once more the distant 
 echoes of that happy song fell upon my ear. 
 
 That was the magic influence needed for my restoration. 
 At once, and all at once, down fell the walls that had so 
 unhappily obscured my mental vision, and left my memory 
 clear as day. I jumped from my seat, seized the doctor's 
 hand, and exclaimed : 
 
 " I see it all now, old fellow. You were right and I was 
 the crazy one." 
 
 " Good, I rejoice with you." 
 
 With that voice coming nearer and pouring its melody 
 upon us, we could not say more at the time. I threw my- 
 self into a chair, let my head fall back, and closed my 
 eyes to enjoy it. The doctor, feeling it to be better to 
 let me think it out by myself, stole away and left me alone. 
 
 Alone, but not lonesome, for was not Mona with me? I 
 could see her every look and motion, and experienced with 
 a great throb of the heart that my love had only strengthened 
 with my period of forgetfulness. I remembered her last 
 words, that very likely we would never see her again. But 
 why should not she be saved as easily as we were? What if 
 she were even now afloat in the ocean? But perhaps some 
 one had rescued her. Could she be in Mars and singing 
 for other ears than mine? Singing ! Why, who is singing 
 now, right here in this very house? Can it be possible? 
 How stupid I have been. Perhaps I can see her now. 
 
 I jumped up and rushed from the room, but was no sooner 
 outside my door than the voice began to die again, and in 
 a moment the last notes had floated away. I could not 
 
A NIGHT ADVENTURE. I29 
 
 determine from which direction the song had come and had 
 no clew to guide me toward the singer. It was very late 
 and all the house was quiet. Unable to pursue my quest, I 
 reentered my room, but it was hours before I could com- 
 pose my mind sufificiently to sleep. The possible joy that 
 awaited me in the morning, the dreadful fear that I should 
 be disappointed, the violent beating of my heart at every 
 thought of Mona, and my anxiety lest she might even now 
 be exposed to danger somewhere, all combined to keep me 
 excited and restless the whole night long. As I lay tossing 
 and thinking, my most serious doubt was occasioned by the 
 reflection that people of such exalted morals would not 
 deceive me by declaring that this singer's name was Avis 
 if it were not true. But then I thought further that the 
 doctor had given Mona the name by which we knew her, 
 and that Fronda would have just as much right to give her 
 a new name. Perhaps her real name after all was Avis. 
 
 When the welcome morning came I found the doctor and 
 gave him a hearty grasp to show him that there had been no 
 lapse in my mental condition, but I asked him to say nothing 
 to Thorwald just at present about my recovery. Then we 
 hurried down to the reception-room and, early as it was, 
 found most of the household already there. After looking 
 eagerly around and seeing only those whom I had pre- 
 viously met, I inquired, with as little apparent concern as 
 possible : 
 
 " Hasn't Avis appeared? I thought she was an early 
 riser." 
 
 To which Fronda quickly replied : 
 
 " Oh, Avis was up half an hour ago, and asked me to 
 excuse her to the company, saying she was going to spend 
 the morning with a friend she met yesterday." 
 
 This was a hard blow for me, and it was with difficulty 
 9 
 
130 DAYBREAK. 
 
 that I restrained my impatience, but I was a little consoled 
 with the idea that the morning only was to be consumed by 
 this visit, and that we might look for a return by noon. 
 
 After breakfast, when Proctor had gone to the observatory 
 and Fronda and her daughters were showing Zenith about 
 the house, the doctor begged Thorwald to resume the talk 
 begim on board the ship, which had been intemipted by the 
 discovery of land. As Thorwald expressed a willingness to 
 comply, the doctor continued : 
 
 '* You were trying to convince me of the probability of 
 life in other worlds besides the earth and Mars, and in your 
 attempt to show a likeness between the earth and other 
 parts of the universe, you were speaking on the interesting 
 subject of meteorites." 
 
 " I remember," answered Thorwald, " I was just asking 
 you what theory you of the earth hold on that important 
 topic." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 AN UNLIKELY STORY. 
 
 " If the doctor," I said, " will pardon me, I will say, in 
 relation to the origin of meteorites, that our scientific men 
 have held from time to time many different theories. 
 Some have believed that they are aggregations of metallic 
 vapors which, meeting in the atmosphere, solidify there 
 and fall, just as watery vapors solidify and come down in 
 the form of hailstones. Others have held that they are 
 thrown out from the center of the earth by volcanic action ; 
 and others still that they all came from the moon when her 
 volcanoes were active. These latter theories imply that the 
 meteorites in immense quantities are revolving around the 
 earth, and that occasionally they become entangled in her 
 atmosphere and fall to the surface. 
 
 " And now, Thorwald, I am tempted to repay all your 
 great kindness to us with an act of ingratitude, nothing less 
 than the relation of a story." 
 
 This rather foolhardy speech of mine made the doctor 
 wince, and I am not sure but he began to fear that my mind 
 was weakening in a new direction. But I had my own 
 excuse for my action, which I felt that I could explain to 
 him at some future time. The fact is, I was so disturbed 
 in my mind about Monaandwas anticipating so much from 
 meeting the so-called Avis, that I thought I could never sit 
 still all the morning and listen to a dry scientific discus- 
 
132 DAYBREAK. 
 
 sion. It seemed to me that I could stand it better if I 
 could do part of the talking myself, and so I took advantage 
 of the subject before us to propose relating an extravagant 
 tale that I once had heard. 
 
 In contrast with the doctor's frowns, Thorwald showed a 
 lively appreciation and insisted that I should be heard. 
 
 " Not another word from me," he said, " till we have 
 had the story." 
 
 With such encouragement, it was easy for me to proceed. 
 
 " I fear you will be disappointed," I said, " for what I 
 have rashly called a story is only a fancy founded on the 
 idea that the meteorites were at some time shot out of the 
 volcanoes of the moon. I had it from a friend of mine, 
 whose mind is evidently more open to the notion of life in 
 other worlds than is that of my companion here. As the 
 story was written long before the moon came down to visit 
 the people of the earth in their own home, the writer did 
 not have the advantage of the discoveries made by the 
 doctor and myself, and it is well for me that the doctor's 
 friend, Mona, is not here to disprove any of my statements. 
 
 " On account of the smaller volume of the moon, the 
 attraction of gravitation on its surface is only one-quarter 
 that of the earth, and it is estimated that, if a projectile 
 were hurled from the moon with two or three times the 
 velocity of a cannon ball, it would pass entirely beyond her 
 attraction and be drawn to the earth, reaching it at the rate 
 of some seven miles a second. 
 
 " Now we all know — this is the way the story runs — that 
 the moon was once inhabited by a highly intelligent race. 
 They tell us it is a cold, dead world now, not at all fit for 
 inhabitants. But that is because its day is passed. Being 
 so much smaller than the earth it cooled off quicker, and 
 its life-bearing period long since found its end. Men have 
 
AN UNLIKELY STORY. I33 
 
 often speculated on the idea that our race will one day fail 
 and the time come when the last generation shall pass away 
 and leave the earth a bare and ugly thing, to continue yet 
 longer its lonely, weary journey around a failing sun. That 
 day the moon has seen. That direful fate the race of moon 
 men have experienced. Some poor being, the last of his 
 kind, was left sole monarch of a dying world, and with the 
 moon all before him where to choose, chose rather to die 
 with the rest and leave his world to cold and darkness. 
 
 " From our own experience we do not know how high a 
 state of civilization can be reached by giving a race all the 
 time that is needed. But we know that before the inhabi- 
 tants of the moon passed off the stage they had attained 
 to the highest possible degree of intelligence. They began 
 existence at a very low plane, developed gradually through 
 long periods of time — there has never been any haste in these 
 matters — and when they had reached their maturity as a 
 race of intellectual and moral beings, primitive man was 
 just beginning on the vast undertaking of subduing the earth, 
 a task not yet accomplished. 
 
 " The incident I propose to relate occurred in antedilu- 
 vian times, when there were giants in the earth who lived a 
 thousand years. Then matter reigned, not mind. It was 
 the age of brawn. Everything material existed on a gigan- 
 tic scale, and man's architectural works, rude in design but 
 well adapted for shelter and protection, were proportioned 
 to his own stature and rivaled the everlasting hills in size 
 and solidity. And they needed something substantial for 
 protection, for war was their business and their pastime. 
 They lived for nothing but to fight. It was brother against 
 brother, neighbor against neighbor, tribe against tribe; 
 and the man who could not fight, and fight hard, had no 
 excuse for living. War was not an art, but a natural out- 
 
134 DAYBREAK. 
 
 burst of bruta! instincts. A giant glories in his strength and 
 cultivates it as naturally as a bird its song. But it is pleas- 
 ant to consider the fact that as man's mental and moral 
 qualities have developed his body has become smaller. As 
 the necessity for that immense physical strength gradually 
 passed away, nature, abhorring such unnecessary waste of 
 material, applied to us her inexorable laws whereby a thing 
 or a state of things no longer useful slowly fades away, and 
 our bodies accommodated themselves to new conditions. 
 
 " But in those early times men needed great physical 
 strength and long life to bring the world into subjection, 
 and until that was done they could give little attention to 
 the cultivation of the finer qualities of their incipient man- 
 hood. They were handicapped by the fact that the lower 
 animals had had the earth to themselves a few million years, 
 more or less, and no puny race could ever have driven 
 them to the wall. 
 
 " At length, when the conflict was well nigh over, with 
 victory in sight, men had abandoned the struggle and were 
 using all their fierce strength in fighting each other. This 
 had been going on so long and with such deadly results 
 that it seemed as if the race must be exterminated unless 
 some superior power could step in from the outside and 
 prevent it. 
 
 " We can easily understand that there was no such thing 
 as science then. Men considered the sun, for example, 
 only as a very useful thing which brought them light with 
 which they could see their foe, and the moon as a mysteri- 
 ous object sent to make the night a little less dark. Sun 
 and moon and shining stars were all set in the sky for them, 
 and went through their wonderful and complicated move- 
 ments solely for their amusement. 
 
 " But what was the real condition of things on the moon 
 
AN UNLIKELY STORY. I35 
 
 at that time? Why, there was a race of people there of 
 such intelligence and scientific attainments that they were 
 seeing plainly enough everything that was taking place on 
 the earth. This will not appear very strange when we con- 
 sider our remarkable success in scanning the surface of the 
 moon at the present day, and remember that the inhabi- 
 tants of the moon were then nearing the close of their his- 
 tory, and so at the height of their civilization. 
 
 " Yes, they had watched the coming of man upon the 
 stage with the deepest interest — with a neighborly interest, 
 in fact — seeing in him the promise of a companion race 
 and one worthy of the magnificent globe which they could 
 see was so much larger than their own. Their powerful 
 instruments enabled them to see objects on the earth as dis- 
 tinctly as we now see through our telescopes the features 
 of a landscape a few miles distant, 
 
 " Keeping thus so close an acquaintance with man and 
 all his works, they rejoiced at every success he achieved 
 over the lower forms of life, and grieved at all his failures. 
 Especially were they pained when he tired of the conflict 
 with his natural foe, and began to battle with his own kind. 
 As this inhuman strife continued, the folly and wickedness 
 of it roused to the fullest extent the interest and sympathy 
 of the moon-dwellers, and they began to ask each other 
 what they could do to put a stop to it. They themselves 
 had long since given up war and had even outgro\\Ti all 
 individual quarrels, and they could not endure with patience 
 what was then taking place right under their eyes. But 
 they found it easier to declaim against the evil than to 
 suggest any practical method of stopping it. Although so 
 near them in one sense, to the other senses the field of con- 
 flict was some two hundred and forty thousand miles away. 
 
 *' However, of what value is a high state of civilization 
 
136 DAYBREAK. 
 
 if it cannot help a neighboring world in such an emergency 
 as this? If they could only communicate in some way with 
 men they could soon make them understand that it would 
 be better for them to cease their fighting and finish their 
 legitimate work of subduing the lower forms of creation. 
 But how to open communication ! The problem long re- 
 mained unsolved, the condition of things on the earth in 
 the meantime growing worse and worse. At last it was 
 suggested that a shot might be fired which would reach the 
 earth. This was a bold suggestion, but it was well known 
 that they had explosives powerful enough to carry a pro- 
 jectile beyond the moon's attraction, and no one could give 
 any good reason why such a projectile, being entirely free 
 of the moon, should not reach the earth under the power of 
 gravitation. It was determined to try the experiment, and 
 after due preparation, which was comparatively easy with 
 their facilities, an enormous shot was hurled forth. It was 
 large enough to be seen by the aid of their powerful tele- 
 scopes as it sped on its way, and it was with intense inter- 
 est that they saw it enter the earth's attraction and finally 
 strike the surface of that globe. Now that so much had 
 been accomplished, they saw immense possibilities before 
 them. What they now wanted to do was to use their dis- 
 covery to make men give up their fighting and turn to the 
 arts of peace. 
 
 " How could they do this? Some proposed that they 
 should make hollow shot, fill them with Bibles and other 
 books, and bombard the earth with good precepts till men 
 should learn and be tamed. But from their close observa- 
 tion of mankind the moon-dwellers knew they were too 
 uncivilized to get any good from books, and that they cer- 
 tainly could not learn without a teacher. Hence arose the 
 suggestion that missionaries be sent in place of books. As 
 
AN UNLIKELY STORY. I37 
 
 soon as this idea was broached thousands of volunteers 
 offered themselves, and the plan would certainly have been 
 attempted if there had been the slightest possibility that 
 one could live to reach the earth. 
 
 " The next proposal came from the medical profession. 
 Long before this time, when the inhabitants of the moon 
 were sometimes governed by their passions and before the 
 day of peace and good will had fully arrived, it had been 
 discovered that what was known as the pugnacious instinct 
 was only a disease, bad blood in fact as well as in name, 
 and a remedy had been found for it. This was nothing 
 less than the bi-chloride of comet. Small comets, such as 
 we call meteorites, were picked up on the surface of the 
 moon and put to this practical use. This medicine, admin- 
 istered as an hypodermic injection, produced wonderful 
 effects, the patient, although afflicted with the most quar- 
 relsome disposition, becoming as mild and harmless as a 
 lamb. However warlike one might be, a few days' treat- 
 ment would take the fightingspirit out of him so completely 
 that the mere doubling up his fists and placing them in 
 front of his face would make him feel ill. Peace societies 
 got hold of the remedy and tried it on the soldiers of the 
 standing armies with such success that war had to be aban- 
 doned because the men would not fight. 
 
 " And now the old recipe was brought out, a large quan- 
 tity of the medicine manufactured, and bombs made and 
 filled with it, each one containing full directions for its use 
 written in Volapiik. These were fired to the earth, and, 
 strange to say, the simple language was soon learned, and 
 the moon-dwellers had the satisfaction of seeing men rapidly 
 metamorphosed into a peaceable, friendly race. Thus the 
 moon directly influenced and governed affairs on the earth. 
 Looked at from that distance it seems to have been the 
 
138 DAYBREAK. 
 
 most remarkable case of the tail wagging the dog that the 
 earth had ever seen. 
 
 " But we may as well relate the sequel. The effect of 
 the treatment lasted only a few hundred years, and as it 
 was the moon's policy never to repeat a cure, men in time 
 became as bad as ever again, and so at last the flood had to 
 come and wipe them off the face of the earth." 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE DOCTOR IS CONVINCED. 
 
 As I finished tlie doctor looked somewhat bored, but 
 Thorwald was kind enougli to thank me, and then, at our 
 earnest solicitation, he resumed his argument. 
 
 " You have told me," he said, " of some of your earlier 
 beliefs about the origin of meteorites. Have you any more 
 modern views? " 
 
 To this the doctor replied : " If my friend here has really 
 finished talking for a while I will say, Thonvald, that the 
 theories already spoken of seem to be disproved by the dis- 
 covery that these stones enter the earth's atmosphere with a 
 planetary velocity. A body falling from an infinite dis- 
 tance — that is, impelled only by the attraction of gravita- 
 tion — would strike the earth with a velocity of only six or 
 seven miles a second, while the meteorites come at the rate 
 of twenty to thirty miles a second, the earth's rate of revo- 
 lution being nineteen miles in the same time. It is found 
 that a necessary consequence of these velocities is that the 
 meteors move about the sun, and not the earth, as the con- 
 trolling body. Our latest study points to the conclusion 
 that they are of cometary origin, and, as comets have been 
 known to divide, some scientists believe the meteorites are 
 fragments of exploded comets. At any rate, they are 
 
140 DAYBREAK. 
 
 found in the company of these mysterious bodies, and ap- 
 pear to have similarly eccentric orbits." 
 
 " Your studies are leading you in the right direction," 
 said Thonvald. " The meteorites do indeed come from 
 the regions of space, and if they have any story to tell it is 
 a story of those distant parts of the universe about which 
 any testimony is valuable. Let us look again at the frag- 
 ment we are supposed to hold in our hand. Can we tell 
 of what it is composed, or is its substance something en- 
 tirely new? I am sure you must have analyzed it down to 
 its minutest particle, and if so you have found it contains 
 nothing foreign to the earth. There is not a single element 
 in the meteorite that does not exist also in the crust of the 
 earth. Tell me, Doctor, how many elements have you dis- 
 covered in them? " 
 
 " Nearly thirty," answered the doctor. " And one inter- 
 esting fact is, that the three elements most common in the 
 earth — iron, silicon, and oxygen — are also found most 
 widely distributed among the meteorites." 
 
 "That is an exceedingly significant fact," said Thor- 
 wald; " and now do you not see how strongly the meteor- 
 ites confirm the story of the spectrum, and how everything 
 tells us the universe is one in its physical structure? By 
 these two widely different sources of information you find 
 that beyond doubt other heavenly bodies are made of like 
 materials with the earth. Is it not time now to give your 
 imagination just a moment's play and look upon some of 
 those distant orbs as the probable abode of life? " 
 
 "There I cannot follow you," responded the doctor. 
 " I am wanting in imagination ; probably born so, as some 
 people are born without an ear for music. Let us stick to 
 facts. Among the recent discoveries in the field of which 
 we have been talking was the finding of some small dia- 
 
THE DOCTOR IS CONVINCED. 14I 
 
 monds in a meteoric mass. Upon this some enthusiastic 
 writer, whose imaginative soul would be your delight, Thor- 
 wald, built this argument : ' Diamonds being pure carbon, 
 their existence necessitates a previous vegetable growth. 
 Hence vegetable life in other worlds is proven, and if vege- 
 table life, it is fair to presume the existence of animal life 
 also. Of course, then, there must be intelligent life, and 
 therefore the stars, or the planets that revolve around the 
 stars, are all filled with men.' This I call not reasoning, 
 but guessing." 
 
 " And still," quickly responded Thorwald, '' the discov- 
 ery of diamonds in meteorites was a valuable link in the 
 chain of evidence which you are putting together. Keep 
 on with your investigations. Some time positive knowledge 
 will come to you as it has come to us. But let me appeal 
 once more to your reason. At an earlier stage of develop- 
 ment your race no doubt believed the earth was the center 
 of the universe, around which all the heavenly bodies swept 
 in magnificent circles. You have learned that the earth 
 itself, which was formerly thought to be so important an 
 object, is only one of those heavenly bodies flying through 
 space. You find the earth resembles its nearest compan- 
 ions in being subject to the same laws of motion which 
 govern them, but you have yet to learn that they resemble 
 the earth in the main purpose of their creation. You go 
 into the forest and see thousands of trees. You can find no 
 two alike, and yet all are alike in every material resi^ect. 
 Even the myriads of leaves are all difl^erent, and yet all 
 alike. So why may not the millions of stars that fill the 
 sky be like our own sun and like each other, differing in 
 such immaterial things as size and brilliancy, color and 
 constitution, but alike in the chief object of their being, 
 the giving of light and heat, as vivifying forces to dark 
 
142 DAYBREAK. 
 
 bodies surrounding them? And why may not these planets 
 resemble the earth in being, at some stage of their exist- 
 ence, the theater of God's great designs? 
 
 " Let me try to excite your imagination in another way, 
 Doctor. Suppose you should by and by awake and find 
 this visit to Mars only a dream, and then suppose it should 
 be revealed to you in some superhuman way that man was 
 indeed the only race of intelligent beings in the whole uni- 
 verse ; that the other planets and all the stars were of no 
 real use ; that not one world from that vast region of the 
 milky way and far distant nebulae would ever send forth 
 a note of praise to its Creator, and that the tiny earth was, 
 after all, the center and sum of the universe — tell me, 
 would you not feel lonesome? " 
 
 " When you put it in that way, Thorwald," replied the 
 doctor, " I begin to see how unreasonable my position 
 must appear to you. But, however pleasant the idea, I do 
 not see how I can believe that other worlds are inhabited 
 without more evidence than we now possess. This is speak- 
 ing, of course, without the knowledge we have gained since 
 coming here. But I do not mind saying that your talk has 
 made me wish I could believe it." 
 
 I was glad for several reasons that the doctor acknowl- 
 edged as much as this. First, for Thorwald's sake ; for I 
 had been thinking the doctor's obduracy was proving a poor 
 reward for our friend's great kindness to us. I rejoiced, 
 too, that my companion was beginning to show our new 
 acquaintance that, although he had little imagination, he 
 was possessed of a good heart. And, finally, I was myself so 
 much in sympathy with Thorwald's views that I was glad to 
 see his arguments begin to make some impression on the 
 doctor's mind. 
 
 But now it seemed to me that Thorwald had much to tell 
 
THE DOCTOR IS CONVINCED. I43 
 
 US from his own experience. He had talked so far on this 
 subject from the standpoint of our earthly knowledge, but 
 had hinted more than once that the inhabitants of Mars had 
 more positive evidence than we had ever dreamed could be 
 possible. So I said : 
 
 " Your arguments have been very acceptable to me, Thor- 
 wald, but can you not strengthen even my faith by speaking 
 now from the results of your own more advanced studies? 
 We must base our belief in the existence of life outside the 
 earth on mere probabilities, which, however strong, lead 
 only to theory and leave us still in doubt. Have you any 
 certain knowledge on the subject, or, I might say, had you 
 any before we came to see you ? ' ' 
 
 "Oh, yes," replied Thorwald, " we have long had evi- 
 dence almost as positive as your presence here, fresh from 
 one of our sister planets. It will give me great pleasure to 
 tell you of some of our mar\-elous achievements in astronomy. 
 The doctor says he would like to believe in the habitability 
 of other worlds ; he must believe in it before I am through 
 if he has any faith in me. 
 
 " I would like to say, to begin with, that whatever we 
 have accomplished in this science you on the earth can 
 accomplish. I know enough by comparing your develop- 
 ment with our own to feel sure that our present condition 
 foreshadows yours, and that all the knowledge we possess in 
 various directions will come in time to you. Let nothing 
 discourage you in your quest for knowledge. If you seem 
 to have arrived at the limit of possibilities in the telescope, 
 for example, have patience. Difificulties which you think 
 insurmountable, time will remove, and you will be able to 
 penetrate more and more into the mysteries of the imiverse. 
 
 " Our telescopes have gradually increased in power until 
 we have been able to accomplish things that you will no 
 
144 DAYBREAK. 
 
 doubt think truly marvelous. But, before you call any 
 achievement in this science impossible, just look back and 
 compare the ignorance of the early inhabitants of the earth 
 with your present knowledge ; aild do not be so proud of 
 the wisdom already attained that you cannot also look for- 
 ward to an enlarged comprehension of things you now call 
 mysteries, and to a much closer acquaintance with the works 
 of God. 
 
 " To our increasing vision the heavens have continued to 
 unfold their wonders. We have penetrated far into the 
 depths of space only to marvel, at each new revelation, at 
 the power and wisdom of the Creator. The number of stars 
 discovered to our view would be incredible to you, and yet 
 it will be interesting to you to learn that we can still place 
 no bounds to creation. We have, it is tme, found the 
 limits of what we call our universe and have mapped out 
 all its boundaries. When this had been done we tried to 
 pierce the surrounding darkness, but for a long time, in 
 spite of our belief that we could not yet see the end, all 
 beyond seemed a \oid. Recently, however, our faith has 
 been rewarded, for we can now see other universes, buried 
 in far space but revealed dimly to the higher powers of 
 our telescopes, 
 
 " But you are doubtless eager to hear of some more defi- 
 nite knowledge gained from this wide domain. Well, we 
 have determined the distances, size, and motions of many of 
 the stars, resolved star clusters and nebul?e, solved the mys- 
 tery of the double and variable stars, and, what is of more 
 consequence than all these things, we have in many in- 
 stances discovered the secondary bodies themselves, revolv- 
 ing around a central sun. We now know, what we so long 
 suspected, that the rolling stars are suns like our own, giv- 
 ing light and heat to attending worlds. With this knowl- 
 
THE DOCTOR IS CONVINCED. I45 
 
 edge, can you wonder, Doctor, that we acquired the belief 
 that these worlds, resembling so much the planets of our 
 own system, are fit homes for intelligent beings? " 
 
 " I cannot see," replied the doctor, " that such a belief 
 necessarily follows your discovery, which, I must own, was 
 an exceedingly valuable one. I can readily believe that 
 each star that shines in our sky is a sun surrounded by 
 dependent bodies so dark as to be invisible through our 
 terrestrial telescopes, but still I presume even your instru- 
 ments are not powerful enough to find any inhabitants on 
 those distant worlds? " 
 
 " No," replied Thorwald, " but for what other conceiv- 
 able purpose were these bodies created? " 
 
 " I frankly acknowledge that I am not able to answer 
 that question," said the doctor. " If you have many more 
 wonderful discoveries to relate I shall soon have to own 
 myself convinced." 
 
 " I am trying to convince your reason," resumed Thor- 
 wald, " without the aid of positive evidence, but I may as 
 well proceed now to show you what further knowledge we 
 have gained. 
 
 " The nearer planets of our own solar system have been 
 naturally the objects of our close scrutiny. As our tele- 
 scopes increased in power we diligently studied the surface 
 of these globes, searching for signs of life. We mapped out 
 their features, noted the various phenomena of season and 
 climate, and discovered many ways in which they seemed to 
 be like our world. But for a long time we found no direct 
 evidence that they were inhabited. 
 
 " At length, however, one ardent philosopher, full of 
 hope, as we all were, that we had neighbors on some of these 
 globes, brought out the idea that if these neighbors were as 
 far advanced in astronomical science as we were, there 
 
146 DAYBREAK. 
 
 ought to be some means of communication between one 
 world and another. The thought took at once, and occa- 
 sioned the most lively interest. We had no doubt, from 
 what we had learned of these planets, that they were fitted 
 to be, at some time, the home of intelligent beings. 
 Our question was whether the inhabitable period of either 
 of them coincided with that of Mars, and, if so, whether 
 the race was sufficiently developed to be able to see us as 
 well as we could see them. 
 
 "The first means suggested to attract the attention of 
 such a race of beings was fire. You can imagine that we 
 could get together material enough to make a pretty big 
 blaze, and we did. We lighted immense fires in various 
 places and kept them burning a long time, but without 
 accomplishing anything. We scanned minutely the surface 
 of each planet, but saw no sign anywhere that our effort at 
 communication was recognized. 
 
 " Disappointed, but not discouraged, we determined 
 next to try a system of simple hieroglyphics by throwing 
 up huge mounds on one of our plains. We thought, if other 
 eyes were studying Mars as closely as we were searching the 
 surface of our sister planets for signs of life, that they would 
 notice any unusual change in our appearance. Then if they 
 did notice it we hoped some means would be found to let 
 us know it. 
 
 " It was decided to try first the figure of the circle, be- 
 cause we knew that the form of all heavenly bodies must be 
 the most familiar to intelligent life wherever it existed. 
 It took years of labor to construct the mound, for it was 
 thought best to have it large enough to give the experiment 
 a thorough trial. And now you may believe we considered 
 ourselves well repaid for all our toil and expense when, 
 soon after the circle was completed, our telescopes showed 
 
THE DOCTOR IS CONVINCED. I47 
 
 US a similar form actually growing upon the surface of both 
 Saturn and Uranus. We immediately replied by beginning 
 the construction of a square, and before this was finished 
 both planets began to answer, one with the triangle and the 
 other with the crescent. The latter was made by Uranus, and 
 as soon as it was finished the triangle began to appear beside 
 it, showing to us that Uranus was reading from Saturn also. 
 
 " Other signs followed, although, of course, the work was 
 very slow, and the experiments are still in progress. Some 
 slight beginning has been made toward the interchange of 
 ideas. The time and labor required will alone prevent 
 extended communication, which would make it possible to 
 form, in the course of ages, a mutual language. As we 
 were the first to start it we propose to try to control the 
 conversation, but if Saturn and Uranus choose to steal our 
 idea and gossip between themselves, we know of no way to 
 stop them." 
 
 As Thorwald proceeded with this marvelous recital, it 
 was interesting to watch the doctor's face. It was so appar- 
 ent to me that he was fast losing his skepticism that I was 
 not surprised to hear him say : 
 
 " Thorwald, one fact is worth more to me than a world 
 of theory, and if you had begun by relating this wonderful 
 experience you would not have found me so incredulous. 
 Who could refuse to believe with such testimony before 
 him? What news this will be to take back to the earth! 
 But you have, doubtless, other discoveries to relate to us. 
 Excuse me," the doctor continued, turning to me, " for 
 interrupting, even for a moment, our friend's most interest- 
 ing discourse." 
 
 " Let me say," resumed Thorwald, " that your interrup- 
 tion has been helpful to me, for now I know you have lost 
 your doubts and believe with us in this matter. 
 
148 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " These efforts at communication have occupied us for 
 generations, and the close study which we have been obliged 
 to give to the surface of the other planets has made us well 
 acquainted with their characteristics. We have found many 
 likenesses to our own world, as well as various points of 
 difference. The succession of the seasons has been an inter- 
 esting phenomenon. We have watched with delight the 
 ever-changing rings of our neighbor, Saturn, and can show 
 you pictures of them as they were thousands of years ago. 
 
 " We have taken great pleasure in observing the round of 
 seasons on the surface of the earth, not dreaming that we 
 should ever have the privilege of talking face to face with 
 its inhabitants." 
 
 " Well, now that we are here, Thonvald," said the doc- 
 tor, " we want to get all the information possible. So 
 please go on and tell us more of your discoveries. How 
 about those bodies that you have found circling like planets 
 around other suns? Have you any evidence in regard to 
 their inhabitants? Your telescopes cannot surely bring 
 any such bodies near enough to enable you to communicate 
 with them." 
 
 " True," replied Thorwald, " but this is another instance 
 where nature has lent us her assistance. If you have been 
 surprised at some things that I have already said, you will 
 probably find what I am about to relate equally outside of 
 your experience." 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 STRUCK BY A COMET. 
 
 " The most remarkable event in the realm of matter that 
 ever occurred in connection with this planet, of which we 
 have a record, was its collision with a comet. This was 
 many ages ago and it made an epoch in our history, so that 
 we say such a thing occurred so many years before or after 
 the collision. Although the records are rather meager we 
 know enough of the details to have a fair understanding of 
 the wonderful event. 
 
 " The comet had no established period, as so many others 
 have, but seemed to be an entirely new-comer, and from its 
 first appearance showed plainly that it was making straight 
 for our planet. The astronomers predicted at once what 
 the inevitable result would be, and you can imagine the 
 consternation of the world as this monstrous, fiery object 
 bore down upon us, increasing in size and splendor every 
 day, until it filled half the sky and threatened to engulf us 
 in flame and destruction. There seemed to be no possible 
 escape, and, in fact, there was to be no escape from a colli- 
 sion, but almost all the harm that followed was the result of 
 pure fright. For as the comet came rushing upon us the 
 whole hemisphere of Mars was filled with its blazing sub- 
 stance, which appeared, however, to burn itself out in our 
 atmosphere, and to leave, in most cases, nothing to reach 
 the ground. 
 
150 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Perhaps you have seen a shower of falling stars on the 
 earth, brilliant and threatening in appearance, but causing 
 in reality little damage. So the comet came to us. Its 
 immense, fiery volume, which filled us with such dread, 
 was so diffused that it was nearly all consumed by impact 
 with our atmosphere. But there was a great solid nucleus, 
 which struck the ground with immense force, and remains 
 as our largest meteorite. 
 
 " Thus not only was our world spared from destruction, 
 but that which threatened to be such an evil proved to be a 
 great acquisition. For the comet, as it is still called, has 
 revealed to us the most astonishing secrets. For a long 
 time the mass of matter lay untouched, superstition and 
 the lack of scientific curiosity tending to preser\'e it as it 
 fell. But at length the spirit of inquiry proved to be too 
 strong, and within a comparatively recent period the comet 
 has been broken into and explored with wonderful results. 
 
 *' You must know, to begin with, that this greatest natural 
 curiosity on the face of our planet is no common meteorite 
 such as you are acquainted with. Indeed, if it had struck 
 the earth as fair a blow as it did us I think the shock would 
 have been felt much more severely by your little race, for 
 it is hundreds of miles in diameter and the velocity with 
 which it was traveling was simply incredible. Fortunately 
 it fell upon an uninhabited plain, partly burying itself in 
 the ground, and for several years the mass was so hot that 
 it could not be approached. This helped to make it an 
 object of awe and almost of veneration, so that many cen- 
 turies of time passed before any critical examination was 
 made of it. Even then nothing was accomplished toward 
 revealing its marvelous secrets. The surface was found to 
 be hard and metallic, with the familiar burned appearance 
 caused by contact with the atmosphere, and the substance, 
 
STRUCK BY A COMET. 15I 
 
 in its chemical composition, resembled, with some varia- 
 tion, other meteoric specimens. Some attempt was made 
 to penetrate into the interior of the mass, but all that was 
 discovered led to the belief that it was of similar structure 
 throughout. 
 
 " This was the extent of the knowledge obtained of the 
 interesting object until the beginning of the present age 
 of advanced civilization. 
 
 " When we had learned by our successful experiments 
 that some of our sister planets were inhabited, and when 
 our powerful telescopes had revealed what we believed to be 
 planets of other systems, there was intense interest in the 
 search for any evidence of life in these more distant worlds. 
 They were so very far away that we doubted if we could ever 
 know enough about them to tell whether they were habit- 
 able, and it seemed as if we could only judge of their con- 
 dition from analogy with our own solar sj^stem. These 
 views prevailed until the brilliant suggestion was made, and 
 it is not known by whom it was first advanced, that perhaps 
 we had, right here with us, the means of discovering what 
 we so much desired to know. It had always been assumed 
 that our comet was of uniform structure, but why let such a 
 matter rest in uncertainty? It is one of the strange things 
 in our history that this question was not seriously asked 
 long before that time. But now that the idea was broached 
 the work was entered into with great earnestness. 
 
 " This was the position : Here was this huge mass that 
 had come to us from some unknown region of the sky, almost 
 certainly from beyond the bounds of our solar system, and 
 we were to pry into it to see if it had any story to tell us 
 of its former condition. The advancement of science had 
 given us the means of easily penetrating into the interior of 
 the comet, and it was determined to make thorough work of 
 
152 DAYBREAK. 
 
 it. And this feeling was found to be necessary, for the 
 enterprise proved to be discouraging for many years. An 
 immense tunnel was made through the entire mass, and 
 nothing was found to repay the trouble. Many were now 
 in favor of abandoning the work, but after a period of rest 
 another trial was decided upon and a second tunnel begun. 
 Never did perseverance have a more perfect reward ; for, 
 before the new excavations had proceeded far, discoveries 
 were made which suddenly changed our comet, in regard to 
 which most people had lost all interest, into the most won- 
 derful object in all the world. 
 
 " In short, we now know that we have here a fragment of 
 a former planet. How the planet was dismembered and 
 how this piece happened to come flying to us, we do not 
 know. But could it have come about more fortunately for 
 us if it had all been designed by an over-ruling power? 
 When we had learned all that our expanding but limited in- 
 telligence could teach us of the other parts of the universe, 
 and when our minds were ripe for more knowledge, we found 
 this magnificent object lesson, which had been waiting for 
 us all these years. Beneath the uninviting surface of that 
 familiar comet were revealed wonders which, if they had 
 been discovered when the mass first came, would not have 
 been half-appreciated, but which now told us, in answer to 
 our eager inquiries, more than we ever thought to know 
 about the far-distant works of our God." 
 
 The doctor and I were amazed beyond measure by this 
 recital, and were quite ready to admit that a superior intel- 
 ligence had directed the wonderful event. But we were 
 exceedingly anxious to know some of the details of the 
 discovery, and when the doctor had expressed this wish 
 Thorwald proceeded : 
 
 " I could talk on this subject," he said, " till night-fall 
 
STRUCK BY A COMET. I53 
 
 if you desire, but it will be better for you to restrain your 
 curiosity till you can be taken in person to the scene. Let 
 me tell you in general terms what you will find. The 
 comet fell, as I have said, in an uninhabited plain, but it 
 is now at the door of the largest city on our planet, which 
 has been built there since the discoveries were made. The 
 excavations have left an immense opening, where galleries 
 and chambers of great extent have been dug out. These 
 have been finished off with untold labor, and new ones are 
 being constantly added. Here is our greatest museum, 
 beside which all other collections of natural objects are as 
 nothing, for all that has been found in the comet remains 
 there; nothing has been allowed to be taken away. You 
 will appreciate something of the wonderful character of 
 these curiosities when I tell you that they give evidence 
 of a world many times larger than Jupiter and of an intel- 
 lectual and spiritual development as much beyond ours as 
 ours is in advance of that of the earth. 
 
 ** We have exhumed buried cities in our own planet more 
 than once, where volcano or other con\iilsion had over- 
 whelmed them, and found the relics of past civilization ; 
 but here, in our comet, we look not upon the past but upon 
 the future, as it were, and see what has been done in a world 
 much older than our own. The belief that the comet did 
 not originate in our solar system has been verified, for we 
 find that the globe of which it was once a part revolved 
 around an immense sun which had a retinue of twenty- 
 seven planets of various sizes. Whether this great sun is 
 one of the stars of our firmament we can only conjecture ; 
 perhaps in some future state of existence we shall know. 
 
 " You have wondered if the earth will ever advance to 
 the condition in which you find us, and we are asking the 
 same question in regard to ourselves and the still higher 
 
154 DAYBREAK. 
 
 development exhibited in our comet. My opinion is that 
 these very discoveries are to be in a measure the means of 
 our advancement. We are only beginning to make out their 
 wonderful character. As we learn more of them we hope to 
 find out more closely how that people lived, and to be 
 directed in our upward path by their example. In the pur- 
 suit of this knowledge we are hampered by our ignorance of 
 their language. All that we know of them and their planet 
 has been gained by their very suggestive pictures and illus- 
 trations, for of their written* records, which exist in great 
 abundance, we can as yet make nothing. In our former 
 studies of the different languages of our own world we 
 found something common to them all, upon which we could 
 work; but in this case an entirely new principle seems to 
 obtain, and the problem so far baffles all our skill. So you 
 see here is something for us to do, and when we have accom- 
 plished the task, as I have no doubt that result will come, 
 we shall then be able to study in detail that remarkable 
 civilization the knowledge of which is wisely kept from us 
 until we can understand and appreciate it. 
 
 " You come here from your young planet, representing a 
 race that is still struggling with the lower forms of material- 
 ism, and find us so much in advance of your condition that 
 perhaps you imagine we are perfect. We ourselves know 
 we are far from that state, especially since we have been 
 able to compare our development with the higher civiliza- 
 tion of the people who once lived on our comet." 
 
 Thorwald paused a moment, and the doctor, who showed 
 by every indication that he was engrossed in the subject, took 
 occasion to remark : 
 
 " We certainly have harbored the thought you attribute 
 to us, Thorwald. After all you have told us of your free- 
 dom from trouble, of the dethronement of selfishness and 
 
STRUCK BY A COMET. I55 
 
 the reign of love, of your great achievements in every art, 
 and of your ideal life in general, we shall always look upon 
 you as a perfect race. How is it possible to rise to a higher 
 plain? Can you express in terms suited to our comprehen- 
 sion your idea of that advanced state of existence of which 
 you find indications on your comet? What is the character 
 of that development? " 
 
 " You will perhaps understand something of its charac- 
 ter," answered Thorwald, "if I say it is almost entirely 
 spiritual. While we have made some progress in that direc- 
 tion, our superiority over the earth-dwellers is chiefly in 
 physical and intellectual attainments. In the realm of 
 the spirit we have yet far to go, and as long as we can see 
 imperfections in our nature we feel that there is something 
 ahead for us to strive after. With that example before us 
 of a much more exalted life, we shall not be satisfied until 
 we have learned its secrets and attained to its perfections. 
 In this upward march we shall be sustained and helped by 
 the same divine Power that has thus far led us." 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 I DISCOVER THE SINGER. 
 
 We were much impressed by Thorwald's earnest words 
 and manner, and we began to realize that the civilization of 
 Mars was above our most exalted conception. I had been 
 so carried away by the topics which I had feared were going 
 to be uninteresting that I had lost some of the restlessness 
 of the morning, but as our sitting broke up and I noticed 
 it was drawing near noon my anxious thoughts returned. 
 Finding Fronda and learning from her from what direction 
 Avis might be expected to come, I determined to go out alone 
 and see if I could meet her. I managed to get away with- 
 out the fact being noticed, as far as I could discover, 
 and started down the walk at a brisk pace. The houses 
 were a good distance apart and were all attractive enough to 
 draw out both wonder and admiration, had my mind been 
 in a condition to appreciate their beauty. Occasionally an 
 electric carriage would pass me, but the first pedestrian I 
 met was a woman of noble bearing and about the age of 
 Fronda, I should judge. After all I had heard of the phys- 
 ical and mental perfections of the inhabitants of Mars, I did 
 not expect to see any but good-looking people. In this we 
 were never disappointed, though still there were gradations of 
 beauty even there. This woman whom I had met must have 
 been at one time strikingly handsome, and if time had 
 robbed her of any of that quality it had made it up by 
 
I DISCOVER THE SINGER. I57 
 
 giving her a rare sweetness that fully atoned for the loss. 
 As I was about to pass her she looked at me with such a 
 pleasant and agreeable curiosity that I stopped and said : 
 
 " Pardon me, but may I ask you a question? " 
 
 " Certainly," she answered in a charming voice, " and I 
 shall be very glad to help you in any way. I recognize that 
 you are one of the earth-dwellers, and I have met your com- 
 panion the doctor." 
 
 " Is it possible? I wonder he has not told me of such 
 good fortune. But this is the question I wanted to ask you. 
 As you came along this path did you see a young girl 
 named Avis ? ' ' 
 
 " I did not, I am sure. I have met no young girl, and I 
 could not see any one by the name of Avis." 
 
 ''Why so?" 
 
 *' Because there is no such girl." 
 
 " Excuse me," I said, '' but probably you do not know 
 her. I have just come from one of the houses yonder, 
 where she is expected about noon, and I came out to try 
 and meet her." 
 
 " Do you know her? " she asked. 
 
 " No — or, rather, I hope so; I cannot tell till I see her." 
 
 *' That's curious. Have you ever met her? " 
 
 " I am not sure. I hope I have. I cannot explain it to 
 you just now, but the minute I put my eyes on Avis I shall 
 be able to answer all your questions." 
 
 " But her name cannot be Avis." 
 
 " Oh, yes, it is. It is quite plain that you do not know 
 her." 
 
 " I beg your pardon," she returned, " there is but one per- 
 son in all this country by the name of Avis." 
 
 " Then that is the very person I am trying to find." 
 
 " You have found her." 
 
158 DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " Right here. I am she." 
 
 I laughed outright and said : 
 
 " Oh, no, you must be mistaken. I do not mean to be 
 disrespectful, but the Avis I am looking for is young, 
 younger than I am — evidently another person of your name, 
 whom you have never met." 
 
 '■' How do you know she is young? " 
 
 ** Why," I answered, " of course she is young." 
 
 And then, when I thought of it a moment, I remembered 
 that no one had told me her age, but I added : 
 
 " I know she is young, because I have heard her sing." 
 
 It was now my companion's turn to laugh, but although 
 her merriment was at my expense its expression, like all 
 her actions, was exceedingly pleasing. The thought oc- 
 curred to me that even the most cultured of the earth's 
 inhabitants have still much to learn in the realm of manners. 
 
 " Oh, do you imagine," she asked, in the midst of her 
 laughing, " that you can tell one's age in Mars from the 
 quality of the voice? Does this Avis of yours sing well? " 
 
 " Excellently well. Until I heard her I had supposed 
 there was but one singer anywhere, in earth, sun, moon, or 
 star, possessed of such a sweet and thrilling voice." 
 
 " And where, if I may ask, did you find that one? " 
 
 " Oh, the doctor and I discovered her in our travels. I 
 will tell you all about her when I have more time. Now 
 will you excuse me while I continue my search for Avis? " 
 
 " You have forgotten," she answered, " what I told you. 
 I am Avis." 
 
 " Not my Avis, the singer." 
 
 " Yes, the very same, and I can prove it." 
 
 "How?" 
 
 She answered by turning half around, lifting her head, and 
 
I DISCOVER THE SINGER. I59 
 
 sending out on the air one full, rich note. It poorly 
 describes my emotions to say I was astonished. If I had been 
 blind and dependent only on what I heard at that moment, 
 I should have thrown myself at her feet and called her 
 Mona. It brought back to me not only every expression of 
 ]\Iona's marvelous voice, but also every feature and every 
 grace which had formerly so bewitched me. If I had loved 
 her passionately when we were together in the body, it 
 would be difficult to characterize my feelings now that she 
 was present only in memory. These sensations swept over 
 me rapidly, but before I could utter a word my companion 
 spoke again : 
 
 " I see you hesitate. Let me complete my proof by 
 saying that you are visiting, with Zenith and Thorwald, at 
 the house of Fronda, and have heard me sing two nights in 
 succession." 
 
 *'Then," I exclaimed, with sorrow and despair in my 
 voice, " I have indeed found Avis, but, alas ! I have once 
 more lost Mona." 
 
 "How so?" 
 
 "Why, don't you see? I expected to find Mona and 
 lose Avis. I thought Avis was Mona, a thought born partly 
 of hope, I suppose, but it did not seem possible that there 
 could be two such singers. So you are really Avis. I must 
 try and remember that, and not express any more sorrow at 
 not losing you. If Avis could not be Mona it is certainly 
 a great consolation to find her in you. Let me return with 
 you to Proctor's ; and now, will you not sing for me as we 
 walk?" 
 
 " Are you so fond of singing, or is it because you like to 
 be reminded of Mona? " 
 
 " Both, I assure you." 
 
 " Does my voice sound like hers in conversation? " 
 
l6o DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Oh, no, Mona never talked as we do. Everything she 
 wanted to say she sang." 
 
 "You surprise me," said Avis. "I should think she 
 would soon become tiresome to her friends." 
 
 " If you had ever known her you would not make such a 
 remark as that." 
 
 " I beg your pardon," she quickly returned. " I presume 
 you are right. And now, to atone for wounding your feel- 
 ings, I will sing till we come in sight of Fronda's house." 
 
 " I thank you very much, and I promise you I shall walk 
 as slowly as possible." 
 
 She sang some sweet little things for me as we sauntered 
 along, attracting me powerfully and making it easier for 
 me to conceal my great disappointment. 
 
 When we reached the house Avis explained, in a few 
 pleasant words, the fact of our acquaintance, and as soon as 
 family and guests were all gathered for the noonday lunch 
 I told them about my peculiar forgetfulness of what had 
 occurred on the moon and then about the manner in which 
 the events had been brought back to my mind. They 
 showed more interest in the latter part of my relation 
 than in the former, and when I was through the doctor said : 
 
 " I must confess to you now, my friend, that I told these 
 good people something about your aberration. It was 
 entirely for your own sake, fori wanted their helj) in bring- 
 ing about your recovery, and now that we have been suc- 
 cessful I hope you will forgive me." 
 
 "You know there is nothing to forgive," I replied. 
 Then Zenith said : 
 
 "The doctor implies that we have all helped in the 
 happy result, but I can tell you that it is entirely due to 
 himself and Avis. He happened to meet Avis and heard 
 her sing. He was struck at once with the likeness between 
 
I DISCOVER THE SINGER. l6l 
 
 her voice and Mona's, about whom he had told us, and he 
 conceived the idea that if you could hear it when you were 
 alone, say in the night, and not know who the singer was, 
 it might be the means of bringing the forgotten circum- 
 stances all back to you. From what the doctor has told 
 us we have, every one of us, fallen in love with Mona, and 
 I presume when we get your estimate we shall think none 
 the less of her. If I am correctly informed you found her 
 especially attractive." 
 
 " In answer to your kind expressions of interest in me. 
 Zenith, I will say that, in spite of my appreciation of what 
 you are all doing for us, I shall never see another really 
 happy moment until Mona is found." 
 
 "Then," quickly responded Thorwald, "we must re- 
 double our efforts to find her. I must tell you that ever 
 since the doctor first acquainted us with the loss of Mona 
 we have had parties searching for her in all that part of 
 the ocean." 
 
 "How thoughtful you are," I exclaimed. " But why do 
 we not hurry home? Perhaps she is found." 
 
 "I regret to add to your sorrow," said Thorwald, " but 
 we should learn of it here as quickly as at home, for I am 
 in constant communication with my friends who are con- 
 ducting the search. Still, we have been staying here for you 
 and can now bring our visit to a close at any time." 
 
 So after lunch we bade adieu to Proctor and his house- 
 hold, and started for home, the same way we went out — that 
 is, by going west again. 
 
 As we made a leisurely journey and enjoyed a good 
 night's rest on the way, it was just before noon when wc 
 arrived at Thorwald's house. Here we found Antonia, who 
 had been advised of our coming by telephone, and had 
 prepared a nice lunch for us. Just as we were all about to 
 II 
 
l62 DAYBREAK. 
 
 sit do%vn to enjoy it, a young man entered unannounced 
 and, without formal invitation, joined us in gathering 
 about the board. This was not an instance of undue famil- 
 iarity, as we soon discovered, but illustrated again the free 
 and hearty hospitality of these generous people. 
 
 " Foedric," said Thonvald, as soon as the guest had been 
 greeted, " let me present you to these two friends from the 
 earth. You doubtless have heard o^ their arrival." 
 
 "I have," answered Foedric, "and lam exceedingly 
 pleased to make their acquaintance." And then turning to 
 the doctor, he said : 
 
 " We shall not let Thonvald and Zenith have the monop- 
 oly of your company while you are visiting our world. 
 Many others are anxious to see you and to learn something 
 of our sister planet." 
 
 " There is not much to learn," said the doctor, " from 
 such an unripe race as we represent, and I must say your 
 people have not exhibited any unpleasant curiosity." 
 
 " I am glad you have not been annoyed. We under- 
 stand too well what is due you as our guests to crowd our 
 attentions upon you, but you will allow me to say that 
 already the main facts in your case are known all over our 
 world, and our scientists are discussing the earth and its 
 inhabitants in the great light of the knowledge which you 
 have brought." 
 
 Foedric spoke with ease, and yet with entire absence of 
 youthful pedantry. The doctor and I could but admire 
 his fine face and robust form, as well as his manly courtesy 
 and friendliness. And before the meal was over we dis- 
 covered that one other person at the table admired him, 
 probably for the same and many other qualities. It 
 seemed to us accidental when Foedric had dropped in upon 
 us and chosen a seat next to Antonia, but it soon became 
 
I DISCOVER THE SINGER. 163 
 
 evident that we had not witnessed even that kind of an 
 accident. 
 
 What was exhibited to us there, among that highly 
 developed people, was a genuine, old-fashioned, new-fash- 
 ioned love affair. We rejoiced in our hearts to find that 
 their advanced civilization left abundant room for the 
 development of the tender passion, and that it also seemed 
 not to discourage a plain and sensible exhibition of it. 
 For these two young people made no effort to conceal their 
 happiness. Not the company of their chosen friends nor 
 the presence of strangers from a distant world caused them 
 the slightest embarrassment, as they spoke from time to 
 time their words of love, simple words to other listeners, 
 but full of meaning to themselves. 
 
 " Say that again, Antonia," spoke Foedric. 
 
 " Why do you ask me to repeat it so often? I have said 
 it so many times and with so little variety of expression 
 that I fear the monotony will tire you. You can tell how 
 strong my devotion is by my every look and action." 
 
 "Very well," Foedric responded, " then I, too, will be 
 silent." 
 
 " Oh, no ; I retract what I have said if it is to have that 
 effect. It is only my own expressions that seem tiresome. 
 I could not be happy without your voice in my ears, though 
 you repeat from morn till eve the old, familiar words." 
 
 " Then you must believe the same of me," said Fcedric. 
 
 As we all happened to be listening to these two at that 
 moment, Foedric looked up to our host and said : 
 
 " Thorwald, do you think Antonia and I had better try 
 to reform the customs of the world, and do away with all 
 verbal expression of our attachment, on the ground that it 
 is unnecessary and only a waste of breath? " 
 
 " If some cruel master should force such a prohibition 
 
164 DAYBREAK. 
 
 upon you, Foedric, what would be your feeling? The 
 heart craves such expression as naturally as the body craves 
 food. Suppose a couple were to start off by saying once for 
 all that they loved each other, and then agree to live the 
 rest of their lives on that one expression. They would 
 argue that all such sentiment was folly, and interfered 
 with the serious business of life ; and so, denying a healthy 
 appetite, their hearts would shrivel up and the fair blos- 
 som of their love would soon wither and die." 
 
 As we smiled at Thorwald's words. Zenith showed her 
 interest by saying : 
 
 " The subject reminds me of that epoch in our history of 
 which we read, when all the world went without eating for 
 a time." 
 
 " Without eating? " asked the doctor. 
 
 " Yes, I will tell you about it. Once science reached 
 that condition where it thought it could make the world 
 over and improve on the first creation in a great many ways. 
 Men began to say that the time spent in cooking and eating 
 was all wasted; that time, being the most valuable thing 
 they had, should be employed in some more useful way 
 than in indulging a mere sensual passion. The appetite 
 came to be looked upon as something too gross for intel- 
 ligent beings and suited only to the natures of the lower ani- 
 mals. Under the influence of this growing sentiment, science 
 soon discovered a process for condensing our food to won- 
 derfully small proportions. All extraneous matter was 
 rejected, and only those particles retained which were abso- 
 lutely essential to our nourishment, chemical knowledge 
 having reached a high state. The result was that it finally 
 became possible to subsist a whole day on a single swallow. 
 One pill, taken every morning, contained all the food 
 required, both for the growth and maintenance of the body. 
 
I DISCOVER THE SINGER. 165 
 
 Science prided itself on such an advanced step, and men 
 looked forward and wondered what further marvels the 
 future would bring forth." 
 
 The doctor did not try to hide his interest in this recital, 
 and as soon as Zenith paused he said : 
 
 " My friend and myself are most truly thankful that that 
 custom did not continue to the present day.' But did it 
 remain long? " 
 
 " No," replied Zenith, " of course it could not. At first 
 people thought it an immense gain. Just think of the time 
 and expense it saved in every household, doing away with 
 dining-room and kitchen, with all their furniture and uten- 
 sils, and reducing the cares of housekeeping much more 
 than half. But it proved to be a costly experiment, and 
 nature soon exerted itself, as it always will in time. Science, 
 not satisfied with what had been accomplished, kept striv- 
 ing after what it called more perfect results, and just as 
 it had made a pellet of such powerful ingredients that it 
 would sustain life for a week, men began to die rapidly of 
 the treatment. This called a halt, but the damage done 
 was serious enough to give the world a good fright, turn it 
 back to the old-fashioned habit of eating, and confirm us 
 forever in that indulgence. Since then we have believed 
 that such appetites are given us for a wise purpose and that, 
 rightly enjoyed, they are a means of growth toward a more 
 and more perfect state." 
 
 " This lesson from our experience then," said Foedric to 
 Antonia, "is to teach us the plain duty of lavishing upon 
 each other, without measure, our affectionate words, be- 
 cause it is a legitimate, healthy longing of our nature, and 
 I sincerely hope you will take it to heart. Do not under- 
 take to make me exist a week or a day on a single morsel." 
 
 As for myself, I was not so much engrossed in this talk as to 
 
l66 DAYBREAK. 
 
 forget my own condition, wliich seemed all the more forlorn 
 by contrast with the unalloyed happiness of these joyous 
 beings. I wondered if such affairs always went smoothly 
 in Mars. Was early love always mutual, or did one some- 
 times refuse to be wooed and prefer another? And did it 
 ever happen that the loved one was lost, as Mona was lost 
 to me, perhaps never to be found? 
 
 But in the company of such happy people I felt that ray 
 anxious spirit was out of place, and I tried to cast off my 
 forebodings and to seize from the image of Mona present 
 in my memory a portion of her own cheer and hope. That 
 I was not entirely successful my looks must have shown, 
 for as we rose from the table Zenith said to me, with a look 
 of sympathy : 
 
 " You are sad — I think I will send for Avis to come over 
 and cheer you up." 
 
 This was spoken as if Avis were just across the street and 
 could run over in a minute. But as I did not discourage 
 the idea the invitation was sent, and before night Avis was 
 with us, filling the house with melody. She delighted in 
 her song and was as youthful in spirit as a girl, and this 
 was a quality always noticeable in the Martians. And, 
 moreover, under the influence of Avis the members of our 
 own household found their voices, so that the doctor and I 
 learned that they need not send to the antipodes for singers. 
 Zenith and Foedric were exceptionally good, but no one 
 except Avis possessed the peculiar charm of Mona. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 A WONDERFUL REVELATION. 
 
 There was no way by which we could learn so much and 
 so rapidly about that wonderful world as by conversation, 
 so at every opportunity we tried to get Thorwald and the 
 others to give us portions of their history. From time to 
 time my companion and myself compared our impressions, 
 and expressed to each other the pleasure we anticipated in 
 relating all the amazing things we had seen and heard to 
 our friends on the earth. The exceedingly doubtful problem 
 of our ever getting back to our home again did not trouble 
 us then. 
 
 We said to each other that the most startling things had 
 probably all been told us, and that we could not be much 
 surprised by anything that they could tell us further. And 
 yet there was that to follow which, if we could fully enter 
 into its significance, would make us forget much of what 
 we had already heard, or at least care but little to recall it. 
 In truth, the new revelation which we were about to receive 
 from the lips of our friend was of so much value, and so 
 different in character from the other subjects Thorwald had 
 spoken of, that we afterward came to look upon all that 
 had gone before as an introduction, perhaps intended to 
 prepare our minds for a much grander truth. Yet it was 
 brought out by a question from me, a question of whose 
 importance I had little conception. 
 
l68 DAYBREAK. 
 
 When Thonvald was ready to talk one day I said to him : 
 
 " We have heard you several times speak reverently of a 
 God. Will you tell us definitely what your religion is? " 
 
 " With pleasure," he replied. " We worship one (}od, 
 the maker of all things, and his Son, Jesus Christ, who gave 
 his life for us." 
 
 " Why, how did you hear of his death, Thorwald? " 
 
 " I might better ask how you heard of it. Many cen- 
 turies ago God saw fit to reveal himself more fully to us by 
 sending his only Son, who came in the likeness of our flesh, 
 dwelt among us, and by cruel hands was slain. He gave 
 himself a sacrifice for our sins, but rose again from the dead, 
 as we, too, shall rise. He ascended into heaven and 
 through him we now have access unto the Father." 
 
 " But Jesus died on the earth too, and you but describe 
 his relations to us." 
 
 " I rejoice greatly to hear it," answered Thorwald, " and 
 I know now why you were sent to us. This information is 
 of inestimable value to us, for we have spent much thought 
 on the question of the moral government of other worlds 
 that we knew were inhabited. In God's dealings with 
 Mars, lifting up our souls and preparing us for his service 
 and glory, we believed he was working in the very best way. 
 There can be but one best way ; and so, considering that 
 there might be many other races of sinful beings needing a 
 saviour, we wondered how God's mercy was revealed to 
 them. This bright news which you bring is worth more to 
 us at the present time than all other possible information 
 about the earth or its people. The fact that the earth is in- 
 habited was no great surprise to us after what we had learned 
 of our larger neighbors, but this — this is news indeed. 
 
 " As an example of what our interest in this subject has 
 prompted us to do, let me tell you that in our extremely 
 
A WONDERFUL REVELATION. 169 
 
 laborious and limited intercourse with Saturn and Uranus we 
 made the form of the cross. We all feared our work might 
 be in vain and many doubted seriously the wisdom of pro- 
 ceeding with the undertaking, which occupied many years, 
 when it was so probable that those distant people would 
 not know what the sign meant. But we labored on, and 
 before the form was fairly finished it was with the keenest 
 pleasure that we saw the answer growing on the rounded 
 surface of each planet. They worked, they stopped, and 
 then we realized that both had replied to our question with 
 the short straight line which, in our communications, has 
 come to be the affirmative sign, or the ' yes ' in the new 
 universal language. 
 
 "We interpreted this answer to mean that the great 
 redemption signified by the cross was known to the highly 
 intelligent races that peopled these rolling worlds. But 
 how did that knowledge reach them? To that question we 
 never hoped to get an answer. Did a troop of bright angels 
 issue forth from the gates of heaven and wing their way 
 from one planet to another, as each race was ready for the 
 joyful tidings, and make this glad announcement? — ' Peace 
 from heaven to this world ! On Mars, your sister planet, a 
 child was born, the Son of God, the Saviour of the uni- 
 verse. He lived a perfect life for your example, he died 
 on the cross for your salvation. Believe in him, love him, 
 follow him ! ' 
 
 " We thought much on this point, wondering reverently 
 how God had wrought. And now you have come to explain 
 all the mystery, to answer all questions. One simple sen- 
 tence tells it all : ' Jesus died on the earth too.' 
 
 " I see it perfectly now. Christ, the Lord of heaven, 
 came to us in the fullness of time, took upon him the like- 
 ness of our flesh, lived nobly, was slain, rose again from 
 
IjO DAYBREAK. 
 
 the dead, and ascended into heaven to prepare blessed man- 
 sions for all his followers. So, too, in the fullness of your 
 time, when the earth was ready for the great sacrifice, Christ 
 offered himself again. He appeared in human form and 
 lived among men as he had lived with us, pointing your 
 race, also, to a home of peace and joy above. 
 
 " Better than any announcement of angels of what had 
 taken place in some other world was his actual life among 
 you, going about doing good, shedding around him the 
 spirit of love and self-denial, showing you the way to live, 
 the way to die. 
 
 " Among the vast multitude of peopled worlds which 
 God has made, there is doubtless great variety in nature 
 and condition. But if there are any others whose inhabi- 
 tants were ever in our lost condition, let us hope and 
 believe that the same great act of mercy has been shown to 
 them which has so greatly blessed the planets of our own 
 system." 
 
 Here, at Thorwald's request, I told him briefly of the 
 Saviour's advent on the earth in the fulfillment of prophecy, 
 of his beautiful life, and then of the marvelous improve- 
 ment his religion had brought about as it spread in the 
 world. 
 
 Thorwald appeared intensely interested, and exclaimed ; 
 
 " Oh ! how this truth you have told us does make brothers 
 of us all, and how it will enhance the pleasure of our inter- 
 course. Now in our future conversation we shall be in full 
 sympathy, knowing that, though born so far apart, we are 
 all followers of the same dear Master. 
 
 "Zenith," said Thorwald to his wife, who was sitting 
 with us, " this is a happy day for us all. These earth- 
 dwellers, these men who have come to visit our world, are 
 not strangers ; they are Christians. Think of it." 
 
A WONDERFUL REVELATION. 171 
 
 At this juncture I could not help studying the doctor's 
 face, for I knew this was the first time he had ever been 
 called a Christian. In spite of the seriousness of the 
 situation, I was obliged to indulge in a quiet smile to think 
 he had to go all the way to Mars to be recognized in his 
 true character. For although he would not acknowledge 
 the divine source of it, he had imbibed a great deal of the 
 real Christian spirit. But he had spent his life in seeking 
 for scientific knowledge in various directions and was con- 
 tent, as he often said, to leave the unknowable without 
 investigation, I wondered whether, in these novel cir- 
 cumstances, he would care to give voice to his agnosti- 
 cism. But the doctor was honest or he was nothing, and he 
 could not endure that Thorwald should rest under, the false 
 impression implied by his closing words. So with some 
 effort, as I could see, he said : 
 
 " I dislike exceedingly, Thorwald, to destroy the least 
 particle of the effect of your eloquence, but I feel compelled 
 to say that, as for me, I have never called myself a Chris- 
 tian." 
 
 " Not a Christian ! " said Thorwald, " I do not under- 
 stand you. But perhaps you use some other name. You 
 surely do not mean that you turn aside from that divine 
 being who came to the earth to save you." 
 
 " I do not know that such a being did come to the 
 earth." 
 
 " What ! " exclaimed Thorwald, " is there any doubt of 
 it? Has your companion here been deceived? Must we 
 give up our new-found joy? " 
 
 " Oh, no, no," answered the doctor hurriedly. " I sup- 
 pose it is true that a good man named Jesus once lived on 
 the earth and taught, and died a shameful death." 
 
 " A good man ! Nothing more? " 
 
172 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " I don't know," answered the doctor. 
 
 " What do you believe? " 
 
 " I do not allow myself to have any belief." 
 
 " Well, now. Doctor, you are a thinking being. Con- 
 sidering all you know about Jesus — his noble life, his char- 
 acter and the character of his teachings, and then the 
 claims he made for himself — what do you think of him? " 
 
 " Before such mysteries, and in answer to all questions 
 relating to what is called the supernatural, I always say, 
 ' I do not know.' " 
 
 "Well," continued Thorwald, "do you think the life 
 and death of a good man could set in motion forces that 
 would so transform the world and give it such a start 
 toward a higher and more perfect state? " 
 
 To this the doctor replied : 
 
 " In the early part of this conversation my companion 
 told you he thought the condition of man on the earth was 
 improving, or, in other words, that the earth was growing 
 better. In that opinion he has many supporters, but it is 
 only fair that you should know that some of us hold just 
 the opposite view. We see so much evil in the world, evil 
 that is unrebuked and growing stronger from year to year, 
 so many forces at work dragging men downward and such 
 fearful clouds ahead, that it seems to us that the good is 
 overmatched, and that there is but little hope of a happy 
 future for our race. I will also say, in order to be perfectly 
 frank, that even if we should admit that our civilization 
 was advancing, we should not attribute it to the influence 
 of the Jewish reformer." 
 
 " Then," said Thorwald, " if I understand your feeling, 
 you have no love, no thanks even, for him who gave his life 
 for you, and no sense of gratitude for the loving Father 
 who sent his Son to die for your sins." 
 
A WONDERFUL REVELATION. 173 
 
 " I think you are hardly just," replied the doctor, " for I 
 am not conscious of living a life of ingratitude. Your 
 words imply a great deal that I know nothing about. I am 
 not aware that anyone was ever sent from heaven to die for 
 me, and I do not even know there is a heaven and a God." 
 
 " Did it ever occur to you, Doctor, that your attitude 
 does not alter the facts? In spite of your unbelief, or 
 indifiference if you will, there is a God whose steps are 
 heard throughout the universe, whose hand upholds all 
 worlds, and who looks with loving eyes upon all created 
 beings, even upon those who have the intelligence but not 
 the heart to acknowledge him. Oh ! it is amazing to me 
 that there can be one such being in all God's dominions." 
 
 " Why, are there not any in Mars? " 
 
 " In Mars? Not one. Let me tell you, Doctor, that 
 here you will be unique, if that is any consolation to you. 
 When this talk is made public and the facts in your case 
 are spread abroad everybody will want a share in bringing 
 you to your right mind, and we shall see what the result will 
 be with a world full of missionaries to one heathen." 
 
 " Please do not use that word, Thorwald. I was bom in 
 Boston — you must know where Boston is — of good old Puritan 
 stock, and I am not a heathen because I don't know about 
 some matters that I cannot, in the nature of things, know 
 anything about. You found a while ago that I wanted 
 imagination, and you now see that I am deficient also in 
 faith, which it seems to me is a product of the imagina- 
 tion." 
 
 " No," broke in Thorwald, " faith might rather be called 
 the product of reason and of the conscience, enlightened 
 by every revelation which God has made. But with us 
 faith is an instinct. We believe in God as naturally as we 
 trust our parents. Our souls reach after divine things to 
 
174 DAYBREAK, 
 
 satisfy their longings, just as our bodies seek the food that 
 shall nourish them. In all this world there is not a heart 
 devoid of love to God, not one that does not own a personal 
 and joyful allegiance to the divine Saviour. 
 
 " But I forget that the earth is still young, and that, very 
 long ago, when Mars was in your condition, representatives 
 of our race actually walked the surface of this planet with 
 no more thought of its Maker than you exhibit. Forgive 
 me if, in this talk, I have seemed too positive of things 
 which you claim cannot be known. But here there is no 
 uncertainty in these matters. There is now no open ques- 
 tion in regard to the existence of God and his loving care 
 of us." 
 
 " But, Thorwald," asked the doctor, " how can you be 
 sure? Help me to see these things as you do. In the 
 matter of the habitability of other worlds you brought me 
 over to your opinion by producing evidence which took 
 away all uncertainty and left me no room to doubt. Is it 
 so in this case? " 
 
 "No, my friend," answered Thorwald, "it is not so. 
 The evidence in this case is of an entirely different char- 
 acter. Your companion has told me how God has dealt 
 with men, by what means he has made known his will, and 
 how he has revealed his love and mercy to your race. So 
 has it been with us, only here we have had more time to 
 acquaint ourselves with these blessed truths. If you ask for 
 proofs, I can only say they are the same which have no 
 doubt been reiterated many times in your ears. The voices 
 that come to us from the invisible world are not tuned to 
 the coarse fiber of our physical nature, but are addressed to 
 our spirits, our very selves, and he who does not heed those 
 voices would not be persuaded even though one should rise 
 from the dead. 
 
A WONDERFUL REVELATION. 175 
 
 " Let me induce you, Doctor, to cultivate the spiritual 
 part of your being, evidently undeveloped as yet, for only 
 then will you begin to realize that the evidence in support 
 of these divine truths is more convincing than any possible 
 proofs that could be presented to our outward senses." 
 
 "Under your instruction," said the doctor, "and with 
 the example of a world full of spirits of your faith and 
 practice, I will do my best to follow your advice, and try 
 to catch some faint strain from those heavenly voices. If 
 I cannot believe, it shall no longer be because I will not. 
 But now, Thorwald, you have given too much time to me 
 and have been drawn away from your purpose of enlighten- 
 ing us in regard to your wonderful planet." 
 
 " Yes, Thorwald," said I, " we must hear more of your 
 interesting history, and I think an account of what the relig- 
 ion of Jesus has done for Mars will help to win the doctor 
 to right views." 
 
 " I shall take much pleasure in doing the best I can 
 whenever you are good enough to listen," Thorwald 
 answered. " But we shall now be still more anxious to 
 hear further about the earth." 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 A LITTLE ANCIENT HISTORY. 
 
 In the foregoing personal conversation, Thorwald had 
 been uncompromising in look and tone, as well as in word, 
 toward the errors of my friend, but for the doctor himself 
 I was sure he had the kindest feelings. The discovery of 
 the dearth of spiritual perception in the doctor was a 
 greater surprise to Thorwald, I really believe, than our first 
 appearance was. And it was a surprise well calculated to 
 awaken in his finer nature a feeling as near akin to indig- 
 nation as the Martian mind of that era was capable of 
 experiencing. So we had here the opportunity of observing 
 how a member of this highly civilized race, one endowed 
 with such lofty attributes, would act under severe provoca- 
 tion. The exhibition was instructive. Thorwald certainly 
 resented with all the force of his pure and upright nature 
 all that was evil in the doctor's attitude. Such doubt was 
 entirely new to his experience. He had no place for it; 
 and he could do no less than cry out against it as he had 
 done. But his manner softened as soon as the doctor's 
 mood changed, and it was apparent that he was ready to 
 encourage in every possible way the slightest indication of 
 a change. And from this time Thorwald was particularly 
 tender toward the doctor, evidently desiring to show him 
 that, unbending to everything like disloyalty to (iod, he 
 recognized his sincerity when he declared that he would no 
 longer set his will against the reception of the truth. 
 
A LITTLE ANCIENT HISTORY. I77 
 
 In this mind Thorwald said : 
 
 " I perceive, Doctor, that your sturdy self-respect and 
 the fear that you might appear in a false position have com- 
 pelled you to be unfair to yourself. You believe more 
 than you confess, else why did you repel with such feeling 
 my insinuation that you were a heathen? But if you have 
 ever determined to go through life believing in only what 
 your hand can touch and your eye can see, let me induce 
 you to close your eyes and fold your hands for a while, and 
 with expectancy wait for the coming into your heart of that 
 divine influence which, encouraged however feebly, shall 
 presently show to your inner and better vision, in all his 
 beauty, him whom no eye hath seen nor can see. 
 
 " I do not exclude you therefore. Doctor, when I say 
 again that we have all been drawn into close sympathy by 
 the knowledge your companion has imparted, and in what 
 I have to say further I am sure you will both see a great 
 deal to cause you to realize that your race and ours have the 
 same dear Father, who is guiding us to a common destiny. 
 
 " At your request I am to give you from time to time, 
 
 as we have opportunity, an account of the successive steps 
 
 of our development, and I would like to say at the start that 
 
 there will be one great difference between what I am to tell 
 
 you and the rambling talk with which we began our happy 
 
 acquaintance. Then I gave you a few facts to show our 
 
 present condition, without intimating that there was any 
 
 higher force at work than a natural desire in us to make the 
 
 most of ourselves, and treat our neighbors well. Now, 
 
 since I have discovered that you can enter into my feelings 
 
 to a greater or less extent, I shall not hesitate to refer to 
 
 its true source all that has helped us attain to our present 
 
 condition, and all that is urging us on to a still higher 
 
 state." 
 
 12 
 
178 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " We shall be very glad to know what you consider the 
 spring of all the vast improvement in your race," I re- 
 marked. 
 
 " I did not use the word ' consider,' " replied Thorwald. 
 " That would imply doubt where there is none. It is 
 established beyond controversy that both our material and 
 spiritual development have come only through the personal 
 love and care of God for the creatures whom he has made, 
 exhibited through all our history, but especially through the 
 sending of his Son." 
 
 " Some on the earth recognize the same truth in reference 
 to our race," I said. "But, in general, people do not 
 think much of such things, or if they think they do not say 
 much. In fact, religious subjects are not as a rule popular 
 in conversation." 
 
 "Why, what reason can there be for that?" Thorwald 
 inquired with eager interest. 
 
 " Oh, there is too much indifference in the matter," I 
 replied. " I suppose most men do not think their relations 
 to their Maker important enough to give them any concern. 
 And even the best among us shrink from urging their 
 opinions on others, partly because they know they are not 
 perfect examples themselves, and also from the feeling that 
 their friends are intelligent beings and ought to know, as 
 well as they do, what is best for them." 
 
 " Oh, then, my dear Doctor," said Thorvvald, " I per- 
 ceive that I have committed a breach of etiquette in forcing 
 this subject upon you, and in asking you to put yourself in 
 the way of receiving spiritual impressions." 
 
 " In the circumstances, I think you are excusable," re- 
 plied the doctor; " and, besides, I believe I introduced the 
 topic." 
 
 "If you stay long with us," resumed Thorwald, "you 
 
A LITTLE ANCIENT HISTORY. 179 
 
 will become accustomed to religious conversation, for here 
 there is entire freedom in such matters. Our spiritual 
 experiences and the great possibilities of the future state 
 are exceedingly pleasant things to talk about, we think, and 
 we feel no more sensitiveness in doing it than in conversing 
 on the ordinary affairs of life. Being relieved of so many 
 of the cares pertaining to your existence, our minds are 
 the more prepared to occupy themselves with these high 
 themes, and what is more natural than that we should often 
 like to speak to each other about them? As these things 
 become more real to you and the necessity of spending so 
 much time in caring for the body diminishes, you will 
 gradually lose your present feeling. You will also find that, 
 in making these subjects familiar, they need not lose dig- 
 nity and you need not lose reverence." 
 
 "Thonvald," asked the doctor, " could you not give us 
 a brief sketch of your career, so that we may compare it 
 with that of our race? " 
 
 " I will do the best I can," answered Thonvald. "I 
 think that is a good suggestion, and after that is done 
 any of us can tell you the history of different epochs as 
 opportunity offers. You are both such good listeners that 
 it is a pleasure to talk to you, but I want you to promise to 
 interrupt me with questions whenever you wish anything 
 more fully explained." 
 
 We promised to do so, and Thonvald began : 
 
 " Our world is very old. The geologic formations tell 
 us of a time when no life could exist — long ages of convul- 
 sion and change in the crust of the globe. In time the 
 conflict of the elements subsided and the boundaries 
 between land and water were established. Then came 
 vegetable life, rank and abundant, preparing stores of coal 
 and oil for use in the far future. Animals followed, the 
 
l80 DAYBREAK. 
 
 first forms crude and monstrous, but succeeded by others 
 better adapted to be the contemporaries and companions of 
 our race. 
 
 " The planet was now ready for its destiny, and it was 
 put into the hands of intelligent beings, made in the image 
 of their Creator. This race started in the highest conceiv- 
 able state, perfect in body, mind, and spirit. The material 
 Avorld was soon subdued to their use, and paradise reigned 
 below. We do not know how long this condition lasted, 
 but in some way sin entered and all was changed. Sorrow 
 and death came, and a thousand ills to vex us. An- 
 other period passed, and the race had become so wicked 
 that it could not be allowed to exist. A pestilence swept 
 over the world, and all but one tribe perished. Through 
 this remnant the world was repeopled, but sin and woe 
 remained, to be driven out at last only by a struggle too 
 great for the arm of flesh alone. 
 
 " But the conflict began in hope, a hope inspired by the 
 voice of God. From the very entrance of sin help from 
 above had been promised in the person of one who should 
 conquer evil, and through whom the race might be restored 
 to a much higher position even than that from which 
 it had fallen. Slowly the spirit of good, which is the 
 spirit of God, worked upon the heart, and in all ages there 
 were some who walked in that spirit. By one such soul 
 God raised up a people to whom he committed his message 
 to the race, and through whom, at a later day, he fulfilled 
 the promise. Among this people there arose many faithful 
 ones, and by them, from time to time, God added to his 
 message, acting as the personal guide and defender of his 
 people, and leading them by every path until they finally 
 knew him, in every fiber of their being, to be the only God. 
 
 *' Prophets, too, there were among them, who, under 
 
A LITTLE ANCIENT HISTORY. IO:I 
 
 divine guidance, foretold a time of universal peace, when 
 the kingdom of Christ should come in all hearts and when 
 even the beasts of the field should dwell together in unity." 
 
 " Why, we have just such prophecies," said I, " but they 
 are generally interpreted figuratively. Do you really think 
 they will be literally fulfilled on the earth? " 
 
 " Well," answered Thorwald, " I have already told you 
 what has come to pass here, and I will leave you to judge 
 from our experience as to what will come of the prophecies 
 that have been made to you. From all you have said atone 
 time and another, I can see plenty of evidence that the 
 earth is traveling the same road with us, and I have no 
 doubt it will one day reach even a higher condition than 
 the one we now enjoy. 
 
 "At length, when the time was ripe, God sent the 
 promised Saviour. He, the Lord of heaven, came and lived 
 as one of us. He gathered around him a few faithful souls, 
 he preached his gospel of light and comfort to the poor, and 
 wept over the very woes he had come down to remove. 
 His humility proved a stumbling-block to the selfishness of 
 the world, and his own nation rejected him. He conquered 
 death and returned to his Father's home, but his spirit, 
 which had always been present in some measure, now came 
 with force, and began, through his followers, the task of 
 regenerating the race. 
 
 " A feeble church, planted thus amid sin and darkness, 
 took deep root in loyal hearts, grew strong with persecu- 
 tion, and soon kindled a light which pierced the darkness 
 and gradually spread its illumination over all our planet. 
 The history of that church is the history of our development. 
 The race has not come so far toward its maturity without 
 a mighty struggle. The long course of preparation for the 
 present higher condition has had many interruptions and 
 
lS2 DAYBREAK. 
 
 obstructions. There have been dark ages of stagnation and 
 threatened defeat, and there have been ages of hope and 
 advancement. Through all this history the light of the 
 gospel, though often obscured, has never been extinguished, 
 and every step of progress that has been made in our con- 
 dition is to be traced directly to that light. We have not 
 always been able to realize that ; but, now that we understand 
 more fully our wonderful career, we see how true it is that 
 we have been led by a divine hand." 
 
 " Do you mean," I asked, " that your vast improvement 
 in material affairs has come through Christianity? " 
 
 "Certainly," answered Thonvald. "Our civilization 
 has walked hand in hand with true religion, and in all ages 
 every permanent advance in our condition has come through 
 the influence of the spirit of good, which is always urging 
 us to a higher and better state. In our progress many mis- 
 takes have been made, with consequences so serious as to 
 threaten at the time our final defeat; but a higher power 
 has led us through all our troubles to a place of safety, 
 where we can survey with gratitude the field of conflict. 
 If you so desire, I can relate to you at another time some of 
 the mistakes which have at times set us back in our march 
 toward a physical and spiritual superiority." 
 
 We were pleased to notice by this last remark of Thor- 
 wald's that he had still in reserve many things to tell us, 
 and we so expressed ourselves to him. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 AGAIN THE MOON. 
 
 Days passed and brought no news of Mona. I did all 
 in my power to appear cheerful, but often made a dismal 
 failure of it. No one could help me, and Thorwald, though 
 sympathetic like all the rest, would allow me no false 
 hopes. He said a systematic and thorough search had been 
 made, both on land and water, without result, and he could 
 see no prospect of any success in the future. But, while I 
 could see that Thorwald was about ready to abandon in 
 despair the attempt to find Mona, I would not give up hope. 
 I did not know at the time what excellent reasons Thorwald 
 had for his feeling, for I did not realize how very complete 
 the search had been, but my own faith was not founded on 
 reason. I simply refused to believe that I should never 
 see again the object of such deep love. 
 
 While affairs were in this condition, Thorwald said to us 
 one morning : 
 
 " I wonder you have not been more anxious to see one 
 of our flying machines. Our system of aerial navigation is 
 one of the most enjoyable of our material blessings, and I 
 shall take great pleasure in giving you a taste of it." 
 
 "I think one reason," I answered, *' why we have not 
 asked about it is because we have had so many other inter- 
 esting things to see, and then you know we had our share 
 of traveling in the air in coming to you. However, we 
 
184 DAYBREAK. 
 
 shall be delighted to see your method at any time when 
 you are j^l eased to exhibit it." 
 
 "Very well," said Thorwald ; "then we will get up an 
 expedition at once. Zenith and Avis will accompany us, I 
 think; and as we sh:;ll probably fall in with Foedric, we 
 will send for Antonia to go also." 
 
 " That will make a pleasant party," I said. 
 
 We found all were glad to go and witness our introduc- 
 tion to a modern air ship, and we were soon off. 
 
 Not far from the house we found a luxurious carriage of 
 just the right size for us all. We did not see another like 
 it anyAvhere about, and I was moved to ask : 
 
 " How does it happen, Thorwald, that exactly the kind 
 of conveyance you want is ready without any prearrange- 
 ment? This sort of carriage does not appear to be very 
 plentiful." 
 
 " Things generally ' happen,' as you call it, for our con- 
 venience," he said. " Is it not so with you to some extent? 
 If all the people wanted to travel in your cars on the same 
 day and at the same hour, they could not easily be accom- 
 modated, but some dispensation divides them up so that 
 there are, I presume, about the same number who find it 
 necessary or convenient to travel each day. This subject 
 has been studied by us, and we believe that even these 
 details of our lives are all arranged by him to whom noth- 
 ing is small, nothing great." 
 
 A pleasant ride of a few miles brought us to a seaport, 
 and to a scene of much activity. It seemed to be a great 
 distributing point, as numerous loads of many kinds of 
 gc'jds were moving about, and immense stores of fruit and 
 vegetables were to be seen. These products of the soil 
 were of bewildering variety and surpassing richness, show- 
 ing us that agriculture, providing most of the food of the 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. 185 
 
 people, must be a favorite science with many, and one that 
 brought rich rewards. It was pleasing to see everything 
 going on in such a quiet, orderly manner, and so many 
 people at work without friction and with no look of fret, 
 hurry, or fatigue. Everyone seemed to be enjoying his 
 work, if that could be called work which looked so much 
 like pleasure. 
 
 After riding through several busy streets we drew near an 
 imposing structure, which Thorwald told us was the front 
 of the aerial station. At the same time he directed our 
 attention to the sky, and we saw a number of air ships sail- 
 ing leisurely along, some just starting out and others appar- 
 ently returning home. The doctor and I had our interest 
 quickened by this sight and were anxious for a closer view. 
 As the fact of riding in the air was not new to us, we had 
 not been much excited by the prospect of seeing how the 
 Martians did it. But these ships were so different from 
 anything we had ever seen before that we began to antici- 
 pate a great deal from our excursion after all. 
 
 Going through the building, we came into an immense 
 court or open space, large enough, one would suppose, 
 for the fleets of a nation. Here were a great number of 
 flying machines of various sizes, all gayly decorated with 
 pleasing colors, and many of them, apparently, waiting for 
 passengers. Thorwald selected one of medium size, and 
 as we approached, whom should we find in charge but our 
 young friend Foedric? In answer to Thorwald's question, 
 he told us that both he and his vessel were at our service, 
 and we proceeded to mount to our seats in the car. 
 
 Foedric pulled a small lever, and we began to rise. He 
 then expressed his pleasure to the doctor and me that he 
 had the opportunity of making our further acquaintance. 
 
 " We are taking them for the ride," said Thorwald, " and 
 
l86 DAYBREAK. 
 
 you may choose any course and go to any height you 
 please." 
 
 We thanked Foedric for his pleasant words, and then he 
 showed us about the car and explained its conveniences. 
 It was quite large, with a number of apartments and accom- 
 modations sufficient for a dozen people both day and night. 
 Besides the ordinary furnishings for comfortable living, we 
 saw air-condensing machines for use in lofty flights, a good- 
 sized telescope, instruments for measuring speed and height, 
 and other scientific apparatus of much of which we were 
 obliged to ask the use. 
 
 Although Fcedric was so much younger than Thorwald, 
 he was taller and larger ever)' way — a magnificent specimen 
 of a magnificent race. In speaking to Thorwald he showed 
 a proper respect for his greater age, and he bore himself 
 becomingly in the presence of Zenith; but there was not 
 the slightest sign of subserviency, nor anything to show 
 that, though engaged in what might be called a lowly occu- 
 pation, he was not on terms of perfect equality and even 
 friendship with them. This easy poise of manner would 
 not have surprised us had we known what Thorwald soon 
 told us, and from this experience we learned never to judge 
 a Martian by the work he happened to be doing. 
 
 " Fcedric is a scholar," said Thorwald, " and is engaged 
 just now in writing a treatise on the color of sounds." 
 
 This announcement was a double surprise, for we would 
 have said, if he was writing anything, that it must be some- 
 thing about ballooning — the application of electricity to 
 flying machinery, perhaps. But Thorwald further enlight- 
 ened us, the talk going on in Foedric's presence : 
 
 " He was attracted to that subject by the fact that he 
 possesses in a striking degree the faculty of hearing color, 
 which belongs only to refined minds. We all have this 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. 187 
 
 power to some extent, but in this, as in so many other things, 
 there are great differences among us. As an example of 
 this power, if you will excuse me, Doctor, I will tell you 
 that your voice is dark blue, while yours," he continued, 
 turning to me, " is yellow. Foedric, a true son of Mars, 
 speaks red, and as for Zenith, her soft, pink voice has 
 always been to me one of her principal charms, and though 
 it would be folly to deny that she has changed some in 
 appearance (not for the worse, however) since I first knew 
 her, her voice has retained the same tone or color. I will 
 ask Foedric if I am correct in my impressions." 
 
 "Quite correct," answered Foedric. "When I first 
 heard your friend, the doctor, speak I thought his voice was 
 brown, but it has changed since to such an extent that I 
 think as you do — that the prevailing tinge is a deep blue. 
 Such cases are not unknown among us, but they are not 
 frequent." 
 
 " If the color of my voice sympathizes with my 
 thoughts," said the doctor, " I do not wonder that your 
 quick ears have noticed a change." 
 
 " I ought to say," resumed Foedric, " that I have to rely 
 on my friends to tell me the shade of my own voice, for to 
 my ears it is as colorless as a piece of the clearest glass, 
 and this is the common experience." 
 
 " I would like to ask about the color of Antonia's voice," 
 I said, " and Avis's, too." 
 
 "Antonia's is a be-autiful green," answered Foedric, 
 looking with a smile at the fair one, "and Avis, both in 
 song and speech, has your color — yellow." 
 
 " Foedric," said Thorwald, " tell our friends what you 
 and others are trying to discover in connection with the 
 air vibrations. It may be suggestive to them." 
 
 " I can claim but little part in the work," Foedric 
 
l88 DAYBREAK. 
 
 responded, "but it is this. Our ears report to our brain 
 the air waves until they reach a frequency of forty thou- 
 sand in a second, and we call the sensation sound. When 
 the vibrations of the ether are more rapid than that, we 
 have no sense with which to receive the impression until 
 they reach the great number of four hundred million millions 
 in a second. Then they affect the eye and produce red light, 
 and as they increase still more the color becomes orange, 
 then yellow, green, blue, and violet. Perhaps your limita- 
 tions are not the same as ours, but our scientists are trying 
 to discover some means by which we can arrest and make 
 use of a small part at least of those waves which strike our 
 bodies at a frequency between forty thousand and four hun- 
 dred million millions. It is still an unsolved problem, this 
 search for another sense, and we are now looking forward 
 for help in the task to the studies of the civilization repre- 
 sented in our comet." 
 
 All this time we were rising slowly but hardly realizing 
 it, being filled with that peculiar sensation, incident to 
 balloon journeys, by which we could almost believe we 
 were remaining about in the same place and the solid 
 ground was falling away from us. 
 
 Now Foedric increased our speed and showed us how 
 easily he could sail in any direction and at any rate he 
 pleased, explaining to us the mechanism by which we were 
 upheld and propelled, and also the way in which the 
 current of electricity was generated and applied. They 
 certainly had a wonderful method of producing great power 
 with little weight, and the doctor eagerly drank in the infor- 
 mation in regard to it, as if for future use. 
 
 It was charming. The atmosphere was as clear as crys- 
 tal, the air balmy and the motion delightful, and if the 
 Martians, with their purer nature and keener senses, 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. 189 
 
 enjoyed the trip that morning more than we earth-dwellers 
 did, then their capacity for enjoyment must have been 
 beyond ours. The ship seemed to be under perfect con- 
 trol ; there was nothing uncertain in her movements, and 
 as we went sailing along without fear of harm, in the very 
 poetry of motion, the doctor and I realized over and over 
 again that we had much to learn in this method of naviga- 
 tion. 
 
 Now we were riding at a good height, and our vision 
 could take in a wide expanse of land and water. The 
 peculiarity of the surface of Mars was noticeable, the seas 
 being long, narrow inlets, as it were, running through or 
 between winding strings of land, a decided contrast to the 
 great oceans and noble continents of our mother earth. It 
 seemed to me that this was much to the advantage of the 
 earth, and so I was bold enough to say : 
 
 " When I used to look at a map of Mars, Thorwald, I 
 remember thinking that the planet was not a handsome one, 
 whatever might be the character of its inhabitants. But I 
 have no doubt you have an answer for me which will give 
 some good reason for the peculiar structure of the surface 
 of Mars and make me ashamed of my sentimental preference 
 for the earth." 
 
 " I certainly hope you will hear nothing while you are 
 with us to make you ashamed of your own planet," said 
 Thorwald; "but I must tell you the truth in regard to 
 Mars. How do you like our climate, as far as you have 
 experienced it? " 
 
 " We have enjoyed it exceedingly," I answered, " and I 
 have been on the point of remarking several times that we 
 were fortunate in making our visit here at so pleasant a 
 season of the year. ' ' 
 
 " But," said Thorwald, " you could not have come in a 
 
190 DAYBREAK. 
 
 worse season, for we have none worse than this. The tem- 
 perature varies enough to give variety, but not enough in 
 either direction to cause discomfort. Each season is quite 
 distinctive from the others, but each has its peculiar charm 
 and all are equally enjoyable. Our telescopes tell us it is 
 not so on the earth, for we can see the winter snow creep 
 well down on its surface and remain there several months, 
 then go away and come on the other hemisphere. We 
 know this means great changes of climate, and as the incli- 
 nation of the axis of the earth to the plane of its orbit 
 is about the same as that of the axis of Mars, we believe 
 we would have equally violent changes were it not for the 
 fortunate distribution of land and water on our planet. 
 All those narrow seas which disfigure our surface in your 
 eyes, are in reality vast rivers, which are constantly bear- 
 ing the water from one part of the globe to another. The 
 warm water of the equatorial regions is carried to the cold 
 countries north and south, and the water thus displaced 
 cools in its turn the lands more directly under the sun. 
 Thus the temperature of all parts is nearly equalized. In 
 the summer in this latitude the water that washes our shores 
 is cool and in the winter it is warm, and the strips of land 
 are so narrow that all places feel the influence, making the 
 climate delightful everywhere. At each pole there is a spot 
 of perpetual snow, but these are comparatively small, and 
 the fields are cultivated right up to the foot of the snow 
 hills." 
 
 This recital excited the doctor's interest amazingly, and 
 as Thorwald closed he said : 
 
 " I rather think my companion did not expect so com- 
 plete an answer, but I am glad his words suggested to you 
 this statement, Thorwald. It is of great value to us in 
 our study of your remarkable planet. How wonderfully 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. I9I 
 
 God has adapted everything to your comfort and well- 
 being ! " 
 
 Thorwald smiled in appreciation of the doctor's final 
 words, but before he had time to speak we were a little 
 startled by the red voice of Foedric, calling out : 
 
 ' ' The moon ! Look ! ' ' 
 
 It was nothing new for any of us now to look at our old 
 moon. We had seen it almost every day, had talked much 
 about it, and thought the novelty of its companionship to 
 Mars about worn off. But our present high position and the 
 clear, thin atmosphere gave it quite a changed appearance, 
 as it was slowly coming into view above the horizon. We 
 watched it in silence for a while and saw it mount the east- 
 ern sky, and I think all of us except Fcedric had the same 
 thought, that it appeared to be much nearer than usual. 
 Foedric had seen it before from the same height, and knew 
 when he called our attention to it that we were going to be 
 surprised. 
 
 As the moon rose still higher it appeared to be coming 
 toward us, instead of aiming at a point far over our heads, 
 and our next sensation was caused by Zenith, who mildly 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " It cannot be more than a few miles away. Why not go 
 and make it a visit? " 
 
 To her surprise, if people of such high endowments ever 
 are surprised, Thorwald asked quickly : 
 
 " Are you willing to try it if the rest of us are? " 
 
 " Certainly," she replied. 
 
 " Foedric," said Thorwald, " what do you say to flying 
 out to the moon and attempting an invasion of it? " 
 
 " I say," answered Foedric, " that I am ready. We 
 have provisions enough for several days, and I believe the 
 capacity of our battery is sufficient for the trip." 
 
192 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Thonvald learned from Avis and Antonia that they would 
 not object to the trial, and then said : 
 
 " Well, we have a good majority, but must not think of 
 deciding on so important a step unless the feeling is unani- 
 mous. Let us hear from our friends here, who have had 
 some experience with the moon." 
 
 The doctor said pleasantly that he should like nothing 
 better than the proposed experiment, and, as I was the last, 
 I remarked that I could not spoil such an interesting pro- 
 ject by withholding my consent. But it seemed to me all 
 the time that the whole thing was a joke and that it would 
 end at once in a laugh. I thought of the cold and cheerless 
 surface of the moon, comparing it in my mind with the 
 delectable world we were leaving, and had no reli-sh for the 
 proposed trip. Something of my feeling must have been 
 reflected in my countenance, for Zenith, who had been 
 looking at me, said in a sympathetic tone : 
 
 " Although you gave your consent, you look as if you did 
 not enjoy the prospect of another visit to the moon." 
 
 Thorwald heard this remark, and after a glance at me 
 he said : 
 
 " You are right, Zenith, and I think we will abandon the 
 idea at once. We started out to-day for the purpose of 
 entertaining the doctor and his friend, and it would not 
 become us to treat them to more of a ride than they 
 desire." 
 
 "You are both excellent mind readers," I responded. 
 " And if I were as honest as you Martians are, I suppose I 
 should have said in the first place that I preferred not to 
 make such an extended journey. I suspect the doctor is 
 willing to go ahead, as he is too sensible to be affected by 
 such a feeling as now moves me. My thoughts turn back 
 to our dejDarture from the earth in a balloon, and I cannot 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. I93 
 
 rid my mind of the dreadful fear that perhaps we are now 
 unconsciously bidding a long farewell to Mars." 
 
 Thorwald thanked me for my frankness and said they 
 should certainly respect my sentiment. He then stepped to 
 Foedric's side to speak to him in regard to a change of 
 course. At that moment I looked at the moon, which 
 had been rapidly approaching us. What was it that sud- 
 denly gave it a deeper interest to me? A flash of intelli- 
 gence suffused my being like an electric shock, filling my 
 imagination with the most beautiful vision and making the 
 moon appear to me now as the one desirable place in all 
 the universe. 
 
 " Thorwald," I exclaimed, " keep right on ! I want to 
 go now. I have changed my mind." 
 
 " Yes," he responded, looking at me with a pleased 
 smile, '' and I see you have changed your face, too. You 
 look like quite another man. Why this sudden transi- 
 tion?" 
 
 " Don't you know? Mona is there." 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " In the moon, of course." 
 
 " How do you know that? You seem to be pretty con- 
 fident." 
 
 " Why, she must be there. You couldn't find her on 
 land or water, and you know you have no accidents in 
 Mars, so she could not have come to any harm there. I 
 know we shall find her in the moon. She must have been 
 left behind in some way when the doctor and I were thrown 
 off, and now she is no doubt expecting us to come back to 
 her. Oh, let us make haste." 
 
 *' Well," answered Thorwald, "we were only waiting 
 your consent, and we can now keep on as we are going and 
 try to reach the moon. But I must give you a friendly 
 13 
 
194 DAYBREAK. 
 
 warning not to let your hope get the better of your judg- 
 ment in regard to finding your friend." 
 
 With this Thorwald and Foedric consulted a moment, 
 and at once our speed increased till we were flying at a 
 fearful rate, but none too fast for me. I knew now why I 
 had been so reluctant to go so far away from Mars. It was 
 because I thought Alona was there ; but now, with my pres- 
 ent opinion, the moon had suddenly changed its character 
 and become to my imagination a bright and beautiful 
 world. To such a degree does love transform the most 
 unlovely objects. 
 
 I was struck with the easy way in which Zenith had 
 accepted the result of what I thought her sportive sugges- 
 tion, and, not being able to fathom her thoughts, I said to 
 her : 
 
 " When we left home, this morning, you did not expect 
 to be gone over night. Have you no anxiety about the 
 house and the children? " 
 
 " Oh, no," she replied ; " the house will not nm away, nor 
 the children either. We do not often stay away from them 
 over night, but we do not hesitate to do so when we have a 
 good reason for it. Our children know us well enough to 
 be sure we have such a reason now, and this faith in us and 
 in our safe return will permit us to stay away as long as we 
 please. As for our feelings, we have no such thing as anxi- 
 ety, for all our experience teaches us that no harm of any 
 kind can come to our loved ones. I suppose in such cir- 
 cumstances on the earth both the mother and the children 
 would have a feeling of great fear, caused by the fact that 
 there would be in reality some danger of harm, but here we 
 have never heard of such a thing, and even the word ' dan- 
 ger ' has little meaning in it to us, because all we know 
 about it comes from our reading." 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. 195 
 
 The moon was now well above us, and we were making for 
 a point in the western sky where Foedric hoped to inter- 
 cept it. We were already so far from the planet that the 
 air was getting weak, so we all put on breathing machines. 
 These were of such perfect construction that our lungs had 
 free play, nor were they cumbersome enough to interfere 
 much with our movements. 
 
 By this time the moon had grown so vastly, owing to our 
 swift traveling, that our friends began to be amazed at its 
 enormous proportions. The jagged, mountainous surface 
 was plainly visible, a most uninviting place for people 
 accustomed to the serene beauty and felicity of the planet 
 Mars. 
 
 " Remember," said the doctor, " that you are not to 
 judge the earth by what you see of her old satellite." 
 
 " Well," answered Thorwald, " we mean to see what we 
 can of the satellite. Foedric, let us point the glass at it 
 and be selecting a place to land." 
 
 But Foedric was obliged to let Thorwald handle the glass 
 alone, for his attention was needed just now to manage our 
 craft. He had discovered that shutting off the power did 
 not diminish the speed, and for a moment he was puzzled, 
 quite a new sensation for a Martian of that era. But he 
 soon studied out the difficulty and made the following 
 announcement : 
 
 " I find this huge mass that we are approaching is pull- 
 ing us toward its surface, so that we are using but little 
 power. I expect in a short time we can merely fall to its 
 surface." 
 
 This suggested to Thorwald the very trouble that the 
 doctor and I had encountered with our balloon, and he 
 asked Foedric if we could get away again after we had 
 dropped to the moon. 
 
196 DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Yes," Fcedric answered, "I am sure we have power 
 enough here to overcome the attraction and get away when- 
 ever we please." 
 
 Thorwald, who had been intently studying the surface 
 through the telescope, now spoke out with some excite- 
 ment in his voice : 
 
 " Doctor, I begin to think you did not make a thorough 
 investigation of the moon's condition. Did you not report 
 it practically uninhabited? " 
 
 " Our means of investigation were rather limited," 
 replied the doctor, " but we surely found no inhabitants 
 except poor Mona, whom, I am confident, we shall never 
 see again. Why do you ask? Are there any signs of life 
 visible? I have no doubt you Martians can see more 
 at this distance than we could when standing on the globe 
 itself." 
 
 "Well," Thorwald answered, "either you reached 
 wrong conclusions or else a race has grown up there pretty 
 rapidly. I cannot make out anything definite yet, but 
 there is smoke, I am sure, and I can see some object mov- 
 ing about." 
 
 I had great difficulty in restraining my feelings as Thor- 
 wald uttered these words, but neither he nor the doctor 
 seemed to realize what significance they had for me. Both 
 had apparently given up all expectation of finding Mona 
 anywhere, and these evidences of life, so plain to me, were 
 therefore inexplicable to them. I controlled myself and 
 begged Thorwald to let me look through the glass. He 
 adjusted it for me, but before I could get a satisfactory 
 view our swift motion made such a change in the appear- 
 ance of the surface that Thorwald could not find the same 
 spot again. 
 
 As no one said a word to indicate any thought of con- 
 
AGAIN THE MOON. I97 
 
 necting Mona with the movements that Thonvald had ob- 
 served, I determined that I would keep quiet also and await 
 the result of our landing. I let my thoughts fly to my love, 
 who, without doubt, had seen the approach of our air ship 
 and was expecting our speedy arrival. What an addition 
 she would make to our party, and how these Martians 
 would study her history as she recounted it in that exquisite 
 voice. But I should claim a large share of her time for my- 
 self. How glad I was to think that Foedric had so openly 
 shown his afi^ection for Antonia. Surely I need not harbor 
 the jealous feeling that would arise, for so true a son of 
 Mars could not fall to the level of some earthly men, and 
 be unfaithful to so noble a girl as Antonia. It was beyond 
 all reason, and yet my love for Mona, whom I thought we 
 were soon to find, was such that I undesignedly but still 
 unmistakably made up my mind to keep a close watch on 
 handsome Foedric. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 
 
 We were indeed approaching the surface with great 
 rapidity, and Foedric was obliged to put on power to pre- 
 vent us from falling too swiftly. Fortunately he was able 
 to keep our ship under perfect management, and so, with- 
 out accident or even a shock, he brought us gently to land, 
 not far from the spot where Thorwald had seen the signs of 
 life. It was something new for the latter to show so much 
 curiosity, but he could not be more eager than I was to 
 attempt to find out what we had seen through the telescope. 
 So, leaving the rest of the party, we two started out to 
 investigate. It was kind of Thonvald to take me along, 
 because he could ordinarily walk a great deal faster without 
 me, but my love and hope now added wings to my feet 
 and I surprised him with my agility. 
 
 Thorwald's skill in determining locality enabled him to 
 choose the right direction, and after quite a walk we ascended 
 a considerable hill, from which we were delighted to dis- 
 cover in the distance a small column of smoke — a remark- 
 able sight on that sterile shore. We hastened toward it, 
 Thorwald with high expectations of an important discovery, 
 and I with a heart beating with joyful anticipations of a 
 different character. 
 
 As we approached the spot of such intense interest for 
 us both, I watched my companion closely to see how he 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. I99 
 
 would bear the disappointment which I felt sure awaited 
 him; and this, I think, made it a little easier for me to 
 endure my own grief, for, of course, I was disappointed, too. 
 I ought to have known better than to expect to find Mona 
 out on the bleak surface, when she had such a comfortable 
 home inside the moon. What we found at the end of our 
 journey was merely another party of Martians, who had 
 stolen a march on us and made a prior invasion of the moon. 
 But so unselfish were they that when they saw our ship afar 
 off they began to make a smudge and smoke in order to 
 attract our attention and give us the opportunity of sharing 
 with them the glory of their anticipated discoveries. They 
 were pleased with our success in finding them, and proposed 
 that we join our forces in a common camp. So, leaving 
 me, Thorwald returned for the rest of our party, and in due 
 time we were all together, conversing on the footing of old 
 acquaintances. The moon had improved somewhat since 
 we knew it, as everything must which remains in the vicin- 
 ity of the planet Mars, but it was not yet, as far as the out- 
 side, at least, was concerned, a desirable place for a long 
 sojourn. 
 
 Our new friends had, unlike us, started from home with 
 the intention of making the attempt to land on the moon, 
 and, having come prepared with tools for a little scientific 
 work, had already begun investigating, with a view to finding 
 out whether the moon contained any vestiges of life. They 
 had heard of the doctor and me and the outlines of our 
 story, but now we had to relate to them in detail all our 
 experience on the moon, while I concluded my part of the 
 narration with the statement of my firm conviction that 
 Mona was still in her quiet refuge, waiting for us to return 
 and rescue her. This interested them exceedingly, and 
 they were eager to join us in searching for her. 
 
200 DAYBREAK. 
 
 The members of our party, catching something of my 
 hope, were ready to enter at once upon this task, and it 
 was decided to divide all our forces into two companies, 
 one to be led by the doctor and the other by me, and then 
 to start in different directions to try to find the entrance to 
 that long passage into the interior. As we knew not on 
 what part of the moon's surface we had alighted, we were 
 undertaking a bold piece of work, but its apparent difficulty 
 had no terrors for the Martians, and I should not have 
 hesitated if the circumference of the moon had been a 
 hundred times what it was. As for the doctor, he had 
 too much spirit to suggest any obstacles. 
 
 We arranged a code of signals, and agreed that if either 
 party were successful the other should be notified and the 
 descent made only when all had come together. After 
 dividing the provisions we made our adieus and separated, 
 not knowing when we should see one another again. 
 
 But, fortunately, our elaborate preparations were not of 
 much use, for before we had been out an hour the doctor 
 signaled to me that he had found some familiar landmarks. 
 This meant that he was sure of discovering what we were in 
 search of, and accordingly we started at once to rendezvous 
 with his company. On our arrival I recognized, with exult- 
 ant joy, the features of the landscape which had attracted 
 the doctor's attention. We now led the way with complete 
 assurance, and came at length to the crater down whose side 
 Mona had so strangely led us. The wind was not so strong 
 now, but I was none the less eager to descend and enter that 
 dark way, at the other end of which such happiness awaited 
 me. By this time, also, the whole party were becoming 
 enthused over the situation. When they came to see, one 
 after another, features which they had heard us describe, 
 they acquired a personal interest which had been impos- 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 20I 
 
 sible before, and everyone began to share my faith in regard 
 to Mona. 
 
 As we entered the tunnel, the doctor and myself still in 
 the lead, I called Avis and asked her to keep as near me as 
 possible. 
 
 " I am flattered," she said, " but what do you want to 
 have me do ? " 
 
 " Sing," I answered. 
 
 " What for ? You needn't be afraid of the dark, for we 
 can give you light enough." 
 
 And at that instant out flashed half a dozen lamps from 
 different members of the party, a timely illustration of the 
 use of their portable electricity. 
 
 " No, Avis," I said, " I am not afraid, but I would like 
 to recall something of the sensation of our first descent into 
 the moon, when we were led, as you know, by the sound of 
 beautiful music. And then, as we near the end, Mona may 
 hear you, and that would be a more gentle introduction 
 than if we should burst upon her unannounced. I know she 
 is not subject to fear or the usual emotions to which I have 
 been accustomed on the earth, but still I think she would like 
 to have us come back to her heralded by your noble song." 
 
 Seeing how serious I was in the matter, Avis promised to 
 do as I wished, only suggesting that all the rest should 
 join her from time to time. So, without any unpleasant 
 incident, we traversed the long passage, walking rapidly by 
 the aid of the light and conversing about our interesting 
 situation. It was a rare and pleasing experience for the 
 doctor and me to be showing these wise Martians something 
 new, and we enjoyed the novel sensation of watching their 
 excitement. The fact that we could so satisfactorily enter- 
 tain our friends after their own fashion with us was some- 
 thing long to be remembered. 
 
202 DAYBREAK. 
 
 But not another one of all the company had the intensity 
 of feeling which filled my breast. Knowing that every 
 downward step was leading me rapidly toward a determina- 
 tion of my fate, I could scarcely control my emotions. 
 Either I was soon to find my heart's life and be raised to 
 the highest pinnacle of happiness, or I was to undergo a 
 disappointment from which I might not recover. For if 
 Mona was not here, where could I look for her? Could 
 I ever regain my hopeful spirits if I should lose her now? 
 I tried to crowd out these dark forebodings by thinking of 
 my love and trying to picture the scene in the midst of 
 which we should discover her. 
 
 At length we were drawing near the end. The path 
 was growing wider, which proved to the doctor and me that 
 we should soon emerge into the open village. Indeed, a 
 faint gleam of light was beginning to be seen far in the 
 front. We now ])ushed on more rapidly, and as we ap- 
 proached the exit Avis was singing at her highest pitch. She 
 stopped suddenly, and then a low and distant strain came to 
 us, sweet even to the ears of our cultured friends from Mars. 
 My heart beat wildly as Thorwald, who was close behind 
 us, exclaimed : 
 
 " Hark, hear the echo ! " 
 
 " Ho ! " I cried, " that's not an echo. That's the orig- 
 inal, and Avis is the echo. Sing out again, Avis." 
 
 A loud, clear note trembled on the air, and brought back 
 to our straining sense, not a repetition of itself but a snatch 
 of varied melody which showed it to be no echo, although 
 evidently an answer. There have been few moments in my 
 life more crowded with happiness than that one. And it 
 was not a passive feeling of enjoyment, but one that spurred 
 me to action. The swift pace which we had all by this 
 time reached was now too slow for me. Seized again by 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 203 
 
 the same fierce passion which took possession of me at my 
 first acquaintance with Mona's voice, I started in her direc- 
 tion on a run, flinging aside everything that might impede 
 me, so overmastered was I by my desire to see her. 
 
 But my unreasonable haste brought me a grievous reward. 
 I leaped over the ground with great rapidity for a few min- 
 utes, and then, stepping on a treacherous stone, turned 
 my ankle and fell heavily to the ground, my head, thrust 
 forward in running, being the first point of contact with 
 the cruel rocks. 
 
 I returned to consciousness by degrees. My faithful ears 
 were, as usual, the first friends to renew acquaintance with 
 me, and the sound they brought was so soothing that I 
 wished for nothing more than to remain as I was, ears 
 only, and listen to it forever. But this was impossible, as 
 I was slowly recovering my other senses and becoming a 
 thinking being once more. I now recognized the pleasant 
 sound as the music of a familiar voice ; yes, it was Mona's 
 voice in conversation. I was sure of that, but it seemed so 
 natural that I was not startled. I felt that I must remain 
 perfectly quiet, or the spell would be broken and the music 
 cease. Then I began to wonder where I was and who were 
 with me. I recalled the circumstances of our descent into 
 the moon and my fall as I was running to meet Mona. My 
 mind was active, but I feared that I was physically weak, for 
 I did not seem to have even a desire to move. I wanted 
 to see the face of the dear girl, and it is remarkable that I 
 did not open my eyes at once and call her by name. But 
 I was not in a natural state. The feeling was not suffi- 
 ciently strong to move me to action. I was just conscious 
 enough to be passively happy, content to lie there quietly 
 and enjoy one thing at a time. 
 
 Hitherto I had not tried to distinguish the words, so 
 
204 DAYBREAK. 
 
 satisfied was I with the exquisite tones, but now my atten- 
 tion was compelled by this yellow expression : 
 
 " So I understand you to say he would not give me up as 
 lost?" 
 
 It was the pink voice of Zenith that answered : 
 
 " No, indeed. He never faltered in his faith that you 
 would be found. You owe it to him that you can soon 
 leave this worn-out world with us, and we are indebted to 
 him for giving us such a dear friend." 
 
 " And he admired my singing? " said Mona in a question- 
 ing tone. 
 
 " Yes, and everything pertaining to you. He never tired 
 of rehearsing your perfections, and the doctor tells us he 
 loved you from the very first. He certainly seems most 
 devoted to you. I hope, my dear, that you love him." 
 
 I was now recovered enough to feel some compunctions 
 about listening further to this conversation, but that is not 
 saying that I had any great desire to stop listening. I 
 knew that in Mona's answer to Zenith's implied question 
 lay my fate, and my moral doubts were not strong enough 
 to make me do anything to keep it back. It has been said 
 on the earth that people who surreptitiously hear themselves 
 spoken of are never pleased, but things must be quite differ- 
 ent inside the moon, for, without a shadow of hesitation 
 and in the sweetest air that ever floated from her lips, came 
 Mona's answer : 
 
 " Love him? Certainly I love him. Why should I not? 
 I loved him when he was here before, and I should be very 
 ungrateful if I did not care a great deal more for him when 
 I know what he has done for me, and that he now lies here 
 suffering for my sake." 
 
 " Oh, Mona," I said to myself, " if this be suffering, let 
 me never know happiness." 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 205 
 
 Zenith began to speak again, when she was interrupted by 
 the opening of a door. I heard someone walk towards me, 
 and then the doctor's voice broke the silence. 
 
 " How is he, Mona? Is there any change? " 
 
 "No," replied my beloved, "he hasn't stirred nor 
 shown a sign of consciousness. Cannot something more be 
 done for him? " 
 
 I was becoming a little hardened in my guilt by this time, 
 and, although my strength seemed now to be returning to 
 me, I decided to keep still yet longer and hear what words 
 of wisdom the doctor would utter on my case. 
 
 " I know of nothing that can be done," he said. " He 
 received no injury except the wound on his head, and that, 
 apparently, is not serious. Time is the great healer in such 
 cases. My chief fear is that when he recovers conscious- 
 ness we will find his memory is defective, as it was after 
 his plunge into your ocean. Zenith. He will doubtless for- 
 get how we ever got into this strange place, and I am almost 
 sure he will not recognize Mona, for that was the direction 
 in which he failed before." 
 
 " But you forget," said Zenith, " that Mona herself will 
 be here to sing for him." 
 
 " I fear not even that will recall his wandering wits this 
 time. You know he is more badly hurt than before. I 
 dislike to cause you pain, Mona, but I must be frank and 
 tell you that our friend will probably never know you 
 again." 
 
 One would naturally expect Mona to have burst into tears 
 at this hopeless prospect, but instead of that she sang out, 
 as joyously as ever : 
 
 " Never mind me, Doctor. Only restore him to health 
 and happiness, and it will be of little moment whether he 
 remembers me or not. No one knows better than vou do 
 
2o6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 that I am always happy. That's why I am singing all the 
 time." 
 
 Such unselfishness as this was more than I could appre- 
 ciate, and rather more, I thought, than was called for by 
 the circumstances. How could she love me so, and still 
 not care if I never were to know her again? Was she the 
 same Mona, after all, who had so provokingly eluded my 
 love during my former visit? These reflections caused me 
 to decide to come to life, and claim her as mine before she 
 resigned all her interest in me. 
 
 So, opening my eyes and looking in her face, I said, as 
 quietly as possible : 
 
 " I do remember you, dear Mona, and shall never forget 
 you. Doctor, you see your science has proved false again." 
 
 " And glad indeed I am that it has," he rejoined, " since 
 it is so greatly to our advantage." 
 
 Then they all gathered around me, and called the others to 
 a general rejoicing over my sudden recovery. My physical 
 injury was but slight, and it was not long before my stupor 
 was entirely gone and I was moving about again. Aside 
 from the finding of Mona, many other things in this place 
 of her abode interested the different members of our party. 
 All were jubilant over the new opportunities for study and 
 investigation, and they promised themselves the pleasure 
 of many more visits to the place in the future. They had 
 now seen enough for once, and all wanted to join in the 
 agreeable task of escorting Mona to Mars and introducing 
 her there. So, without more delay, we ascended to the 
 surface once more, found our air ships in good order, and 
 soon sailed away, leaving the moon without an inhabitant. 
 
 Our friends from the antipodes landed with us, and re- 
 mained some days before reembarking for home. 
 
 During our \oyage down there was a general agreement to 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 207 
 
 give me plenty of opportunity to remain in Mona's immedi- 
 ate company, ttiough no one seemed to think we need feel 
 at all embarrassed when our conversation was overheard by 
 others. 
 
 " Mona," I said, " were you glad to see our relief party 
 when they arrived? " 
 
 " I was indeed," she replied, " and yet I was as happy 
 as a bird, living there all by myself and singing for my o\vn 
 amusement the whole day long." 
 
 " It is an astonishing thing to me," I continued, " that 
 after the doctor and I had left you so unceremoniously you 
 could go back to your lonely home and be happy there." 
 
 " Why, did you think I would mourn for you? " 
 
 " Well, yes, I think that would be natural, considering 
 something I know." 
 
 " Oh, I should like to hear what you know." 
 
 " If I tell you, I shall have to make a confession." 
 
 " \\'hat is a confession, and how can you make one? 
 Have you anything to make it of ? " 
 
 "Oh, yes," I replied, laughing. "A confession is an 
 acknowledgment that one has done something wrong, and 
 should be made to the person to whom the wrong has been 
 done." 
 
 " Well," said Mona, " if that is it, I am sure I shall never 
 have to make one, for I have never done anything wrong." 
 
 This agreed so well with my conception of her that I did 
 not then take in the full meaning of her words, but said in 
 reply : 
 
 " But I have, and this is one thing : when you were talk- 
 ing to Zenith about me and thought I was unconscious I 
 was recovering, and lay quite still so as to hear what you 
 said." 
 
 " And did I say anything to displease you? " 
 
2o8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " No, indeed; you said you loved me, and it made me 
 very happy." 
 
 " Oil, I remember now. Zenith said she hoped I loved 
 you, and I told her I did. I have always loved you, of 
 course, but I don't see how that can make you happy." 
 
 "That's singular," I answered. "I should think you 
 would understand my feeling from your own. But never 
 mind. You and I will be lovers from this time forth, and 
 give the people of Mars an example of devotion worth con- 
 sidering, will we not? " 
 
 " You do make the funniest speeches," she replied. " I 
 don't know half the time what you mean. But I am getting 
 tired of sitting so long. Here is Antonia. You talk to her 
 about love, and I'll go over and see Fcedric." 
 
 The lightness of her manner, when I was so deeply in 
 earnest, gave me a feeling of uneasiness, which was increased 
 when I saw her easy, familiar way with Fcedric and heard 
 her merry song as she chatted with him. I was not very 
 pleasant company for Antonia, for I could not prevent a 
 return of that dreadful jealousy. I wondered if this was 
 always to be the history of my wooing — an hour of the 
 supremest happiness, followed so speedily by a period of 
 such anguish. I could not possibly talk on any other sub- 
 ject, and so I said to Antonia : 
 
 " They seem well pleased with each other's society. 
 Are you not afraid Foedric will lose his heart to her? " 
 
 " My friend," she replied, " we never even think of such 
 things as that. I hope you are not serious in asking the 
 question." 
 
 " Forgive me, Antonia," I answered; "I hardly know 
 what I am saying." 
 
 And then I rose and followed Mona, and said to her when 
 I came near : 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 209 
 
 " Well, my dear, what do you and Foedric find so pleas- 
 ant to talk about? " 
 
 " Why, you see," she replied, " Foedric was the first one 
 to find me after you were hurt, and has been very kind to 
 me since, and I have just been telling him I love him. You 
 said it made you happy to hear me say it to you, and I 
 wanted to make him happy too. And then I wanted to see 
 if Foedric would make such funny speeches as you did." 
 
 I controlled myself enough to ask : 
 
 " And what did Foedric say? " 
 
 " Why, his answer made me laugh more than yours did. 
 He said it would make you unhappy to know I had said 
 such a thing to him. I replied that I would tell you myself, 
 and that you were always happy when I said anything to 
 you; and then you came up just in time." 
 
 " Now, Mona, do you think it is right to make sport of 
 such a serious matter ? ' ' 
 
 " I assure you I am in earnest in all I have said." 
 
 '* Then are you trying to deceive Foedric? " 
 
 " Deceive him? What is that? " 
 
 " Telling him what isn't true." 
 
 " No, indeed. I would never do that." 
 
 *' It is true, then, that you love him? " 
 
 "Certainly it is; isn't it, Foedric?" 
 
 I did not wait for Foedric to answer, but continued : 
 
 " And still a short time ago you said you loved me." 
 
 " Well, is that any wonder, after what you have done for 
 me?" 
 
 " But do you love us both at once? " 
 
 "I do." 
 
 " And do you love Foedric as much as you do me? " 
 
 "Certainly. Why shouldn't I? And now let me ask 
 you a question. Do you love me? " 
 14 
 
2IO ' DAYBREAK. 
 
 " With all ray heart." 
 
 " Then why do you bother me so, asking all these ques- 
 tions, and saying things I don't understand? You appear 
 to be surprised to find that I love Foedric. Why, I love 
 everybody. What am I going to do, if I cannot love people 
 as much as I want to ? " 
 
 " You shall, Mona," I replied, with a sudden softening 
 of my heart toward her. " I was only going to suggest 
 that, if you love Foedric, Antonia may not like you so 
 well." 
 
 Foedric began to protest that Antonia would not care, 
 but Mona went right on with : 
 
 " Another complication. What possible difference could 
 it make to Antonia? " 
 
 " Why, Antonia and Foedric love each other, you know." 
 
 '' Oh, they love each other, and therefore no one else can 
 love either of them. Is that it? But you have just been 
 talking with Antonia. Don't you love her? " 
 
 " Oh, no," I replied hastily. " Or, at any rate, not in 
 the same way that I love you." 
 
 '' Not in the same way. That's another remark that I 
 can't see any sense in. I must say for myself that I have 
 but one way in which to love, and that is with my whole 
 heart, without reserve or qualification. I cannot parcel out 
 my love, a little to one, a little more to another, and soon. 
 It all goes out to everyone. I couldn't be happy if I should 
 try to restrain it. I think it must be like this delicious sun- 
 light, which I am just beginning to enjoy, an equal com- 
 fort to all who choose to partake of it. I love you dearly. 
 What can I do more? If I love others, I am not robbing 
 you — -take all you want, and then there will be just as much 
 left." 
 
 " Mona," I asked, as she finished, " where did you get 
 
WE SEARCH FOR MONA. 211 
 
 such a heart? You are showing me how utterly selfish I 
 have been." 
 
 " Good-by," she exclaimed; " I am going back to An- 
 tonia. May I love her? " 
 
 " You may love everybody," I answered, as she left me 
 with an exquisite note on her lips. 
 
 Foedric and I fell into conversation about her. Foedric 
 praised her to the skies, saying that, if this were a fair speci- 
 men, the inhabitants of the moon must have been a remark- 
 able people, and that it was unfortunate that they had so 
 nearly passed from the stage. 
 
 When I found opportunity to think over the situation I 
 concluded that I had given my heart to a peculiar being, 
 and what had I received in return? She loved me — that 
 was certain. But what kind of love was this, which had no 
 respect to persons? I knew I could claim no exclusive 
 right to the least corner of her heart, and yet she said : 
 "All my heart is yours. What more can you ask? " I was 
 not able to solve the riddle of her mysterious nature, but 
 as I heard her tuneful voice and watched her beautiful face 
 as she talked with Antonia, the very picture of innocent 
 happiness, I realized with great intensity that I loved her 
 more than ever. And I resolved to be patient, and try to 
 lead her gradually into the way of loving which prevailed 
 on the earth at the time we left it. 
 
 In due time we landed on the ruddy planet, and there 
 was great diversion for us all in seeing Mona's continued 
 astonishment and in hearing her varied song. 
 
 It seemed almost like home to enter Thorwald's house 
 again, where we found everything just as we had left it. 
 The children did not exhibit any astonishment at our long 
 absence, but were glad to see us back and eager to hear 
 about our adventures. 
 
212 DAYBREAK, 
 
 The next morning after our arrival Thorwald gave us a 
 long ride in an electric carriage to show Mona the country. 
 Returning, we took her about the large house and were all 
 delighted to hear her naive remarks. At length Zenith 
 asked Thorwald if he could not think of something that 
 would interest us all. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 
 
 "Let us step into the music room," said Thorwald. 
 *' Doctor, what acquaintance have you with the tele- 
 phone? " 
 
 ** We think we have brought the telephone to a consider- 
 able degree of perfection," said the doctor. "At first it 
 was rather crude, and many preferred to forego its use in 
 order to escape its annoyances. But of recent years great 
 improvements have been made, until its employment is 
 now a pleasure, as well as an essential help in our business 
 and social life." 
 
 " Does it minister to any other sense than the hearing? " 
 
 " It does not, although I have seen a vague promise 
 somewhere of an invention by which we could see an image 
 of the person we were speaking to." 
 
 " If that is all, I shall be able to give you a pleasant sur- 
 prise," pursued Thorwald. "Just sit in those chairs, and 
 do nothing but keep your eyes open and listen." 
 
 We saw him arrange a series of long panels, in which 
 were elegant mirrors, and then, as he gently pulled an 
 ivory knob, there fell upon our ears, very faintly, like dis- 
 tant echoes, strains of the most delicious music. Gradually 
 the tones became louder and more defined, and Zenith, with 
 a quick smile and glance, directed our attention to the 
 opposite side of the room. There our wondering eyes be- 
 
214 DAYBREAK. 
 
 held the orchestra with whose notes we were then enchanted. 
 There must have been a hundred players or more, and we 
 seemed to be looking upon them from a distance which would 
 bring the whole group within the bounds of the room. It 
 was not a picture thrown on a screen, but was as if the musi- 
 cians were actually present. Every motion made with their 
 instruments was in exact accord with the accompanying note, 
 and, wherever this orchestra might have its local habitation, 
 it was certainly playing before our little audience that 
 morning. 
 
 As the selection ended the scene faded away under the 
 manipulation of Thorwald, and in a moment the room was 
 filled with a harmony of voices such as I had never heard 
 on the earth. And now the great chorus appeared, crowd- 
 ing this time three sides of the apartment and rising, tier 
 on tier, to the ceiling. We could see the glad faces of the 
 singers and knew how they must be enjoying their work. 
 Brilliant solo parts burst out from one side and the other, 
 and again from the middle throng, but it was impossible to 
 tell from what individual singers these notes came. 
 
 When this scene, too, had passed and the music, all too 
 soon, had ceased, Thorwald made haste to answer the inquiry 
 he saw in our faces by saying : 
 
 " These concerts are now being given in two cities, both 
 of them several thousand miles east of here, so far that it is 
 now afternoon there. If we desire music after dinner this 
 evening we can make connection with some city west of 
 us, and by going farther west we can invoke sweet sounds to 
 soothe us to sleep. Being connected with all the musical 
 centers, you can see how, by trying either one direction or 
 the other, we can have something worth hearing at any hour 
 of the day or night, with the players and singers themselves 
 employed, of course, only in the daytime. We have daily 
 
THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 215 
 
 programmes of every concert sent us by telephone. They 
 are received here, you see, and printed automatically on 
 these sheets." 
 
 Zenith had watched us with eager interest during this 
 marvelous exhibition. It was a novel experience, for they 
 had never before had the opportunity of showing this per- 
 fected invention to those entirely ignorant of it, and they 
 both enjoyed seeing the pleasure which must have beamed 
 from our faces. I wanted to say something, but could think 
 of nothing fit for the occasion, and was relieved to hear the 
 doctor speak : 
 
 " My good friends," said he, " do not try to show us 
 anything beyond this or we shall lose our mental balance. 
 I believe in fairyland now, for I have just come from 
 there. I never paid much attention to music on the earth, 
 and did not feel any shame for it either, but I am now 
 sure it will be to my everlasting disgrace if I neglect it 
 another day." 
 
 This speech pleased Zenith exceedingly, and her emotion 
 made her voice and manner more charming than ever as she 
 said : 
 
 " If you stay with us, Doctor, you shall have plenty of 
 good music, and you will soon become not only a music 
 lover but a music maker, for every Martian is proficient in 
 this art." 
 
 " Do you think," asked the doctor, " that there is the 
 faintest hope that the earthly music will ever reach the high 
 standard of that we have just heard ? ' ' 
 
 " Thorwald has told me something of your history," 
 Zenith replied, " and I share his strong faith in your happy 
 destiny. It seems to me that your race is equal to any 
 achievement you have witnessed here, and even greater 
 things, but it will take much time. Such changes are very 
 
2l6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 slow. As for us, we hope we are still making advancement 
 in music. We have few higher employments, and hardly 
 one in which we are more entirely engrossed. It was given 
 to us at an early stage of our development, and all through 
 our troubled course music has been one of the chief influ- 
 ences for good. It has helped to keep hope alive during 
 the darkest periods of our history, and has always been a 
 mighty incentive toward a higher spiritual state. As your 
 race advances I am sure you will realize more and more the 
 beauty and value of this art, heaven-born and exhaustless." 
 
 We all smiled at Zenith's happy assurance that the earth 
 was on the upward path, and Thorwald said : 
 
 "You see hope is contagious. But as we have been 
 through all your present troubles and have triumphed over 
 them, it is perhaps easier for us to believe in you than for 
 you to believe in yourselves. 
 
 "And now, should you like to see how the telephone 
 works in every-day matters? " 
 
 On our replying in the affirmative, Thorwald turned a 
 switch, waited a moment, turned it again, and then there 
 appeared before our eyes a familiar object, nothing less than 
 the ship in which we had made our recent voyage. A num- 
 ber of the men, whom we recognized, were walking about 
 the deck, and one stood apart, near the side of the vessel, 
 conversing with Thorwald, the words of both being audible 
 to us. When they were through, the scene faded away and 
 Thorwald said : 
 
 " As soon as the ship reached its dock connection was 
 made with the general system of wires, and the instrument, 
 which is stationed near the place where the man was stand- 
 ing, was ready for use. 
 
 " So, whenever we desire to talk to our friends, we sum- 
 mon them to our presence. You see it is not necessary to 
 
THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 217 
 
 speak directly into the transmitter. We can sit comfort- 
 ably in our chairs and converse as easily as when our 
 friends are actually present." 
 
 " Let me ask you, Thorvvald," said the doctor, " how all 
 the electricity you use is generated ? The immense quan- 
 tity you employ must necessitate a great deal of power to 
 produce it. Is there a huge plant in every city driven by 
 steam ? ' ' 
 
 " No," answered Thorwald. " We make no use of steam 
 in these days. All the power we need is obtained from 
 natural waterfalls and rapids. This power, which nature 
 has placed ready made at our hand, is so abundant that it 
 can never be exhausted." 
 
 " These waterfalls must fortunately be well distributed," 
 remarked the doctor. 
 
 " Not more so, I presume, than on the earth," Thorwald 
 made answer. " Every stream that runs in its bed has in it 
 a power proportioned to the volume of water and the swift- 
 ness of its current. Think of the amount of water wasted 
 every day in this way — no, not wasted, but unused. We do 
 not need, however, to utilize ordinary streams, as there are 
 enough great falls where power is transformed into electric- 
 ity to be sent over wires to any distance required. In every 
 city or district large storage facilities are provided from 
 which power can be obtained for all possible purposes. 
 Our beds of coal and wells of oil were long since exhausted, 
 but while rain falls and water runs this power can never 
 fail us. 
 
 " Doctor, what is the best metal you have for transmit- 
 ting electricity? " 
 
 " Copper," answered my companion. " Silver is a little 
 better conductor, and a new metal, called glucinium, is bet- 
 ter still, but both of these are too expensive for general use. 
 
2l8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Our telegraph and telephone wires were formerly made of 
 iron for the sake of economy, but copper is now used for 
 these lines, as well as for distributing electricity on a large 
 scale. The copper wire now commonly used for the telegraph 
 has a resistance of something like four ohms to the mile." 
 
 " You are making good progress," said Thorwald. " But 
 we have a metal of such good conducting qualities that, 
 without making the wire too large for convenient use, we 
 have reduced the resistance to an ohm to the mile." 
 
 "That is an exceedingly valuable metal," the doctor 
 said. " And now let me ask you a practical question. 
 You say you draw your electricity for a thousand and one 
 uses from a large storage plant in each city. Do you pay 
 for it by the kilowatt, or how is it measured? " 
 
 " We ask for so many watts or kilowatts, and it is also 
 measured by the watt hour. But are you serious in asking 
 if we pay for it? " 
 
 " Why, you surely do not mean it is given away," ex- 
 claimed the doctor, " after all the expense connected with 
 producing and transmitting it." 
 
 " Yes, I mean that whatever quantity we want to use is 
 ours for the asking. Before we could buy it some one 
 would have to own it, and that could never be. Besides, 
 how could we buy anything without money? " 
 
 " What ! No money either? " broke in the doctor again. 
 " Well, if you can get along without money, that accounts in 
 my mind for much of your happiness. Just think of that," 
 continued the doctor, turning to me, " to be forever rid of 
 money and all the trouble it brings." 
 
 " Of what value would it be to us? " asked Thorwald. 
 ** We could not use it." 
 
 " Some of our people on the earth," replied the doctor, 
 " have oceans of it which they cannot use, and still they 
 
THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 219 
 
 seem to think it is of much value. It is an inherent char- 
 acteristic of our race to love the mere possession of money 
 or other property, and human nature must change a great deal 
 before we can begin to reach the exalted moral condition 
 which you now enjoy, to say nothing of your spiritual state." 
 
 " Your nature will change," said Thorwald, " and do not 
 doubt that the change has already begun. Time is what 
 you need, and there is time enough for everything." 
 
 After the midday lunch had been served we were in- 
 vited to take a walk about the grounds. As the doctor 
 and I were admiring the beautiful lawns and gorgeous 
 beds of flowers, and then stood enraptured at the sight of 
 the noble mansion itself. Zenith watched us eagerly, and 
 finally said, with a smile : 
 
 " You discovered my favorite department of art this morn- 
 ing. Now is a good time to learn what Thorwald's is." 
 
 " Judging from what we have already seen and heard of 
 your husband," said I, " it seems to me he must be an as- 
 tronomer, or, if not that, then a theological professor." 
 
 " If he has been talking to you on either of those sub- 
 jects," she returned, " I have no doubt he told you things 
 worth taking home with you, but his pet topics of study are 
 architecture and its sister art. landscape gardening. This 
 house is a creature of his brain, and all the artistic effects 
 in color and pattern, which I know you have the taste to 
 admire, are of his designing." 
 
 The simple, unaffected manner in which Zenith showed 
 her pride in her husband's achievements was refreshing, and 
 the knowledge she imparted only added still more to our 
 high appreciation of our friend. 
 
 It was now time for Thorwald to speak, and he remarked 
 quietly : 
 
 " It is true that I love architecture. It is another occu- 
 
220 DAYBREAK. 
 
 pation of which we can never tire and whose resources we 
 can never fathom. A beautiful, dignified, and truly artistic 
 building is one of the highest possible products of our civi- 
 lization, and such work brings out all the poetic feeling in 
 one's nature, just as the production of a fine painting or 
 piece of sculpture does. These arts, and literature as well, 
 all have their special devotees among us, but everyone 
 knows enough of all arts to appreciate and enjoy good 
 work in every department. 
 
 ** We build truthfully, and this helps to make what we 
 build beautiful, for truth is beautiful wherever it is found; 
 and beauty is an object to be sought after for its own 
 sake, an enjoyable thing well worth striving for. Relig- 
 ion and art, using both those terms in a comprehensive 
 sense, have worked together, through all our history, to lift 
 up our souls and fit them for higher and higher duties." 
 
 "Thorwald," said Zenith, "I think our friends would 
 enjoy seeing some of our imposing buildings and other 
 works of art while this subject is before them." 
 
 That this was not a suggestion that we should start on an 
 extended tour of the country was proved by Thorwald, who 
 said : 
 
 " Very well, we will then go into the music room again, 
 if you please." 
 
 Here we were shown, by the new powers of the telephone, 
 a bewildering succession of the grandest structures our 
 imagination could picture : churches and cathedrals, college 
 buildings, observatories, museums, music halls and private 
 residences. These were not like pictures or views ; but the 
 structures themselves, in full perspective and in all the 
 richness of their coloring, seemed to stand before us. 
 Trees waving in the breeze, people and carriages passing in 
 the streets and occasionally a movement at a window or door, 
 
THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 221 
 
 all aided the illusion and made it difificult to realize that 
 we were not in the midst of the scenes we were gazing upon. 
 
 Thorwald or Zenith told us the name or purpose of each 
 building as it appeared, and the novel exhibition closed 
 with the presentation of a large and splendid playhouse. 
 
 As this was announced I involuntarily exclaimed : 
 
 " So you have kept the theater, have you? Some good 
 people on the earth think the drama is demoralizing." 
 
 "That," said Zenith, "is probably because you have 
 allowed it to become debased. We read in our histories of 
 such a period here. Indeed, for a long time both the play 
 and the opera were abolished, our advancing civilization 
 having given them up under the impression that the good 
 in them was overbalanced by the evil. But when the era of 
 a more noble personal character had come the drama was 
 revived, and now is not only a source of innocent pleasure 
 but is also a decided help to our growth. 
 
 " I recognize the house we are now looking at. It is in 
 quite a distant city, and I see Thorwald has purposely 
 chosen it because at this moment an able company is pre- 
 senting there one of our most popular plays. Would you 
 like to hear some of it? " 
 
 No sooner were these words uttered than we saw Thor- 
 wald make a slight movement of the switch, and, lo ! the 
 scene was changed to the interior of the building, and there 
 before us was the Martian theater in full play. We sat as 
 it wero in the dress circle, with the orchestra and stage in 
 our front. All was beauty and life around us, and the rich- 
 ness and harmonious coloring of the whole interior were 
 simply beyond description. The play was going on in a 
 quiet, dignified manner and every word and gesture were 
 characterized with the greatest naturalness. It struck the 
 doctor and me as a peculiar feature that, while we could 
 
222 DAYBREAK, 
 
 hear everything that was said on the stage and even the 
 rustle of the people around us, we ourselves could talk and 
 laugh without being noticed. This effect was produced by 
 an ingenious attachment to the telephone, and the doctor 
 was moved to remark : 
 
 " This is an altogether comfortable and satisfactory situ- 
 ation." 
 
 " Yes," added Zenith, " we think it is almost as good as 
 being actually present in the theater." 
 
 We assured her it was better, in our opinion, and then we 
 thanked them both for the pleasure they had given us. 
 But we began to think their resources for entertaining their 
 friends would never be exhausted when Thorwald told us he 
 would, at some future time, show us specimens of their 
 paintings, sculpture, fine porcelain, elegant furniture, and 
 many other works of art. 
 
 One morning, a few days later, as we were rising from 
 breakfast, Thorwald said : 
 
 " Well, my friends, I suppose you will go to church with 
 us to-day ? ' ' 
 
 " To church? " asked we in one breath. 
 
 " Yes, this is Sunday." 
 
 "Oh, is it?" I said. "I began to think you didn't 
 have Sunday here. It is now eight days since our return 
 from the moon, and this is the first we have heard of it." 
 
 " Let me see," said Thorwald, " I believe this is the 
 first Sunday we have spent at home since you came to us." 
 
 " Then how long is your week? " 
 
 " Ten days." 
 
 " That accounts for our misunderstanding," I said, " for 
 our Sunday comes every seventh day." 
 
 " That is an odd number," returned Thorwald. " With 
 us the week is the basis of our decimal method of reckon- 
 
THE PICTURE TELEGRAPH. 223 
 
 ing. We have one hundred minutes in an hour and ten 
 hours in a day." 
 
 Of course we were ready to go to church, and when we 
 were on the way, seated in a comfortable carriage, the 
 doctor said to Thorwald : 
 
 " If for any reason you do not care to go out on Sunday, 
 I suppose you can all repair to your music room, turn that 
 little switch, and listen to the best preacher and the best 
 church music in the land. But do not imagine by that 
 remark that we have any fault to find with this method of 
 going to church. For my part, I think I prefer it." 
 
 " I perceive," answered Thorwald, " that you have a good 
 idea of the capabilities of the telephone, but I shall have 
 to correct you in this case. Our instruments are not con- 
 nected with any of the churches. But to-morrow we can 
 get, by asking through the telephone, phonograph rolls of 
 any sermons that are delivered to-day. If we preferred 
 we could get them in print, but the phonograph is pleas- 
 anter. This instrument is now so perfect that the imitation 
 of the speaker's words and tones is faultless. The works 
 of all our authors can be obtained in this form, and our 
 libraries consist in great part of phonograph rolls. Even 
 the poets of former generations speak to us, and the voice 
 of the singer adds its charm to the song. 
 
 " But you will want to ask me why we do not extend the 
 use of the telephone to the churches. We learned long ago 
 that it is a good thing for people to come together for wor- 
 ship and that nothing will take the place of it. We do not 
 go for an intellectual treat nor to enjoy the music, but 
 only for worship, and we try to keep our forms simple yet 
 dignified and as fitting as possible in all ways. Some day 
 I must tell you through what difficulties we have passed in 
 church ceremonies and church government." 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AN UNSATISFACTORY LOVER. 
 
 It was delightful to live in the same world with Mona, 
 not for me only but for every one who knew her. No one 
 could help loving her; there was simply nothing else to do. 
 Others did not make as much show of their affection as 
 I did, perhaps because no one else was selfish enough to 
 claim the same personal rights in her, but I found every 
 new acquaintance she made succumbed to the power of her 
 many charms. The secret of this general homage was her 
 own loving nature, 'which just worked itself out spontane- 
 ously, but the more her love was shed abroad the more she 
 retained for new-comers. At first my naturally jealous dis- 
 position continued to give me long hours of anguish, but 
 I happily was able to overcome this to a great extent as I 
 became better acquainted with her marvelous spirit. 
 
 Although I was at that time too much under the spell of 
 this fair creature to form an unprejudiced judgment of her, 
 I have since then attempted something of the kind, in 
 comparing her in my mind with Antonia and others whom 
 we met in Mars. Let me say that the Martians are not a 
 perfect race. With our undeveloped spiritual natures we 
 could not, during our entire visit, see any imperfections in 
 them; but, as will Ije seen further on in this narrative, our 
 good friends Thorwald and Zenith, under whose instruc- 
 tions kind fortune had placed us, were particular to tell us 
 
AN UNSATISFACTORY LOVER. 225 
 
 that their race had reached only an advanced state of civi- 
 lization, to which the earth might one day attain, and that 
 perfection was still a dream of the future. Taking Antonia, 
 then, as a representative of her kind, I can see that she had 
 a solidly formed character. She was what she was, not 
 because she could not help it but because she herself willed 
 it. That is, when she might have done wrong she chose to 
 do right. Her connection with temptation was not entirely 
 through her remote ancestors, whose sins filled such a large 
 page in their history, but she herself had felt drawings 
 toward evil. Yet so slightly had she yielded, and so 
 strongly had her right years of living buttressed her against 
 all kinds of wrong, that she, as well as all of her race whom 
 we saw, appeared to us about perfect. Theoretically she 
 might transgress, but practically it was all but impossible. 
 Hers, then, was a truly noble character, and when she gave 
 her love to Foedric he had good reason to be proud of the 
 gift. Nor did she defraud others of their due, but her 
 heart was open to every proper call. 
 
 Such was Antonia, one whom we could in some degree 
 appreciate, although so far above us. But how could we 
 understand a being like Mona, who told us, and we saw no 
 reason to disbelieve her, that she had never known what it 
 was to do wrong? She seemed as incapable of evil as the 
 birds of the air, or, to make the comparison still stronger, 
 as a beautiful rose. She was guileless by nature, and good- 
 ness and truth were as much a part of her as her beauty was. 
 She was made to be a joy and comfort to every creature 
 brought within the circle of her influence, and she could no 
 more help loving than the sun can help shining. All who 
 came near her received a share of her gracious beams. 
 
 She was unselfish and full of sympathy and every right 
 feeling, not because she had seen the evils of selfishness 
 
226 DAYBREAK. 
 
 and meanness, but because these latter qualities were utterly- 
 unknown to her. Her high character and perfectly correct 
 life, therefore, were not the result of reason and choice, but 
 were the instinctive manifestations of her pure nature. 
 
 I do not undertake to say which of these two presented 
 the higher type of womanhood, and I certainly entered into 
 no such speculations about them at that time, but I never 
 had any diiificulty in deciding that Mona was the one I 
 loved. I did not, of course, relish her fondness for others. 
 In that respect I considered her nature altogether too ardent, 
 but I found I must get accustomed to it, as she would not 
 change. 
 
 It made me quite despondent at times, fearing I could 
 never lead her to feel any special liking for me. Then when 
 she smiled upon me and sang so sweetly to me, I thought I 
 ought to be happy though I had to share her heart with all 
 the world. Still I did not relax my efforts to make my share 
 larger. 
 
 " Mona," I said, one day, " I wish you would ask me to 
 do something real hard for you." 
 
 " Why? " she asked. 
 
 " So that I could show you how much I love you." 
 
 " But you have already shown me," she said. " I can- 
 not think of anything more difficult than you have done. 
 Did you not keep up a firm belief that I would be found, 
 even after the doctor and these wise men of Mars had lost 
 all hope, and did you not, by your enthusiasm, prevail on 
 them to enter on a difficult search for me on the moon? I 
 have heard all about your deep concern for me and how 
 you were affected by hearing singing which you thought was 
 like mine. And now that I have been found, you are so 
 watchful for my comfort and like to be so near me all the » 
 time, that I am sure I do not need any further proof of your 
 
AN UNSATISFACTORY LOVER, 227 
 
 Strong attachment. But why do you pay me so much atten- 
 tion? Why do you not like to be with Antonia as much as 
 with me? " 
 
 " Because I do not love her as much as I do you," 
 
 " Why do you love me so? Because I took you down to 
 my quiet home and saved you from being blown ofi the top 
 of the moon ? ' ' 
 
 " No, the doctor and I are both grateful to you for that 
 kindness, but gratitude isn't love." 
 
 " I haven't done anything else for you," she said. 
 
 " It isn't for anything you have done that I love you." 
 
 "What then?" 
 
 " Oh, I don't know. I suppose it is because I can't 
 help it." 
 
 " Oh, then you are becoming like me, for I can't help 
 loving everybody." 
 
 " I shall never be good enough for that," said I. 
 
 " What is love, as you understand it? " asked Mona. 
 
 " Love — love," I hesitated ; " why, it is the feeling I have 
 in my heart for you. Love is what kept hope alive when you 
 were lost and gave me such joy when I heard your voice 
 and knew we had found you. Love makes every task light 
 that is done for you and every place where you are the 
 brightest spot in the universe. Even this delightful world 
 of Mars is more beautiful than ever because you are here. 
 Love, if mutual, is a precious bond, uniting two hearts and 
 making them beat in harmony. Cannot you and I be joined 
 in heart, Mona? " 
 
 " My dear friend," she replied, " I am very sorry I can- 
 not share your feeling, but I do not understand such love 
 as you have been trying to describe." 
 
 " Then I fear you do not love me, ' ' I responded, with great 
 sadness in my voice. 
 
228 DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Oh, don't say that," she exclaimed. "Indeed I do 
 love you. Now, how can I prove it to you? What is the 
 opposite of love? " 
 
 " Hatred ; or, in such a case as this, indifference would be 
 about as bad as anything." 
 
 " Well, I don't know much about such things, but do I 
 seem like a person who could hate you or be indifferent to 
 you?" 
 
 " No, Mona, you seem to be the most loving creature in 
 all the worlds we have ever known, but " 
 
 " Oh, do not spoil that fine speech with a ' but.' I know 
 what you want to say. You think I ought to love you more 
 than anyone else, or in some different way. Now, that 
 desire of yours is what I cannot understand. I love every- 
 body alike because I know of no other sentiment. So it is 
 a matter of course with me, and I do not feel obliged to 
 tell people that I love them. You seem to make too much 
 of it, coming to me everyday and telling me, over and over 
 again, that you love me, just as if I doubted it. Why do 
 you like to be with me so much? Do you think it is right 
 to be so exclusive? You ought to favor the others with 
 your company. As for mc, I must say I prefer Foedric's 
 society to yours, because he has so many interesting things 
 to talk about, while you stick continually to one subject 
 and give me little information even on that one. You know 
 I am a new-comer here and eager to learn all I can. Then 
 there's the doctor. I take more pleasure conversing with 
 him than with you, for he seems to know more, or, at any 
 rate, to be more able to tell me things I want to know about 
 the earth. If the doctor were not here and you were the 
 only one to judge from, I should be obliged to think the 
 people of the earth a very curious race. Your companion, 
 however, appears to be a man of considerable sense." 
 
AN UNSATISFACTORY LOVER. 229 
 
 Mona sang all this in her easy, natural way, being per- 
 fectly free from any intention of wounding my feelings, 
 but the more innocent I believed her the more incapable I 
 saw she was of entering into my feelings. I began to real- 
 ize how, in loving everybody, she missed a certain enjoyment 
 derived from a more selfish order of love. It then occurred 
 to me that a world full of such people as Mona must have 
 rather a monotonous time from our point of view, and I asked 
 her if she could tell me about her race in general respecting 
 the subject of our conversation. 
 
 " Certainly," she replied, " I can tell you something 
 from my own recollections, but more from our traditions." 
 
 " Well, were the men of the moon all sensible, or were 
 they all like me? " 
 
 " Oh, I see you have a little sense as soon as you begin 
 to talk in a new direction. In answer to your question, let 
 me say that the stress you have put on our personal rela- 
 tions is something entirely new to me, and I do not see any 
 use or advantage in it. This must be my excuse for speak- 
 ing so plainly. I should not have spoken so had I not 
 known, in spite of what I have said, that you had too much 
 sense to be offended." 
 
 " I thank you," I said. " Do not apologize for your 
 words. I have taken them as a needed rebuke for my haste 
 in appropriating you to myself. But I believe, Mona, that 
 the time will come when you will know the happiness of 
 loving one person so much that your love for all others 
 will not be thought of in comparison. Happy will he be 
 who, in that day, is able to prove the capacity of your great 
 heart." 
 
 " Then, in that day," she respontied, " shall I prove my- 
 self to be the degenerate daughter of a noble race. No, 
 my friend, we were not made of such stuff. We loved 
 
230 DAYBREAK. 
 
 everybody, without question and without limit. We could 
 do nothing else, and to love one more than another was 
 therefore impossible." 
 
 " Let me ask if everyone was worthy of being loved? " 
 
 " Why, as to that, we were all alike. What do you think 
 of me ? ' ' 
 
 " You know what I think of you, Mona ; or, if you do not, 
 I will tell you." 
 
 "Yes; you needn't tell me again. What I wanted to 
 say is, that I am no better than the rest of my people were." 
 
 "What a world it must have been then," I exclaimed, 
 " and how fortunate that the earth did not discover it 
 earlier. With such an example before us we should have 
 been utterly discouraged." 
 
 When Mona had left meat the close of this conversation, 
 I proceeded to take stock of my sensations. I had certainly 
 been seeing a new phase of Mona's character. Could I 
 make such vigorous language consistent with my former 
 conception of her? I answered yes to this question after 
 studying it awhile, for I concluded that she was only just 
 in giving me a lesson that I deserved. Her innocence was 
 only the more evident, and that was the ground on which I 
 built my faith in her. But now came the inquiry whether 
 my love could withstand such a shock as it had received. 
 I was no longer blind to the truth. Mona had no stronger 
 affection for me than for her other friends, and it began to 
 be doubtful if she ever would have, considering her peculiar 
 education in affairs of the heart. If I continued to love 
 her, it must be with the full knowledge that I had not 
 as yet gained the slightest success in my effort to secure 
 her for my own exclusive possession. My exuberant pas- 
 sion had received a serious shock, for I had been plainly 
 told that it was making me appear ridiculous. Then, 
 
AN UNSATISFACTORY LOVER. 23 1 
 
 when there seemed to be danger that my love must 
 grow cold under such treatment, I began to argue Mona's 
 cause to myself, and I bade myself take comfort once more 
 in the old thoughts. She was young and careless, besides 
 being entirely new to our manner of wooing, and I had 
 been too hasty in my approaches and no doubt tired her 
 with my continuous solicitations. But then, on the other 
 hand, I continued, the case seemed much more hopeless 
 than before after such a plain rebuff, and if I had any self- 
 respect I could not continue to pay my court where my 
 honest love was made a matter of jest. 
 
 These thoughts passed rapidly through my mind, and I 
 cannot tell to what rash resolve they would have led me 
 had not the music of Mona's laughing voice just then come 
 floating in from another room. As usual, this was more than 
 I could resist, and its immediate effect now was to drive 
 out reason and to enthrone love once more. All my doubt 
 and uncertainty vanished in a twinkling, my self-respect 
 hid itself in a dark corner of my memory, and as 1 instinc- 
 tively started to find the fair singer I realized again, with a 
 feeling too strong for argument, that I was still very much 
 in love. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 AN ENVIARLE CONDITION. 
 
 Our life in this cultured home continued to be as 
 pleasant as were these first days. There was always some- 
 thing new to show us or to tell us. We would walk out 
 every day and often step into a carriage and take a long 
 ride. Our friends were famous walkers but were consider- 
 ate of our feebleness, and still our returning strength, 
 added to the great buoyancy of our bodies on that smaller 
 planet, soon gave us also remarkable walking powers. 
 
 Sometimes the children would accompany us on an all- 
 day excursion, and then the house would be left not only 
 unlocked, but with the doors wide open perhaps. When we 
 remarked on this. Zenith told us that if anyone happened 
 along he would be at perfect liberty to go in and help him- 
 self to anything in the house. This was always understood, 
 whether the people were at home or not, and one need not 
 even go through the formality of asking, if he could see 
 what he wanted. This referred not merely to bodily refresh- 
 ment, of which one might be in need, but literally to every- 
 thing the house contained ; and the reason why there was 
 any sort of comfort living under such conditions was, that 
 the members of that society were all and severally of such 
 ripe characters that it was well known one would not 
 deprive another of anything he was using except for a rea- 
 son which would be satisfactory to both. 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 233 
 
 " If we could communicate with the people on the 
 earth," said the doctor to me when we sat alone conversing 
 about these things, " and tell them how the inhabitants 
 here live, they would want to organize an expedition and 
 start for Mars right away." 
 
 "Yes, I think they would," I assented. " And yet, if 
 what Thorwald says is true, the earth will one day be as 
 good as Mars. Do you believe it? " 
 
 " Well, the fact is," answered the doctor, " I am ready to 
 believe almost anything now." 
 
 " Oh, I wish Thorwald could hear you say that." 
 
 " I should not object," he continued. " I am sure that 
 some power, not comprehended by our science or philos- 
 ophy, has operated here to bring these people to the con- 
 dition in which we find them, and if the same kind 
 forces are at work on the earth, let us hope they will do as 
 much for us, no matter how much time it takes. If a belief 
 in such a power is faith, then perhaps I am beginning to 
 have a little faith. 
 
 " I remember I used to hear our preachers in their public 
 prayers ask God that every form of vice and crime might be 
 banished from the earth, and that the time might come 
 when there should be no more sin, but only love and beauty 
 and happiness. I have heard such prayers a hundred times, 
 and never thought much about them. But now I am forced 
 to think, and it seems to me that these prayers would not 
 be inade continually unless there were a hope and expecta- 
 tion in the minds of religious people that they would some 
 time be answered. It is not for me to assume that such 
 a hope is unreasonable, drawn as it is from the book which 
 so many believe is the word of God." 
 
 I rejoiced to hear my friend talk in this way, but it seemed 
 very odd that he should be preaching my own doctrine 
 
234 DAYBREAK. 
 
 to me. I had had the same thoughts, and had been trying 
 to find the right time to offer them to the doctor. I am 
 sure I was thankful that he was coming to such views with- 
 out a word from me, for he would probably be much more 
 apt to hold to them. 
 
 The foregoing conversation was in the evening, and the 
 next morning we were all sitting comfortably in the music 
 room, when Thorwald said : 
 
 " The other day I began to give you some orderly account 
 of our history, but you see how it has been broken into by 
 the relation of different phases, in answer to your questions. 
 It seems to me now that it will be more interesting to you 
 if I continue in tlie same way and take up one subject at a 
 time. And now that we have a little time before us, I wish 
 you would suggest some point upon which you would like 
 to have me talk ; that is, if it is agreeable to you." 
 
 To which the doctor replied : 
 
 " I like your plan very much and I am sure we both have 
 plenty of questions which will keep you supplied with 
 topics. I have desired for some time to ask you about your 
 industrial system. I can see how electricity has relieved 
 you of the most arduous labor, but there must remain much 
 disagreeable work, as we would call it, to be done with the 
 hand. In our busy life there are a thousand such tasks, 
 which I cannot conceive of being performed by machinery, 
 many of them hard only because they are monotonous and 
 awake no interest or enthusiasm in the performer. Men 
 and women are continually wearing themselves out with 
 such work. You must have abolished all that, if everybody 
 here is comfortable and happy. I am very anxious to hear 
 how it has been done." 
 
 " In answering your question," Thorwald began, " let 
 me say, first, that I presume we have learned to employ 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 235 
 
 machines in a great many ways which to you would seem 
 incomprehensible. The drudgery and much of the monot- 
 ony of labor have been removed, as well as its severity. 
 But still, as you surmise, there is plenty of work for all. 
 Our higher civilization does not require less work than 
 yours, but rather more and of greater variety. It is all done 
 quietly, however, without friction or any of the unpleasant 
 features of former times. 
 
 " I suspect that the real secret of the change is in the 
 elevation of individual character. This has done more to 
 better our condition than electricity and all the material 
 improvements and inventions of the age. You must believe 
 me when I say that no sort of labor is considered disgrace- 
 ful, and, further, that one occupation is just as honorable 
 as another. The man who goes into the mine and superin- 
 tends the machine which gathers the precious metal is 
 esteemed as highly as he who, with an artist's brain and 
 fingers, shapes it to its highest use. The carpenter who 
 works with his hands in the building of the house can 
 hold his head as high as the architect who has spent many 
 years in learning how to create the design. Why not? 
 Both are engaged on the same work, each one in his favorite, 
 and so his best, way. Both are working, not for daily 
 bread or other selfish end, but for the sake of doing some- 
 thing useful. The perfect content and satisfaction we all 
 enjoy in our labor come partly from our abundant health 
 and strength, and largely, also, from our entire freedom 
 from anxiety in regard to the means of maintenance for 
 ourselves and our families. In these respects we are all 
 equally fortunate. We are absolutely unconcerned about 
 what material things we shall have for ourselves or leave 
 to our children." 
 
 " Do you then all have equal pay for your work, and that 
 
236 DAYBREAK. 
 
 SO much that it places you above anxiety?" asked the 
 doctor. 
 
 "Yes," answered Thorwald, "we are all paid equally, 
 because we are not paid at all. So, having no wages and 
 owning no property, why should we be anxious? You know 
 I have told you we can have for our use anything that is 
 produced or made without even asking anybody for it. The 
 mere fact that we need a thing makes it rightfully ours." 
 
 " But what is the incentive to labor if you get nothing 
 for it, and can live just as well without it? " 
 
 " The incentive is in the love for our work and the con- 
 sciousness that we are doing something to make someone 
 happier and the world a little better. Let me give you an 
 illustration, a personal one, if you will excuse me. A 
 neighbor asks me to make him a plan for a house. He may 
 be a writer of books or he may be a carriage maker, or what 
 not, it makes not the slightest difference. I enjoy that 
 kind of work and, having obtained his ideas in regard to a 
 house, I do the best I can. I cannot conceive that I could 
 do any better if I knew he would pay me for the work, as 
 you say. In like manner he asks other neighbors to build 
 his house for him, and he has no difficulty in finding enough 
 men who enjoy that occupation as much as I do my part of 
 the work, and the principle which governs them in their 
 labor is as high as that which controls me." 
 
 " Then," said the doctor, " I should think the poor man 
 — I beg your pardon, I mean the hod-carrier — could ha\e 
 as grand a house as the architect himself." 
 
 " I don't know what a hod-carrier is," replied Thorwald, 
 " but I get your meaning, and you are quite right. As an 
 example of just that state of things, I will tell you that the 
 man who tends the digging machine in my garden lives in a 
 larger and handsomer house than this one. Why not? 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 237 
 
 He has a large family, and he and his wife are educated and 
 refined people." 
 
 " But with no physical wants to provide against, I should 
 think some men would find existence easier not to work at 
 all. According to your theory they could live in as good 
 style as the toilers and have no one to call them to account." 
 
 " No one but themselves. Every man is his own monitor, 
 and he needs no other. He knows his duty, and he has 
 that within him which keeps him up to it more effectually 
 than any outside influence could. In regard to a man's not 
 caring to work, we have been through all that, and we have 
 now no such cases. We found out long ago that it is better 
 to have some one stated employment and follow it. But 
 this does not mean that the work becomes a burden. One 
 can rest as often and as long as he pleases. There is no 
 one to intimate in any way that he should be at work, as the 
 question is left entirely to him. The moment that work 
 ceases to be a necessity it becomes a pleasure and the most 
 natural thing in the world. The multiplication of mechan- 
 ical inventions has greatly reduced the volume of labor, 
 so that there is really but little for each individual to do; 
 and the truth is, there is never any lack of men. If 
 anything, there is not enough work." 
 
 "Your words," said the doctor, "reveal a remarkable 
 condition of affairs, and I fear it will be many, many years 
 before we can begin to think seriously of such a plan, so 
 long as to make it almost hopeless; but there is one more 
 question I would like to ask. With all this freedom of 
 choice, how does it happen that all do not flock to the easy 
 and pleasant occupations, and leave the disagreeable tasks 
 undone ? ' ' 
 
 To this Thorwald replied : 
 
 " Let me ask you, Doctor, if you have not an answer to 
 
238 DAYBREAK. 
 
 your question in your own industrial system. Do you not 
 always find men to do every required work, no matter how 
 hard and distasteful it may seem to you? I do not mean 
 that the parallel is exact, but this seems to be governed now, 
 as it has always been, by a dispensation of nature. We are 
 born with different tastes and inclinations. Each one 
 chooses his own occupation, and it comes to pass provi- 
 dentially, just as it did in the olden time, that all do not 
 choose alike." 
 
 " Are all equally well educated? " 
 
 " No, but all have an equal opportunity. Everyone is 
 given a broad foundation of general information. The mind 
 and hand are both trained and prepared to do good work, 
 and then the choice of occupation is made and the special 
 education begins. But one who has chosen some kind of 
 manual labor as his vocation very often takes up literary or 
 other professional work in addition, and everybody has some 
 kind of study on hand, by which the mind is kept employed. 
 There is no uneducated class among us." 
 
 " Before you reached such nobility of character," said 
 the doctor, " that panacea for so many ills, I suppose you 
 had troubles enough. You have already intimated as much 
 to us. I wonder if it would not help us to appreciate bet- 
 ter your present condition if you should tell us briefly of 
 your experiences in solving so happily some of the prob- 
 lems of your career. I am thinking now more especially 
 of the difificultiesof your social and industrial reformation." 
 
 " I will attempt something of the kind," Thorwald re- 
 plied, " if you are sure I shall not weary you. Remember 
 to prompt me if I do not follow the lines of most interest 
 to you. 
 
 " If you should prefer to read you would find the facts 
 you want fully set forth in our histories. The records are 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 239 
 
 especially full and exhaustive on the subjects you have 
 mentioned, for the important changes, or, at least, the 
 changes whose story will be most instructive to you, came 
 in a time of great intellectual activity. Of the earlier days 
 the history is unfortunately less complete, and still further 
 back the records become uncertain and many are merely 
 legendary. 
 
 " Let us begin at a time when civilization was confined 
 to a small portion of the surface of our planet. Society 
 was then crude and unformed. It was a rude, selfish 
 age. But the germ of better things was there, for the gos- 
 pel of Christ had been planted in the world and was sure to 
 spring into life when its time should come. But mean- 
 while our evil nature was strong and choked the good seed, 
 and made advancement slow and uncertain. Power was 
 divided among many rulers who were despots, whose prin- 
 cipal occupation was war. The people were valued merely 
 for their fighting qualities and enjoyed only such rights and 
 privileges as their cruel masters allowed them. Being 
 slaves themselves, they held in a still more bitter slavery 
 e^•ery prisoner captured in war. 
 
 " Life was mere animal existence for most of the race, 
 without enjoyment for the present or hope for the future. 
 Education being denied them, there was no mental stimulus 
 to compensate for physical wretchedness, and even their 
 meager religious privileges were accompanied with so many 
 superstitious and unnatural rites that life was relieved of 
 but a little of its burden. 
 
 " Gradually power was concentrated in the hands of a few 
 autocrats, nations were consolidated, and war began to be a 
 science. Then some attention was paid to the comfort of 
 the people for the purpose of making them better soldiers. 
 Soon it was found that intelligence was the best weapon a 
 
240 DAYBREAK. 
 
 man could carry, and so education, in a very stinted form, 
 was encouraged. This was a fatal blunder on the part of 
 the rulers, for as soon as the mind was unfettered the 
 shackles began to fall from the body, and the days of abso- 
 lutism were numbered. The spirit of knowledge, once 
 released from its imprisonment, became a dominant power 
 in the world, and as time went on the people demanded 
 a voice in the management of affairs. In this way came 
 constitutional government, which for a longtime held sway, 
 and under which there came immense benefits to all. 
 Religion and learning flourished, science and art blessed 
 the race with their bounties, and the world began to be a 
 brighter and better place to live in, comparing the times 
 with the ages of ignorance and cruelty that went before. 
 
 " And now the stream of liberty broadened, and before 
 long became a flood that swept away thrones and scepters. 
 Personal government ceased, and the people became their 
 own political masters. The right of suffrage was extended 
 and slavery was abolished, while commerce and the spirit 
 of adventure carried civilization to many parts of the world. 
 Then appeared a swarm of mechanical inventions to lighten 
 the labor of mankind, electricity came with its strong arm 
 and great promise, and easier and swifter transportation by 
 land and sea brought the nations and peoples together to 
 the mutual advantage of all. 
 
 " Education, once the possession of the rich and power- 
 ful only, now shed its benign inllucncc over the whole 
 l^eople. AVhereas, in the early times, learning had caused 
 the downfall of despotic power, it was now considered a 
 principal safeguard of good government, and made compul- 
 sory. Wealth was accumulated, luxuries multiplied, and 
 great strides were taken in the material welfare of both 
 nations and individuals. It was an age of intense activity. 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 24I 
 
 So rapidly did events follow each other, and such possibil- 
 ities were anticipated, that enthusiasts, whose heads were 
 turned in the mad whirl, prophesied the immediate open- 
 ing of the millennium. 
 
 " Judged by all the race had previously know^n of free- 
 dom, of prosperity, and of happiness, it was a grand age, 
 and that generation might well be proud of their timely 
 birth. But, looked at from our present standpoint, we can 
 see it was still a day of sadness and sin. We understand, 
 what it was more difficult for them to realize, that the 
 revival of pure religion, awakening the conscience of man- 
 kind, had brought about all that was good in their condi- 
 tion, while many evil tendencies had only been exaggerated 
 by their material prosperity. So it was still a very imperfect 
 world. Political freedom they had, but there was no eman- 
 cipation from the powerful thraldom of selfishnesss. That 
 spirit held universal sway, governing not only individual 
 action but also the policy of nations. 
 
 " One of the highest sentiments known to the times, and 
 some writers placed it even above religion, was love of 
 country. Impassioned oratory was fond of declaring that 
 loyalty to one's native land was the loftiest emotion the 
 heart could feel, and no voice was found to rebuke the 
 utterance." 
 
 I was a little shocked to hear Thorwald, in his earnest 
 manner, give expression to these words, as though he looked 
 upon such views in a very serious light. I was therefore 
 bold enough to interrupt him with : 
 
 " Excuse me, Thorwald, but would not these orators, 
 when their attention was called to their extreme language, 
 acknowledge that love to God was a still higher senti- 
 ment ? ' ' 
 
 " Perhaps they would, for with all the selfishness of the 
 16 
 
242 DAYBREAK, 
 
 period there was a deep-seated l)elief in a divine being. 
 But even so, I still would not allow them to be right." 
 
 " Why," I asked, " is there more than one motive higher 
 than patriotism? " 
 
 "Yes, love is higher," answered Thorwald. "Let me 
 explain. What did love of country mean? At first one's 
 country was a single family, then a tribe, and later a city, 
 when the measure of one's patriotism was the measure also 
 of his hatred for everything foreign. In time a state was 
 formed from many cities and towns, and its citizens were 
 taught to look on all other states as enemies. Then these 
 states that had been fighting each other consolidated into a 
 nation, made up, perhaps, of different races and languages. 
 By this time patriotism became a lofty theme, but it was 
 the same spirit essentially as that which prompts the mem- 
 bers of two savage tribes to fight to the death through a 
 blind and unreasoning devotion to their leaders. So do 
 you not think that love to all, which can only come from 
 a generous heart, is more to be praised than love to a part, 
 which necessitates enmity to all the rest? I should think 
 it would have puzzled the people of that age sometimes to 
 tell of what their country really consisted. Was their high- 
 est allegiance due to their city, or their county, or their 
 state, or their nation? 
 
 "To what did this immoderate love of country lead? 
 To a passion for aggrandizement at the expense of others, 
 and what was this but selfishness with a gloss so bright as 
 to make it look like a virtue? It led to the strangling of 
 conscience in national affairs, so as to make wrong seem 
 right, and, more than that, to persistence in a course when 
 it was well known to be wrong. It taught false ideas of 
 honor and made the world one grand dueling field, where 
 the energy of nations was spent in watching for insults 
 
AN ENVIABLE CONDITION. 243 
 
 from their neighbors, and where the quick blow followed 
 every real or fancied offense. 
 
 " Do not imagine, by what I have said, that I would 
 have advised these people to love their country less. On 
 the contrary, I should tell them to love it so much that they 
 could not see it do wrong ; to love it so much that they 
 should have no room in their hearts for bitterness toward 
 others ; so much that they should strive to have it lead the 
 world in a march toward universal brotherhood. Love for 
 one's neighbor should not stop at state or national bound- 
 aries. Love should know neither caste nor country, but 
 should take in the world, and, I might add for your benefit, 
 other worlds if necessary. Love is a condition of the 
 heart, something within, not without, the man, and when 
 fully developed reaches out to everything that God has 
 made." 
 
 " It seems to me, Thorwald," I ventured to say, " that 
 these sentiments, which I can see are admirable, belong to 
 your present high development, while we of the earth have 
 reached only about the condition of the people whose traits 
 you have been describing." 
 
 "Then," resumed Thorwald, "you can perhaps under- 
 stand another evil of those times. It did not grow directly 
 out of love for country, but that too much lauded sentiment 
 prevented the people from seeing its full enormity. This 
 was the practice of attempting by law to protect the inhabi- 
 tants of one country by shutting out the goods of all others. 
 This prohibition included both the manufactured articles 
 and natural products, and the means adopted was the 
 placing of a high duty on imports. If the political leaders 
 of a people could succeed in convincing them that such 
 a course would raise wages, increase the opportunities for 
 accumulating money, and make them in general more pros- 
 
244 DAYBREAK. 
 
 perous, then it was forthwith adopted, entirely without 
 regard to the effect it might have on the rest of the world. 
 It is not at all plain to be seen, from reading the history of 
 those times, that the happiest results always followed the 
 passage of these laws, but the experiment was tried when- 
 ever a majority felt that there was a fair expectation of such 
 benefits. The only question considered was whether it 
 would be good policy for their particular country. And if 
 one result of this selfish legislation was the closing of mills 
 and the loss of employment to thousands of workmen in 
 some other part of the world, these facts were paraded in the 
 public prints as though they were matter for rejoicing. 
 Men were yet to learn that the maxim which the politicians 
 were fond of quoting, ' the greatest good to the greatest 
 number,' should have a world-wide application to give it 
 any meaning at all." 
 
 While my prejudices were receiving another shock, I 
 knew the doctor was really enjoying this part of Thorwald's 
 talk. So, in order to draw him out, I said to him, as Thor- 
 wald paused : 
 
 " Doctor, I think our friend must belong to your party." 
 
 " I should rather belong to his party," replied the 
 doctor. 
 
 " Thank you," said Thorwald. " That is a compliment 
 which I appreciate ; and now I think I have talked long 
 enough for one sitting. Let us get some lunch, and then go 
 out for a good walk." 
 
 Thorwald must have seen that the doctor's mood was soft- 
 ening, but he probably thought it wise not to speak more 
 directly to him at present. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 THE CHILDREN S DAY. 
 
 As it was a holiday, the children accompanied us on our 
 walk, and we had further opportunity of observing the 
 easy, natural relations which existed between them and 
 their parents. There was neither undue familiarity nor too 
 much restraint. There was respect as well as alTection on 
 both sides, and a scrupulous concern for each other's feel- 
 ings. Evidently the children had all the rights they could 
 appropriate to their advantage, while there was no abroga- 
 tion of the privileges or the duties of the parents. 
 
 At a convenient time during the afternoon I spoke to 
 Zenith about this happy condition of family affairs, and I 
 was greatly enlightened and not a little amused by her 
 reply. 
 
 " It was not always so," she said. " One of the sad chap- 
 ters of our history tells us of an unfortunate episode in the 
 family life. In the early days the father had complete con- 
 trol over his household, even the lives of its members being at 
 his disposal. But as civilization advanced the law stepped 
 in and protected the dependent ones from too harsh punish- 
 ment and from neglect. In time sympathy for the weak 
 and unprotected made all corporal punishment unpopular, 
 both at home and at school, and soon discipline of every 
 kind was much weakened. There appeared to be a growing 
 impression on the part of the elders that there could not be 
 
246 DAYBREAK. 
 
 any evil in the child's nature, and so if he were allowed to 
 grow up without any particular training he would not go 
 far out of the way. It seemed to be overlooked that this 
 was something new in the history of the race, that the 
 experiment had never been tried of giving the youth their 
 own way, from the cradle up. It had been taught from 
 very early times that the child, for its own future welfare, 
 should receive correction, and the teaching had never 
 before been departed from. The parents might just as well 
 have put the reins of family government in the hands of the 
 children at once, for this is what it came to in the end. 
 The children, released from all restraint, lost first their 
 respect for their elders, and then all regard for their feel- 
 ings. Instead of love there grew up a careless indifference, 
 and in place of that tender thoughtfulness so necessary to 
 happiness in this relation, parents began to receive harsh 
 and even cruel treatment. As we look back upon it now, it 
 seems strange that the result was not anticipated, and the 
 trend of events changed by a decided stand against such 
 an unnatural course. But the approach to a crisis was 
 insidious and, as I have said, history furnished no parallel 
 from which to draw a warning. 
 
 " Two things made it the worst time in the world for 
 parents to become lax in their discipline. One was the 
 growing sentiment in favor of independence which was 
 permeating all classes of society, and the other the great 
 revival of learning among the people. Given a large class 
 of persons highly educated and taught to prize personal 
 liberty above everything else, and still without the dis- 
 cretion that comes only with years, and what could be 
 expected of them when left with no strong hand to guide 
 them? The methods of education improved so rapidly, and 
 there were such constantly increasing opportunities for 
 
THE CHILDREN S DAY. 247 
 
 obtaining knowledge, that there was some excuse for the 
 children in getting the idea that they knew more than 
 their fathers and mothers. This belief v/ould not mider 
 any circumstances improve their manners, and at this time 
 it only caused, them to despise still more those who seemed 
 willing to withdraw a,ll claim to authority over them. Pre- 
 cocity, which had never been a popular trait, came to the 
 front with no modesty to relieve its disagreeable character. 
 
 " But the conduct of the youth of both sexes was not con- 
 fined to the exhibition of bad manners, nor to the mere 
 passive indulgence of an undutiful spirit. These led grad- 
 ually to a more serious phase of the rebellion, the inaugu- 
 ration of a series of petty annoyances, to be followed, 
 naturally, by acts of downright injustice and cruelty. It 
 seemed as if the old years of oppression to which, in a 
 ruder age, the children had been subjected, were about to 
 be repeated, with the parents for the victims. You must 
 not suppose that these vast changes came about in the course 
 of one generation. Just as a sentiment in favor of liberty 
 will be perpetuated in a people from one generation to 
 another, and increase with the lapse of years, so this feel- 
 ing of independence of parental control and this decadence 
 of natural affection were transmitted from one set of chil- 
 dren to the next, and matters grew from bad to worse. 
 
 " At length the behavior of the young people became so 
 notoriously bad that the matter had to be taken out of the 
 heretofore sacred precincts of home and treated in a public 
 manner. The press tried to work a reformation by ridicule 
 and threats, and when this was seen to have no eft'ect the 
 legislatures took up the subject, and actually passed laws 
 ' for the relief and protection of oppressed parents,' and 
 ' for the reestablishment of rightful authority in the home.' 
 These bold measures so angered the children that they 
 
248 DAYBREAK. 
 
 declared they would not submit to such insults, but would 
 take the matter of making laws, as well as all other 
 branches of public business, into their own hands. They 
 started their own organs, which made such silly declarations 
 as this : "' We are young, but in all other respects we are 
 superior to our elders. We have more intelligence, more 
 spirit and courage, we outnumber them two to one, and, 
 what is better than all the rest, we hold them already in 
 our power. So why should we not use that power, and go 
 •forward and destroy every vestige of their authority? Let 
 them work and earn our support, and we will do the rest.' 
 
 " And now," asked Zenith, " how do you think the affair 
 came out? " 
 
 " I confess," I answered, " that I shall have to give it 
 up." 
 
 " Well," she continued, " the problem was solved, as so 
 many others in our career have been, when the needed les- 
 son had been learned, without our being subjected to the 
 extremely dire results which seemed so imminent ; and 
 I am happy to be able to tell you that relief came through 
 the efforts of one of my own sex. Just before the last 
 ounce was added to the weight of foolishness and error 
 which was to turn the world completely over, a girl made 
 her appearance with sense enough to call a halt. She hap- 
 pened to be editing one of the fiery journals of her class, 
 when it stnick her one day that they were carrying the 
 thing too far. She had the courage to say so, and got 
 roundly abused for it. She persisted, obtained adherents 
 and helpers, and soon a decided reaction set in. Like a 
 house of cards, which a breath will destroy, the unstable 
 structure the children had built fell to the ground, never 
 to be restored. 
 
 " The lesson was not forgotten, and the experience, 
 
THE CHILDREN S DAY. 249 
 
 which appears laughable now, has been of great benefit to us 
 at different times since. But the broadening of our minds 
 and the general improvement in our character have long ago 
 placed us beyond the danger of a recurrence of such events. 
 Compared to our present state those were the days of our 
 infancy." 
 
 As Zenith closed I told her I had enjoyed her story, and 
 that I hoped the earth would not require such a lesson. 
 
 " I trust not," said Zenith. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 BUSINESS ETHICS. 
 
 The next day the doctor and I took the first opportunity 
 to tell Thorwald that we were anxious to have him proceed 
 with his narrative. 
 
 " Yes," he said, " I shall be glad to do so, for I had not 
 reached the important part when our sitting broke up yes- 
 terday. 
 
 " I was describing to you a remarkable era in our career, 
 and one of you mentioned the fact that the present condi- 
 tion of your race corresponded in some particulars with that 
 age on Mars. If you shall discover further points of like- 
 ness as I continue, it will add a peculiar interest to my story. 
 
 " There is a difference of opinion among our historians in 
 regard to those times. Some believe that the whole world 
 was corrupt, that it was an .age of material development 
 only, and that, if there were any good impulses at all, they 
 were so smothered with selfishness as to be of no account. 
 But these writers lived long ago, and were themselves more 
 or less under the shadow of that epoch. I strongly hold to 
 the views of the great majority of our scholars, who tell us 
 that, while there was too much evil of all kinds, there was 
 also much good, and many believers in a final happy issue 
 out of all the troubles of the time. 
 
 " In a society so entirely given up to the pursuit of 
 wealth and worldly advantage of every sort, those who were 
 
BUSINESS ETHICS. 25 I 
 
 trying to hold up the standard of righteousness and to al- 
 leviate the lot of their fellow beings should be remembered 
 with gratitude. Among the multitude of inventions were 
 many that were calculated to relieve the laborer of his 
 severest tasks, to mitigate suffering, to ward off disease, and 
 to lighten the load of mankind in various ways. Large 
 sums of money were given for hospitals, charitable institu- 
 tions, and colleges, and for other kinds of philanthropic 
 work, while private benevolences were not uncommon. 
 There was prosperity, too, of a certain kind, and some 
 people were happy, or thought themselves so. In the records 
 of that as of every period of our history, it is possible to 
 find rays of light if we search for them, and I tell you these 
 things in order that you may get a fair understanding of the 
 situation, for in what follows you will see something of the 
 other side. 
 
 " I think I shall not err if I say that the gigantic evil of 
 the times, that from which others sprang, was the inordi- 
 nate love of money. Even political power, by which the 
 opportunity was obtained of doing public service, was too 
 often sought merely for the better chance one had of mak- 
 ing money, as the saying was. In the revolt against aristo- 
 cratic government, the tendency in our race of going from 
 one extreme to the other was again shown, and universal 
 suffrage was adopted. This would have been wise if intelli- 
 gence and honesty had also been universal. But the result 
 proved it to be an exceedingly bad policy, for it created a 
 large class of voters who held the high privilege of citizen- 
 ship so meanly, and were themselves so venal, that they 
 w'ould even sell their votes to the highest bidder. This, 
 supplemented by the immorality of some of the intelligent 
 citizens, made politics corrupt and the name of politician 
 too often a by-word. 
 
252 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " In doing business, by which was meant buying and sell- 
 ing and manufacturing, also financial dealings and com- 
 merce, the passion for money-getting was particularly 
 prominent. An astonishingly small percentage of those 
 that went into business, as they said, made a success, if we 
 except the large manufacturers, but in spite of that it was a 
 popular way of earning a livelihood. One thing that made 
 it popular was the fact that there was always more or less 
 speculation in it. The haste to get rich made men too 
 careless of the rights of others." 
 
 " Do you mean that all business was conducted dishon- 
 estly? " I asked. 
 
 " No," answered Thorwald, " not as men looked at it 
 then. There was a great deal of downright knavery in busi- 
 ness, but there was another class who satisfied their con- 
 sciences by being as honest as they could. The thoughtful 
 ones knew the system was \vrong but felt themselves utterly 
 unable to replace it by abetter one, and feeling no responsi- 
 bility for it, they were satisfied to smother their sensibilities 
 and drift along. They had their living to make, and, though 
 they were not making it in an ideal way, they did not know 
 that any other kind of work would be more satisfactory to 
 their uneasy consciences." 
 
 " Excuse me, Thorwald," I said; " I am dull. What was 
 there wrong in their manner of doing business? " 
 
 " Can you see nothing wrong," he answered, " in a sys- 
 tem where one man's fortune was built on the niins of 
 another's, or perhaps a score of others, or where a business 
 was started and increased solely by drawing from another 
 one already established? " 
 
 "Why," said I, "that is competition, which they no 
 doubt thought better than monopoly. I can imagine that 
 they argued that a man's first duty was to himself and his 
 
BUSINESS ETHICS. 253 
 
 family, that one had a right to go into any legitimate busi- 
 ness, and that others must take care of themselves. The 
 evil, if there was any, they probably felt was incident to the 
 nature of business and could not be helped. I would like to 
 ask how society could exist with any other business rules." 
 
 As I closed it struck me that I had spoken pretty fast and 
 without much discretion, and the impression was not 
 removed as Thorwald answered with dignity : 
 
 " I am telling you the state of things on this planet thou- 
 sands of years ago, and it is a sufficient answer to your ques- 
 tion to say that society at the present day is not governed 
 on any such principles ; still, we seem to exist. It was a 
 favorite saying in those days that ' a man must live,' and one 
 that was used as an argument or excuse for questionable 
 practices. The premise was wrong; it was not necessary 
 to live : death would have been far better for the world 
 and for the individual than a dishonorable life. So with 
 society at large ; better a change in the social structure, 
 caused by an awakened conscience, than a state of peace 
 founded on wrong principles. Our history proves that no 
 particular plan of society is necessary to the world and that 
 no order based on selfishness or injustice can long endure. 
 But do not imagine such changes were easy or swift in 
 accomplishment. They came, not by violence nor by 
 the device of crafty men, but only through the universal 
 betterment of the race, whereby a state of things that had 
 been considered good enough, and then endured as the best 
 attainable, became at last positively wrong and was slowly 
 pushed aside by a growing sense of right. 
 
 ' ' To return to your first question, as to what there was 
 wrong in their way of doing business, I want to say with 
 emphasis that the essence of the wrong was in an undue 
 regard for self and an almost total disregard for the inter- 
 
254 DAYBREAK. 
 
 ests of others. There were exceptions to the rule, notably 
 in the direction of charity and philanthropy and in relig- 
 ious work, but I am speaking of the mass of the business 
 community. It was every man singly against all the rest 
 of the world. No man was his brother's keeper. If one 
 did not look out for himself, that was the end of it; there 
 was no one else to do it." 
 
 " But the system itself made men selfish," I ventured to 
 say. 
 
 " To be sure it did," he replied. " But why did they 
 not then abolish the system before it had brought upon them 
 its long train of evils? It had to go at last." 
 
 "But," I asked again, ''was not competition a good 
 thing for the large number of people not directly engaged 
 in business? Did it not keep down the prices on all kinds 
 of commodities? " 
 
 " Certainly not in the main. It increased prices, because 
 it increased the cost of everything. But let us suppose a 
 case where it had the effect you suggest. Could a man 
 with a heart wear a coat, for example, with any pleasure, if 
 he knew that rivalry between the manufacturers had forced 
 the people who made the garment to accept starvation 
 wages ? And this was done,,not from humanitarian motives, 
 to furnish the poor with cheap clothing, but for the purpose 
 of getting more business and so of making more money." 
 
 I could hardly resist the temptation at this point of ask- 
 ing Thorwald if he had not been reading up on the current 
 history of the earth, but I knew well enough that was not 
 possible, for we had brought no books with us. And then 
 I did not care to tell Thorwald just yet how near he was 
 coming to our experience. But I could not endure having 
 the props knocked from under our social structure without 
 another effort to save it. So I said : 
 
BUSINESS ETHICS. 255 
 
 " But were not the great majority of business men hon- 
 est, and were not these instances that you have cited 
 extreme cases ? ' ' 
 
 "They were the natural results of a bad system. A 
 great many men were as honest as their environment would 
 permit, and they tried to convince themselves that they were 
 not responsible for the environment." 
 
 " Were they? " I asked eagerly. 
 
 "When they at last discovered that they were, then 
 began a radical change. I am not exaggerating the evils of 
 the times. I am merely setting them forth to show you how 
 our race has improved with its maturity. If my purpose 
 required it, I could detail many good things in the life of 
 that people. One bright point in their character, to 
 which I just now referred, I will illustrate. My boy, who 
 is also my student in drawing, will never be able to make a 
 straight line until he can see that the line he has already 
 made is not straight. His improvement depends upon 
 more than a steady hand. So with this people. Deep 
 down in their being, planted by a divine hand, w-ere the 
 instinct of truth and the principle of growth, and when, in 
 the natural course of their development, they came to realize 
 how, unworthy they were of their better nature, they set 
 about the work of improvement. 
 
 " But they came to that knowledge through many sad 
 experiences. I have not begun to tell you the number and 
 extent of the evils they endured. 
 
 " The desire for money affected all classes. The general 
 prosperity had bettered the condition of the wage-earners, 
 creating many artificial wants which could not be satisfied 
 without good pay. Hence arose a natural and constant 
 effort to obtain higher wages, while competition among the 
 employers operated just as constantly to keep them down, 
 
256 DAYBREAK. 
 
 and the result was a sharp and increasing antagonism be- 
 tween capital and labor. The general public shared in the 
 blame for this state of things by reason of the almost uni- 
 versal demand for cheap goods. 
 
 " While the introduction of machinery was a real 
 advance, whose benefits we are reaping to this day, other 
 conditions had not become adjusted to it at the time of 
 which we are speaking, so that there was often a surplus of 
 workmen, especially in the lower grades of labor. This 
 had a tendency to reduce wages, of course ; and the want of 
 employment, improvidence in the use of small wages, in- 
 temperance and other immoralities, ignorance and misfor- 
 tune, all combined to keep part of the people in poverty. 
 On the other hand, it was a time of great wealth and luxuri- 
 ous living, and these two classes, so far apart in their man- 
 ner of life but often so near each other in all their selfish 
 aims, seemed to have a strong mutual attraction, for they 
 were always found together, crowding upon each other in 
 every large city. 
 
 " One of the most difficult things for us of the present 
 day to imagine is, how persons of refinement and sensibility, 
 living in comfort and without a care, could take any pleas- 
 ure in life when they knew that within a stone's throw of 
 their doors were human beings who, \ery often through no 
 fault of their own, were so destitute that a cnist would 
 relieve their want, or so friendless that a kind word would 
 make them shed tears of joy. Oh ! I cannot comprehend 
 it, and yet the record tells us there were cases of just that 
 nature, where such people, without lifting a finger to allevi- 
 ate the distress, actually laughed and were happy. Happy ! 
 What could they know of happiness? The word must have 
 changed its meaning wonderfully, if we think of what it 
 signifies to-day." 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 
 
 Thorwald continued as follows : 
 
 " The unpleasant relations existing between the employ- 
 ers and the employees created a host of troubles. It was 
 an unreasonable feeling, because the interests of the two 
 classes were identical. But as capital was consolidated and 
 great corporations were formed for extensive operations in 
 transportation and manufacturing, the relation between the 
 two became very impersonal and difficult to control. In 
 order to protect their interests the wage-earners organized 
 into unions, brotherhoods, etc., almost every trade and call- 
 ing having its own organization. 
 
 " When these associations were first formed much stress 
 was laid upon their incidental benefits, such as assistance 
 in time of sickness, care of the families of deceased mem- 
 bers, the holding of meetings for discussion and mutual 
 improvement, and the establishment of reading-rooms and 
 libraries. These commendable objects would have been a 
 sufficient excuse for the existence of these bodies, and other 
 legitimate ends might have been sought, but the labor 
 unions did not stop there. They instituted and set in 
 motion the powerful machinery of the strike, as it was 
 called, making it effective by binding their members, under 
 severe penalties, to stop work when they were ordered to do 
 so by their leaders. They also practiced the severest measures 
 17 
 
258 DAYBREAK. 
 
 of intimidation upon non-union men, to prevent them from 
 getting employment. 
 
 " Thus the trades-unions, too often governed by incompe- 
 tent men, became a mighty power for evil. Strikes and 
 lockouts were common, and were followed by loss of wages 
 and consequent suffering, while the bitterness of feeling 
 between the two classes constantly increased. To meet the 
 rising power of the labor organizations, the employers felt 
 obliged to form combinations among themselves and some- 
 times also to employ bodies of armed men to protect their 
 property. Then, when a strike came, conflicts would follow 
 so serious that appeal had to be made to the last resort, 
 the military arm of the nation. Here another evil threat- 
 ened, for the individual soldiers would sometimes prove to 
 be in deep sympathy with the workmen who were making 
 the trouble. At such crises, also, there would appear on 
 the scene the anarchist, who wanted to overthrow society at 
 once in the hope of bringing himself out nearer the top, 
 and who was kept comparatively harmless in quiet times. 
 
 " You can imagine something of the disorder and appre- 
 hension caused by these troubles. No contract for work 
 could be made without the stipulation that its fulfillment 
 must depend upon freedom from strikes in that particular 
 trade, and no man could start on a journey with any cer- 
 tainty that he would be allowed to finish it in peace and at 
 the appointed time. 
 
 " To decide how these evils should be remedied proved 
 to be one of the greatest problems ever presented to the 
 people of that age. 
 
 " Political sages had long before promulgated the doc- 
 trine upon which society was governed, that every man had 
 a natural right to life, liberty, and his own method of pur- 
 suing happiness. Now, both sides in the conflict claimed 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 259 
 
 to be following closely the spirit of this fundamental doc- 
 trine. The workingmen declared that they had a perfect 
 right to organize and to induce all their number to join the 
 unions. They said the individual relation between them 
 and the employers had had its day and that experience 
 was proving to them that every concession and privilege 
 they hoped to get must come through their associations, 
 working through the medium of an agent or committee. As 
 independent citizens they could not obey laws and regula- 
 tions in the making of which they had no voice, and their 
 love of personal liberty would not allow them to accept the 
 wages and hours of service which their employers might, 
 without asking their consent, choose to prescribe. In case 
 of disagreement they asserted their right to stop the whole 
 business, at whatever loss to the employers or inconvenience 
 to the public, and to prevent, if possible, new men from tak- 
 ing their places. 
 
 " On the other hand, the employers, while not denying 
 to the workmen the right to form associations for legitimate 
 purposes, insisted that this right was being abused. They 
 claimed that they should be allowed to hire whom they 
 pleased and dismiss incompetent men when it was best for 
 their business, without regard to their membership or non- 
 membership in a union. 
 
 " As time went on the trouble increased and society was 
 fast forming itself into classes with opposing aims and 
 mutual dislike. The time had been when a workman, by 
 skill and diligence, could rise above his station and become 
 a large proprietor himself. But with the new order this 
 was hardly possible, and civilization, in this respect, 
 seemed to be retrogressing. 
 
 " You may wonder why the lawmakers did not correct 
 the evil at once, but the fact was that the legislatures were 
 
26o DAYBREAK. 
 
 made up of representatives from the two classes, and so were 
 undecided as to what remedies to apply. It was proposed 
 by some to enact a law preventing a man from selling him- 
 self into slavery, or, in other words, from giving up his 
 liberty of action into the keeping of others, a thing which 
 had caused much suffering. In every strike a large part of 
 the men, earning small wages and with families dependent 
 on these wages for their bread from one day to another, 
 would be obliged to quit work against their will. It was 
 thought, therefore, a fit subject of legislation to enjoin them 
 from binding themselves to strike at the dictation of others, 
 when it was against their judgment. It was suggested, also, 
 to make the intimidation or coercion of non-union men a 
 criminal act. 
 
 " When these measures were suggested the cry was raised 
 that the workingmen were to be deprived of their liberty 
 and made the slaves of capital. The labor parties in the 
 legislatures were assisted by a class of politicians who were 
 made cowards through fear of losing the workingmen's 
 votes, and this gave these parties the power to defeat all 
 measures of which they disapproved, and to pass laws in 
 their own interest. They claimed that they should be pro- 
 tected as well as the manufacturer, and so they made it law- 
 ful for the government to inspect all industries and to see 
 that the employees received an equitable share of the 
 profits. This was radical action, but they went still further, 
 and took away from every employer the right of discharging 
 men for any cause without the consent of the union; and 
 full power to fix the hours of service and the wages was put 
 into the hands of the government inspectors and the repre- 
 sentatives of the trades-unions. The wages were to be based 
 on what the inspectors found to be the profits of the busi- 
 ness, and the help or advice of the proprietors was not to be 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. '261 
 
 taken. As these astonishing rules governed even the farmer 
 and shopkeeper as well as the manufacturer, you can 
 imagine that there was not much satisfaction in trying to 
 carry on any business. 
 
 " The laboring classes were beginning to discover that 
 they were a large majority of the community and that there 
 was a mighty power in the ballot. Their opponents, on the 
 other hand, having lost the control in politics through uni- 
 versal suffrage, now bent their energies still more to the 
 work of combining large interests under one management, 
 hoping to wield in this way a power too formidable to be 
 withstood. Immense trusts were formed in almost every 
 branch of business, and the syndicate gradually took the 
 place of the firm and individual corporation. 
 
 " A long time previous to the period of which we are 
 speaking, the people had put part of their business into the 
 hands of the government, with the idea that it would be 
 done with more promptness and also with more economy. 
 A good example of this was seen in the excellent mail ser- 
 vice, which the national government conducted much more 
 satisfactorily than it could have been done by private enter- 
 prise. 
 
 " The local goverments, also, had full control of the high- 
 ways and bridges and the common schools, hospitals, etc., 
 while in large communities, at great expense, they stored 
 and distributed water for domestic and other purposes. 
 As the people had received undoubted benefits from this 
 state of things, there were few to object to it, and even 
 their objection was more for theoretical than practical rea- 
 sons. It is not strange, therefore, that as the troublous 
 times approached these functions of the state should be 
 multiplied. Besides the gain in convenience and in cost 
 that thus came to the people, they began to rely on the 
 
262 DAYRREAK. 
 
 strong arm of the government for protection from the uncer- 
 tainties and interruptions incident to private control of 
 many kinds of business. 
 
 " As the telegraph and telephone came into more general 
 use the government found it necessary to add their facilities 
 to the mail service, in order to give the people the best means 
 of communication. From this point the step was soon taken 
 of assuming control of all the telegraph and telephone lines, 
 in the interest of lower prices and better service. This was 
 attended with such good results that it was thought wise to 
 extend the conveniences of the mail in another direction; 
 and instead of carrying a few small parcels the government 
 took into its hands the entire express business, and it was 
 not long before everybody conceded it to be a good move. 
 
 " At the same time, the municipal governments began to 
 exhibit the same paternal character. They first took con- 
 trol of the lighting and heating facilities, and this led in a 
 short time to their furnishing the people with fuel, which 
 was generally brought from a distance, and which, in private 
 hands, always had a way of going up in price at just the 
 time when the poor people were obliged to buy it. For 
 the sake of economy, also, the cities took possession of all 
 street cars, cabs, and omnibuses. 
 
 " Affairs had reached this condition when the labor 
 troubles became so serious, and this absorption of private 
 business by the government was so recent and was in gen- 
 eral so satisfactory, that men could but think of it in con- 
 nection with their efforts to solve the industrial ])roblcras. 
 The time had now come when some radical measures must 
 be adopted to ])reserve and extend civilization. The labor 
 ])arty were abusing their power still more in making bad 
 laws, and strikes became more frequent, and were followed 
 by rioting and bloodshed. At length the interruptions to 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 263 
 
 business occasioned by tlie irregularities in traveling became 
 unbearable. The public demanded better service, but the 
 railroad companies were powerless to render it, being in the 
 hands of the employees, who at the slightest grievance would 
 stop every wheel till the dispute was settled. The trouble 
 generally started with one road and spread to the others by 
 sympathy, and the result was just as disastrous to business 
 whether the men gained their end or not. 
 
 " There had always been a party, although at times pretty 
 feeble, in favor of government control of the entire trans- 
 portation business. This party now argued that that was the 
 only thing that would cure these evils, and they gained 
 thereby many new adherents. When it was considered that 
 government ownership of the telegraph was working well 
 in spite of many adverse prophecies, the people began to 
 entertain the idea that it would perhaps be best to try the 
 experiment with the railroads, especially as it gave some 
 promise of relief from the strikes. To be sure, it would add 
 to the government service immense numbers of men, and 
 increase a danger that had always been threatening, that of 
 making too large a list of civil officers to be managed with- 
 out great corruption. 
 
 " But now it was not long before a large majority of the 
 people asked to have the trial made, and soon all railroads, 
 canals, and steamboats were in the hands of the general 
 government. The employees were formed into an army, 
 with officers of all grades, and put under strict military dis- 
 cipline. At the least show of insubordination a man was 
 discharged, never to be reemployed, and although this 
 caused some hardship in individual cases at first, it put an 
 effectual stop to the strikes and kept business moving. The 
 best of the workmen had been among the strongest advo- 
 cates of national ownership, and as the movement gained in 
 
264 DAYBREAK. 
 
 favor no class were so satisfied with the change as the 
 employees themselves. Work was steady, wages were regu- 
 lar, faithfulness and length of service were rewarded, and 
 the aged and feeble were retired on pensions. 
 
 " In this way peace had come in one department of labor, 
 but war still raged among the manufacturers and in the 
 building and other trades. The workingmen literally held 
 the reins in society, but did not know enough to drive away 
 from the rocks. Instead of taking advantage of shorter 
 hours and higher wages to improve their minds and prepare 
 themselves for a better condition, they were too apt to waste 
 their energies in denouncing the capitalists and in trying to 
 force still greater concessions from their unwilling employ- 
 ers. They would loudly demand that every ancient wrong 
 endured by them should be redressed, and then, to show 
 their idea of right, they would compel a builder, in the mid- 
 dle of a contract, where time was more precious than money, 
 to give them higher wages than had been agreed on ; or 
 they would boycott to bankruptcy a small shopkeeper who 
 innocently bought goods that happened to be made by non- 
 union workmen. 
 
 " But do not imagine that the wrong was all on one side. 
 There were employers who were unjust and cruel when they 
 had the power, unreasonable in argument, and boorish and 
 exasperating in their manners. Many seemed to think 
 they were a different class of beings because they had more 
 money than their workmen, and they resented the idea of 
 the latter rising above the station in which they were born. 
 They raised wages only when forced to do so, and consid- 
 ered any amount of profit made out of their men per- 
 fectly legitimate. When want came they would give in 
 charity to the unfortunate ones that which really belonged 
 to them by right. These disagreeable qualities were not 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 265 
 
 possessed alone by such as were employers. There was a 
 class of rich people not engaged in business, and although 
 they had the greatest interest in the perpetuity of society 
 as it was, many of them considered themselves as members 
 of a superior caste, and looked down with disdain upon the 
 majority of mankind, and the real masters of the situation, 
 who had to work for their daily bread. 
 
 " It was against this class especially that anarchy was 
 forging its thunderbolt. The freedom of the press and free- 
 dom of speech gave the socialist and anarchist the oppor- 
 tunity to promulgate their seditious doctrines, and they 
 looked to the ignorant and depraved portions of the com- 
 munity for adherents. By the successful risings of the 
 people against despotic power the word ' revolution ' had 
 gained a certain nobility of sound and meaning, and now 
 these incendiaries employed it to mislead the credulous. 
 They promised an overturning by which all property and 
 money should become a common fund and be redistributed 
 on a more equitable basis, and it is perhaps not to be wondered 
 at that some poor, ignorant ones, seeing the vast inequali- 
 ties in life, should be carried away with their arguments. 
 The vision of a society where all should share alike and 
 live on the same scale of comfort was intoxicating. But 
 the scheme of the anarchist' was not based on love and 
 a desire to promote true brotherhood. Judging from the 
 violent means proposed to bring about the change, it seemed 
 rather to be based on hate. In preaching their doctrine of 
 personal license they were stealing the livery of freedom in 
 which to serve their selfish lusts. 
 
 " While the vicious and ignorant thus threatened society 
 on the one hand, the accumulation of enormous wealth by 
 a few fortunate, or unfortunate, men was thought by some 
 to be a menace equally serious. It was argued that this 
 
266 DAYBREAK. 
 
 could not go on without making the poor poorer and more 
 numerous, and thus emphasizing and perpetuating the 
 separation of the two classes. 
 
 " I need not point out to you a fact that you must realize, 
 namely, that the spring of action with too many men, 
 the one cause of the troubles that really threatened the 
 foundations of society, was selfishness. Can you imagine 
 any danger from all these movements if men could have 
 suddenly become unselfish, really unselfish ? 
 
 " I hope I have not given you the idea that all the world 
 of people had lost their heads. As in the history of nations 
 of that period war seems to have been the principal occu- 
 pation, so in the social life of the people the evils and dan- 
 gers are most prominently seen. But all this time there 
 was a large party of men and women who were ali-\e to the 
 perils of the hour, and intent on seeking the best means to 
 overcome them. This party was made up of many repre- 
 sentatives of every class, rich and poor, workingmcn and 
 employers, and included the great mass of the intelligent 
 and thoughtful members of society. 
 
 " The general and local governments were carrying on, 
 with marked success and without friction, certain kinds of 
 business, while in many other departments there were dis- 
 order and possible ruin. Time brought no healing power; 
 the troubles increased and were now truly gigantic. Where 
 should help be found? " 
 
 As Thorwald paused here, the doctor, who, I thought, had 
 been wanting to speak for some time, took occasion to say : 
 
 " Don't tell us, Thorwald, that this people turned over 
 all their business, both industrial and professional, to the 
 government, and made machines of themselves. I am 
 becoming exceedingly interested in them and hope they 
 found some better release from their woes. I am sure 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 267 
 
 there are a number of methods of relief which they might 
 have tried." 
 
 " I am glad you have spoken, Doctor," answered Thor- 
 wald, "or I might have talked you to death. We must 
 really break off now and get out of doors." 
 
 Mona listened to different portions of the foregoing con- 
 versation. It was dull amusement for her, as we could see' 
 by her actions, and we wondered at first why she showed 
 so little interest in it. She did not seem to realize the full 
 significance of her unique position in our circle. As the 
 last representative of the race of moon men, she had now 
 the opportunity of learning something of the history of 
 two sister worlds, and one would suppose that she would 
 have been eager to hear every word we said. She had 
 expressed herself more than once as anxious to know all 
 any of us could tell her, nor did she hesitate to ask ques- 
 tions continually — and intelligent questions, too. But she 
 was sympathetic only in certain directions, having a laud- 
 able curiosity to hear about any of the pleasant phases of 
 society, either on the earth or on Mars. But when Thor- 
 wald talked of the former troubles experienced by his 
 race, or when we compared these with the miseries of our 
 own times on the earth, Mona became an indifferent 
 listener. 
 
 She was sitting with us when Thorwald proposed the out- 
 door exercise, and so we all went out together. As we 
 walked, Thorwald said : 
 
 " Mona, I fear you have not been enjoying my tedious 
 talk this morning. You would be better pleased, I am 
 sure, with some other topic." 
 
 In her sweet accents, so charming to every ear, Mona 
 responded : 
 
 " I hope my lack of attention did not give you offense, 
 
268 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Thorwald, but I do not understand the things you have 
 talked about to-day." 
 
 " Not understand? Why, I know from former conver- 
 sations with you that such things are not beyond your 
 comprehension." 
 
 " Thank you," said Mona, " but I think they are, for I 
 never before heard anything like the ideas you have 
 advanced." 
 
 " We shall all be glad to learn, then, how these questions 
 were answered and these wrongs righted by your ancestors." 
 
 " They never had any such perplexities," responded 
 Mona. 
 
 "Which means, I presume," said Thorwald, " that the 
 race became so far advanced before your time that the 
 records and traditions of their early struggles were all 
 forgotten." 
 
 " Oh, no," she sang out, " that's not it. What had they 
 to struggle over? " 
 
 " Was it then so easy for them to be just? " asked Thor- 
 wald. 
 
 " Certainly, and I have been exceedingly surprised to 
 learn by your long talk that there is such a thing as 
 injustice." 
 
 We were all becoming thoroughly interested, but left it 
 for Thorwald to continue his questions. 
 
 " Mona," said he, " do you mean that your people, even 
 in the remote past, were entirely ignorant of such troubles 
 as we have been speaking about? " 
 
 " Yes, and of all other troubles. I am sure there was 
 always only peace and happiness on the moon. Strife and 
 hatred, sorrow, want, and misery are all strange words to 
 me, and entirely unknown except as I have heard them in 
 your conversation." 
 
THE INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. 269 
 
 " Was there never any sickness there? " I asked. 
 
 " I don't know the meaning of the word," she replied. 
 "Is it another item in the general unpleasantness of the 
 times you have been describing? I wonder that your race, 
 Thorvvald, ever survived those rude days." 
 
 " But," asked Thorvvald, " what think you of the earth? 
 The doctor and his companion say their planet is now pass- 
 ing through just such a period." 
 
 " Well, all I can say is that I am thankful I was not dis- 
 covered till after the moon had deserted the earth." 
 
 "Tell us more about your race," said the doctor. 
 " Were they all as good as you are? " 
 
 " Just the same. There were no degrees in goodness." 
 
 " And did they all sing as they talked, and in such sweet 
 tones as yours? " I asked. 
 
 " Oh, many sang better than I do, and all made music 
 of their words. I never heard speech that was not melodi- 
 ous till you and the doctor came to see me." 
 
 " And did everything else in your life there correspond 
 to your charming manner of talking? " asked Thorwald. 
 
 "Why, yes, I think so," answered Mona. "It was a 
 delightful world. Everything was bright and joyous, with 
 no shadow of discontent nor anything to cause sadness or 
 discomfort. Do you wonder that I could not sympathize 
 with your story of wrongs and sorrows, the very nature of 
 which was a new revelation to me? " 
 
 Mona's notions about the people whom she represented 
 seemed strange and improbable to us, and we attributed 
 them to the influence of her own guileless nature. One so 
 innocent and whole-hearted as she was would naturally 
 clothe her ancestors with at least the virtues and graces she 
 herself possessed. However, we had no means of proving 
 Mona's ideas to be false. AVe had brought away from the 
 
270 DAYBREAK. 
 
 moon no records of any kind by which to study its history, 
 and of that history Mona was as yet our only interpreter. 
 But every word she spoke on this subject only added inten- 
 sity to the pleasurable anticipation with which these Mar- 
 tians looked forward to their study of the moon and its 
 former inhabitants. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. 
 
 It was not till the next day that we sat down together 
 again to continue the conversation. Remembering what 
 the doctor had said, Thorwald began : 
 
 " In sketching for you the history of that age of activity 
 and change in our career, I was in such fear of wearying 
 you with dry details that I hurried along and omitted the 
 very things to which you refer, Doctor. This people did 
 try all the experiments that suggested themselves, and if 
 you think your patience will endure it I will speak of a 
 few of them." 
 
 We both assured him that we would gladly listen, and 
 that we considered ourselves fortunate in having such an 
 instructor. He was merely telling us about a certain period 
 in the history of Mars, but if he had known how nearly he 
 had been coming to the course of events on the earth he 
 would not have wondered that we were so eager to hear all 
 he had to say. 
 
 "Quite early in the labor difficulties," he resumed, 
 "state arbitration had its day; a short one, however, for 
 the appointment of the arbitrators soon became a matter of 
 partisan politics, and their influence was gone. Whichever 
 side was in power could appoint a board that would be pre- 
 judiced in favor of that side from the start, and when the 
 trouble came the other party would not have confidence 
 enough in their judgment to accept their decision. 
 
272 DAYBREAK. 
 
 *' Next, laws were passed making arbitration compulsory, 
 but allowing the arbitrators to be chosen at the time of the 
 strike, the employer to name one, the workmen one, and 
 these two to find the third. This did some good as long 
 as only first-class men were selected, but a few flagrant cases 
 occurred where the arbitrators, who were allowed to inspect 
 the books of the concern, made public the private affairs 
 of the business, to the great injury of the owners. This 
 brought the law into disfavor, and, as there was no provision 
 for enforcing the decisions, it came to pass that they were 
 often disregarded; and so, before long, this plan of settling 
 disputes was also abandoned. 
 
 " For a good many years no other subject so completely 
 filled the public mind as this very troublesome one, and 
 people of all professions were continually suggesting 
 remedies. It was held by many to be a good working 
 theory that the employees in every business, whether indus- 
 trial, mercantile, or financial, were entitled to some share 
 in the profits over and above their compensation in wages. 
 This was disputed by the large majority of the employers, 
 who claimed that their contract with the workmen was a 
 simple one, by which they agreed to work so many hours 
 for so much pay, and as this was their due even if the 
 business proved a losing one, so they had no just claim to 
 anything more if it were successful : the employees had 
 nothing to do or say about the question of profits. On the 
 other hand, where a number of men had, by long and faith- 
 ful service, a strict regard for the welfare of the business, 
 and loyalty to all of the employer's interests, helped to 
 build \ip a great industry, an increasing number of people, 
 not only the wage-earners but many others not directly 
 interested, felt that the workmen had fairly gained, if not 
 a share in the proprietorship, at least some consideration 
 
ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. 273 
 
 from the owners. This feeling was especially strong in 
 cases where the laws of the land had materially aided the 
 success of the business, and where the profits were unusu- 
 ally large. 
 
 " I want to say, in passing, that it is by such indications 
 as the existence of this sentiment that we can see, all 
 through those troublous times, the gradual improvement of 
 the race. 
 
 "As some of the employers came to be impressed with 
 the same thought, they began in a quiet way trying the 
 experiment of giving their men a bonus at the end of the 
 year, proportioned to the amount of wages they earned. 
 In some cases this gave place after a time to the plan of 
 making the workmen regular partners, and giving them a 
 certain percentage of the profits in lieu of wages. But 
 when a time of general depression came and the percentage 
 did not amount to as much as their old pay had been, the 
 men felt as though they had been led into a trap, and after 
 they had endured the situation for a time they were glad to 
 return to the former system. 
 
 " Another scheme that was extensively tried was coopera- 
 tion among the workingmen, both in manufacturing and 
 mercantile business. The argimient, which was a plausible 
 one, was that the expense of big salaries for management, 
 together with the enormous profits, would all be available 
 for dividends. The results showed that in the long nm the 
 profits, in all but exceptional cases, were not more than a 
 fair interest on the investment ; and as to the salaries, it 
 was found that financial and business ability was scarce 
 and costly, and yet necessary to success. The associations 
 of workingmen were willing to put their money into build- 
 ings, machinery, and stock, and the men were ready to work 
 hard themselves, but they were not willing to pay for skill 
 
2 74 DAYI'.REAK. 
 
 in management, and so their failure was inevitable. At 
 the same time they still held to the opinion, which was at 
 the bottom of these experiments, that under the old system 
 the owners and managers of the business got too much of 
 the profits and the operatives too little. Is there anything 
 else. Doctor, that you think these people might have 
 tried?" 
 
 " I am not satisfied," the doctor answered, " with their 
 efforts at profit-sharing. It seems to me that that scheme, 
 under proper management, ought to have brought the two 
 classes together by giving them a common interest in every 
 enterprise, and so to have gradually done away with all 
 bitterness and strife. Employers might have used a part 
 of their surplus profits in building better houses for their 
 men, in giving them instruction as to a nobler way of living, 
 in opening libraries and bath-houses and cooking schools 
 and savings banks, in keeping them insured against sick- 
 ness and death, and in doing a thousand things to show the 
 men that they were thoughtful of their comfort and welfare. 
 If the workmen could discover by such means that the 
 employers were really their friends, I think it must have dis- 
 armed their hatred and antagonism. Then if, with these 
 benefits, they could have received in money a small percent- 
 age above their usual wages, they would certainly have 
 repaid such friendliness by a service so faithful and an 
 industry so constant as to more than make up, in increased 
 profits, for all the philanthropic expenditures." 
 
 " Doctor," said Thorwald, " I am pleased to see you 
 take such an interest in this subject. You talk as though 
 you had thought of it before, and you have outlined almost 
 the exact course pursued by the people of whom we are 
 speaking. Hundreds of such experiments were tried and 
 })ersisted in for a long time, both before the serious labor 
 
ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. 275 
 
 troubles began and after. Among their strongest advocates 
 were men of theory in the professions, who were actuated by 
 high motives but did not appreciate the practical difficul- 
 ties. They were pretty sure they could get along with the 
 workingmen without so much friction. But the profit- 
 sharing scheme also had the aid of many excellent men 
 among the employers, as I have said. However, for one 
 reason or another, the experiments all came to naught. In 
 some cases great expense was entered into to provide com- 
 forts for the workmen, and after a few prosperous years 
 depression followed and the proprietors found they had 
 undertaken too much. Several large failures, brought about 
 by such lack of judgment, helped to produce disappoint- 
 ment and discouragement. Then it was found by experi- 
 ence that the evil -disposed among the workmen were not to 
 be converted into honest, industrious, and faithful employ- 
 ees in any such wholesale manner. Making men over 
 could not be done in the block. There never had been any 
 difficulty in dealing with the sober, reasonable, well-inten- 
 tioned men. The trouble had all come from the vicious, 
 the incompetent, and the shiftless ones. And the more 
 privileges this class obtained, the more they demanded. 
 If their working day was made shorter in order to give them 
 the opportunity of taking advantage of the free facilities for 
 improving their minds, they loudly demanded another hour 
 each day and frequent holidays, with the liberty of spend- 
 ing their leisure time as best suited their tastes. If they 
 were given a share of the profits, they complained because 
 it was so small a share, and thought they were being cheated 
 when the proprietors would not let them inspect the books 
 to see if the profits were not larger than represented. Then 
 as partners they claimed the right to be consulted in the 
 manasrement of the business. Such demands brought on dis- 
 
276 DAYBREAK. 
 
 putes, of course ; and the natural result was that strikes were 
 not unknown even in these humanitarian establishments. 
 As the labor organizations were then in full blast the better 
 class of men were drawn into the strikes, which sometimes 
 became so serious that the owners were compelled to give 
 up their philanthropic efforts and go back to the old sj-stem 
 of giving what they were obliged to and getting what they 
 could in return. 
 
 " In general, employers found they had still an unan- 
 swered problem on their hands. An undue spirit of inde- 
 pendence had been fostered among a class of uneducated, 
 ill-natured, and thick-headed workmen, and society was 
 rocked to its foundation in the effort to keep them within 
 bounds." 
 
 " Will you let me make another suggestion, Thorwald? " 
 asked the doctor. " Why did not all classes approach this 
 difficulty in a businesslike way and work together to remove 
 it? Why did not the state see that the right of private 
 contract was a safe and useful one for all sides, and cease to 
 infringe on it by law? Why did not the public teachers 
 make a combined and continued effort to instill a concilia- 
 tor}' spirit into both sides, and to show how peace and 
 brotherly feeling would be a mutual blessing? Why did 
 not the employers — not one here and there, but all of them — 
 treat their men as they would like to be treated in their 
 place, make friends with them, talk reason even to unrea- 
 sonable men, speak kindly to the unfriendly ones, urge the 
 value of sobriety upon the intemperate, teach the incom- 
 petent, sympathize with the unfortunate, try to reclaim the 
 vicious instead of turning them off harshly, and in every 
 way strive to prove themselves to the men as beings of the 
 same flesh and blood with them? And why did not the 
 workingmen receive what was done for them with the right 
 
ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. 277 
 
 spirit — give up their envious and suspicious feelings, im- 
 prove every precious chance of getting knowledge, work for 
 their employers as they would for themselves, cease to use 
 the power of the unions unjustly, cultivate amicable rela- 
 tions with everybody, and try in all possible ways to make 
 true men of themselves ? If the men had worked along this 
 line they would have found they were bettering themselves 
 in every way faster than they could by strikes and conflicts." 
 
 " Ah ! Doctor," replied Thorwald, " you have now the 
 true solution. Such action would have annihilated the 
 difficulties in a day. But to suppose every employer and 
 every workman capable of following such good advice is to 
 suppose that the world had then reached an almost ideal con- 
 dition. The very existence and character of the troubles 
 show how imperfect men were. It was a common saying then 
 that human nature was the same as it had been in the earli- 
 est days and that it would never change while the world 
 should stand. This was a mistaken view, for there had 
 been a great change. The heart had lost much of its selfish- 
 ness and had begun to grasp in some slight measure a sense 
 of that distant but high destiny to which it had been 
 called." 
 
 " If the world," said the doctor, " was not good enough 
 for these troubles to be cured by kindness, I am anxious to 
 know how they were healed. I am sure you can tell us, for 
 those people were your remote ancestors and you are far 
 removed from such vexations now." 
 
 "That is true," said Thorwald. "I can tell you how 
 this social problem was solved, and how our race has found 
 release from the many dangers that have threatened us. It 
 has not been by man's device or invention. But God, 
 whose arm alone has been our defense, has always called 
 men to his aid, and thus, in his own time and way, help 
 
278 DAYBREAK. 
 
 has come in every crisis. Tlie most important changes in 
 society have been brought about gradually and without 
 violence, and with that hint I think we had better leave 
 this subject for the present. Some day I want to go over 
 with you briefly the history of the work and influence of the 
 gospel of Jesus in the world, and it will then be fitting to 
 refer again to the period of which we have just now been 
 speaking. 
 
 " I am sure you will find itagreat relief for me to change 
 the subject, or stop talking." 
 
 *' We will not object to your changing the subject," said 
 I, " whenever you think it best, but we shall try to keep 
 you talking till we know a great deal more about Mars than 
 we do now. ' ' 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 WINE-DRINKING IN MARS. 
 
 I WENT downstairs the next morning before the doctor 
 was ready, and when I met Thorwald I said, witliout 
 thought : " A fine morning." 
 
 ''Yes," he replied, "all our mornings are fine. I do 
 not mean that the sun is always shining or that we do not 
 have clouds and a variety of sky effects, but we know the 
 clouds can be depended on not to give rain till night." 
 
 " Do you not lose something by having a perpetual 
 calm?" Tasked. " For I understand the rain in the night 
 comes only in gentle showers. In our rough world some 
 of us enjoy the grandeur of the storm." 
 
 " How about those who are exposed to its fury?" asked 
 Thorwald in reply. " I do not see how anyone can really 
 enjoy what is sure to be bringing sorrow or even inconven- 
 ience to others. Could a mother take pleasure in a tempest 
 if she knew her son was in danger of shipwreck from it? 
 Why should it change her feeling to know her son was by 
 her side and that it was only strangers that were in danger? 
 
 " But," continued Thorwald, " are you and your friend 
 ready for an excursion to-day ? If you are, I propose to give 
 you a new experience." 
 
 " We shall be delighted to accompany you, and as I see 
 breakfast is ready I will go up and tell the doctor to 
 hurry." 
 
28o DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Oh, I wouldn't do that," exclaimed Thonvald. 
 " You must try to learn to live as we do, and you will 
 remember I said the other day that we are never in haste. 
 If, for example, it were Zenith who was late, I should never 
 think of calling to her to hurry, for I should know she must 
 have a good excuse for staying. Her liberty of action is as 
 valuable to her as mine to me, and however long she might 
 keep me waiting, I should feel sure that her action was the 
 result of right motives and correct reasoning. If the doctor 
 does not appear, we can easily postpone our excursion to 
 to-morrow. There would be no lack of occupation for 
 to-day." 
 
 " What a delightful feeling it must be," I said, " to be 
 always free from hurry. It is the commonest experience in 
 our imperfect state for one to start a few minutes late in the 
 morning, and then be on a constant jump all day to make 
 them up. One of the evils of our driving age is the wear 
 and tear of our nerves in what we consider a necessary haste 
 to get there." 
 
 " Get where? " asked Thorwald. 
 
 " To get anywhere or to do anything that we set out to 
 accomplish," I answered. 
 
 " I fear," said Thorwald, " that I have talked too much 
 about Mars and not insisted enough on hearing about the 
 earth. Suppose something should happen to break off your 
 visit?" 
 
 " You wouldn't miss much, Thorwald." 
 
 " We certainly should regret exceedingly not learning 
 many things that you could tell us," he said. 
 
 " Yes," I answered, " but you cannot profit by our experi- 
 ences, while we of the earth are in a condition where we 
 need all the help and advice you have for us. If we ever 
 return to our home we want to tell all about your advanced 
 
WINE-DRINKING IN MARS. 28l 
 
 civilization and how you have overcome the evils that vex our 
 race. But I wonder why the doctor doesn't come. I think 
 I will go and see, but I promise not to interfere with his 
 liberty of action." 
 
 I soon returned with my friend, and we all went to break- 
 fast. The doctor said he would not eat much, as he felt 
 somewhat indisposed. Here was something new inthe life 
 of this household, and each one began to express sympathy 
 and ask what could be done. The doctor was amused, and 
 I said I thought a good, hearty breakfast would make him 
 all right. But Thorwald insisted that something unusual 
 should be done, although his inexperience was so great that 
 nothing feasible suggested itself at first. Zenith was in 
 favor of all repairing to the library, hunting up the histo- 
 ries of the days when people were ill, and finding out the 
 proper remedy for his ailment. This would have been a 
 logical proceeding, but I thought to myself that they did 
 not understand the value of time in such cases and that the 
 doctor would probably either r-ecover or die while they were 
 at work. 
 
 As I did not appear to be any more alarmed than my 
 companion was, the excitement soon subsided. But Thor- 
 wald was not satisfied yet, and after some further thought 
 his face brightened and he asked me if a glass of good wine 
 would not be the thing for the doctor. When I replied 
 that it would probably not hurt him, Thorwald told his son 
 to go and bring up a bottle of the oldest wine in the cellar, 
 and soon not only the patient but the members of the family 
 and myself were all partaking. No more was heard after 
 this of the doctor's indisposition, and Thorwald no doubt 
 felicitated himself that he had effected a cure. The situa- 
 tion was rather suggestive to me, and while we were drinking, 
 and eating our breakfast, I could not refrain from saying : 
 
282 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " If some of our friends on the earth could see us now, 
 Thorwald, we would be discredited in all that we might say 
 about your higher condition. It would do no good to 
 expatiate on your ripe character and on your attainments in 
 knowledge and virtue. I fear they would not believe much 
 of it if they knew that you not only drank wine yourselves, 
 but encouraged its use by giving it to your guests." 
 
 " Why," said Thorwald, " you could tell them the wine 
 was brought out to be used as a medicine, antl that the rest 
 of us drank to keep the doctor company. But when you see 
 your friends you had better tell them the tnith at once, that 
 while we all take wine here frequently this is the only 
 instance where I have ever known it to be used medicinally." 
 
 " They would tell us," said the doctor, '' that you have 
 made one mistake at least, and that it is a dangerous thing 
 to have wine in the house, and especially to give it to 
 children." 
 
 " He would have a very gross and imperfect conception 
 of our character," said Thorwald, "who should have the 
 thoughts which you express. I can judge something of the 
 nature of the feeling which you say exists on the earth, 
 however, for only a few days ago I was reading a full ac- 
 count of the different temperance movements on our planet. 
 Few subjects in our history arc more interesting. Do not de- 
 spise the temperance reformers, and if you think they are 
 sometimes too radical you can afford to excuse that for the 
 sake of the absolute good they accomi)lish. All through the 
 early part of our career there was a ])crpetual warfare against 
 the drinking habit. At first wine was an ordinary article of 
 food, and in some countries more commonly used for drink- 
 ing than water. There was much abuse of it, but in general 
 people used it as a matter of course, without thinking 
 they were any more responsible for the drunkards than they 
 
WINE-DRINKING IN MARS. 283 
 
 were for the intemperate in eating. But the evil of over- 
 drinking increased, and some religious reformers found that 
 the easiest way to check it was to forbid all use of intoxi- 
 cants. Here is an extreme example that I have read of what 
 one such reformer taught : ' If a single drop of alcoholic 
 liquor should fall into a well one hundred and fifty feet 
 deep, and if the well should afterwards be filled up and 
 grass grow over it, and a sheep should eat of the grass, then 
 my followers must not partake of that mutton.' Could any 
 of your prohibitionists be more radical than that? 
 
 " In later times many kinds of strong and poisonous 
 drinks were made, and untold harm was done by their use. 
 Drunkenness was the most fruitful source of crime and 
 misery; it, more than any other cause, filled the jails, the 
 almshouses and the insane asylums ; it kept men in poverty 
 and squalor; it scattered families and changed men, and 
 sometimes women, too, into beasts. No class or profession 
 was free from the evil, for it disqualified the scholar and 
 statesman for their duties just as it unfitted the laborer for 
 his daily task. It helped to debauch politics and public 
 morals, while it brought disgrace and ruin to private repu- 
 tation and character. More money was lost by it than was 
 spent to educate and Christianize the world, and it cost more 
 precious lives than war and pestilence combined. Being a 
 crime utterly selfish and debasing, as well as extremely 
 tenacious of its hold upon the individual life, it was almost 
 the greatest enemy to the spread of the gospel. 
 
 " Was there anything in the way of good to be said of 
 the drinking habit to offset all this harm? Men drank to 
 be sociable and companionable and to please their friends, 
 and when the habit was fastened on them found they had 
 lost every friend of value. They took to their cups to 
 drown their sorrow, and found a sorrow more poignant 
 
284 DAYBREAK, 
 
 among the dregs. They began the moderate use of stimu- 
 lants to give strength to the body or activity to the brain, 
 and discovered when too late that their abuse had brought 
 down in common ruin both body and mind. No, it is 
 impossible that anyone should ever attempt to make an 
 argument in favor of drunkenness. 
 
 " The more active the age the more prevalent was this 
 evil, but the greater, also, was the determination to overthrow 
 it. When the conscience was quickened by the growth of 
 Christianity and men's lives became more valued, many 
 persistent efforts were made to stamp out the crime of 
 intoxication. 
 
 " Numerous societies were organized and good men and 
 women entered heartily into the work. Every argument 
 was used to show the danger of the drink habit and to 
 teach the beauty and value of sobriety, appeal being made 
 both to the reason and the conscience. The power of the 
 state was invoked and punishment administered to the 
 drunkards, while the manufacture and sale of intoxicants 
 were restricted and sometimes prohibited. We see how 
 firm a hold this evil had on all classes when we read that 
 \ery often public sentiment would not permit these benef- 
 icent laws to be enforced. In all great reforms the apathy 
 of a large part of the people has been a most discouraging 
 feature. 
 
 " Of course it was never intrinsically wrong to drink a 
 glass of wine, but in view of the enormous amount of sorrow 
 and trouble caused by overdrinking, can it be wondered at 
 that many earnest souls came to abhor everything in the 
 nature of intoxicating drink, and to practice and insist on 
 total abstinence? Oh, I can tell you if I lived on the 
 earth now I should be a radical of the radicals on this 
 subject." 
 
WINE-DRIXKING IX MARS. 2^5 
 
 " Notwithstanding which," said I, '• here you are sitting 
 at your own table and pouring into our glasses this delicious 
 wine." 
 
 As a smile passed around at this remark it was Zenith 
 who said : 
 
 " Do you see anything incongruous in that?" 
 
 I paused a moment to choose a reply, when tne doctor 
 spoke up with : 
 
 " Far be it from us. Zenith, with our earth-bom ideas, to 
 even seem to pass judgment in this happv place, but I pre- 
 sume my companion was tn-ing to imagine what our temper- 
 ance friends, who do not know you, would say." 
 
 " As for us," said Thorwald, '*' I trust we shall be justi- 
 fied in your eyes at least, before we are through, but let us 
 inquire about those whom you call your temperance friends. 
 I suppose they would have a poor opinion of a man who was 
 loud in his public advocacy of temperance and yet drank 
 wine at home." 
 
 '■ I think," I replied, " that I have heard some such 
 term as ' hypocrite ' applied to men of that class." 
 
 " And yet," continued Thom-ald, '•' they would think it 
 perfectly proper for a man to keep razors away from his 
 children, but at the same time have one or more concealed 
 about the house somewhere for his own use. It might very 
 easily be argued that razors were dangerous things under any 
 conditions : the children might find them by accident and 
 do great harm to themselves or others ; the man himself, 
 though accustomed to their moderate use, might, in a moment 
 of overconfidence, go too far and inflict a serious injurv- on 
 himself or even a fatal one ; and, further, it might be said 
 that razors are of no real use to men, for natiu-e knows best 
 what is needed for protection, and if hair on the face was 
 not necessan- for the well-being of man it would not ctow 
 
286 DAYBREAK. 
 
 there. This argument could be pushed until, under an 
 awakened public sentiment, the manufacture and sale of 
 razors might be prohibited. 
 
 " I have said this to introduce a plea for tolerance 
 of opinion. You were created, I have no doubt, as we 
 were, with different temperaments and inclinations, which, 
 with various kinds of education, produce different opinions. 
 You cannot all have the same mind on any given subject, 
 nor all approve of the same methods of reform, but you 
 will make but little progress in true temperance until you 
 can bury minor differences and all work together. You 
 must learn that everything that has been made, whether 
 produced by the direct hand of God or through the agency 
 of man, has its proper use. Do you say that some people 
 would express the wish that everything intoxicating could 
 be destroyed from the earth, as having no proper use? All 
 the evil in it will surely be removed, but the good will 
 remain. At present it is one of the stubborn obstructions 
 in your thorny path. If your way were to be suddenly made 
 smooth and easy your race would never learn self-denial, 
 the only road that leads to a higher state. Your present 
 imperfect life is a daily conflict, and it is only by battles 
 won and temptations overcome that you will ever be built 
 uj) into virtuous and (iod-like characters. 
 
 " I said you must be tolerant. I can conceive that a man 
 might feel perfectly safe in the use of wine and have no 
 scruples of any kind against it, and yet be sincere in urging 
 people in general to totally abstain from it on account of 
 the harm some might receive. This man must not be 
 denied a place in the temperance ranks. Another might 
 think it a sin to touch a drop. One might believe the only 
 right way to deal with the subject would be to prohibit the 
 sale entirely, another would think more might be done by 
 
WINE-DRINKING IN MARS. 287 
 
 some Other method of restriction. All that I have read of 
 our experiences goes to prove that the people of the earth 
 will never drive out this evil till all shades of temperance 
 people get Christianity enough into their hearts to unite on a 
 broad platform and work as one army wi th a single purpose. ' ' 
 
 " Will you not tell us," I asked, " how the reform was 
 finally effected on Mars? " 
 
 "Like all other true reforms," replied Thorwald, "it 
 came about through the sanctified commonsense of the 
 church of God, not suddenly by any means, but gradually 
 and only after many years of severe struggle. A combined 
 effort of all good people, especfally women, working with 
 spiritual as well as moral weapons, produced an impression 
 which was lasting. When men were taught from their 
 childhood the dangers which accompany the drinking 
 habit; when one class of people denied themselves all 
 indulgence for the sake of the class who were weak ; when 
 drinking became a disgrace, and those who could not keep 
 sober were taken in charge by the state and permanently 
 separated from the rest of the community ; when the 
 church awoke to its full duty and the rich poured out their 
 money ; when men and women forgot fashion and pride and 
 caste in their love for the practical work of Christianity ; 
 when the power of the gospel had strengthened men's will 
 and had begun to plant in every heart a love for something 
 purer than fleshly appetite ; when the spiritual part of our 
 nature began to gain the ascendency and to occupy the 
 place for which it was made ; then intemperance loosed its 
 hold and soon disappeared, never to trouble us again. 
 
 " You see it was a long road with us and I have no doubt 
 it will prove so on the earth, but do not on that account 
 lose courage. And let me counsel both of you to join the 
 ranks of the reformers when you get home. 
 
288 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Although intemperate drinking has long been unknown 
 among us, as well as all other gross imperfections of char- 
 acter, we still make good wine, and no more danger is felt 
 in drinking it than in using milk. Everybody can have all 
 he wants of it. Our tables may be supplied with the luxuries 
 of every clime, but we have learned that it is best for us to 
 be temperate in both eating and drinking. I am sorry 
 your temperance friends, as you say, would not approve of 
 us, but when you see them I trust you will do what you can 
 to let them understand that such temptations as this of 
 which we have been speaking belong to the childhood of 
 a race, and that the people of Mars have long since passed 
 out of infancy." 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 
 
 IMoNA did not feel obliged to be present at our conversa- 
 tions after she had explained her position to us, but I saw 
 her many times every day. I tried to respect her feeling 
 and avoid the subject which still occupied so many of my 
 thoughts. I fought against my passion, which I told myself 
 was unmanly, since it was not returned in the good, old- 
 fashioned way. What man of spirit would^ submit to the 
 enchantment of one who, while professing she loved him 
 with her whole heart, declared in the same breath that she 
 also loved equally well half a dozen others? I tried to make 
 up my mind to shake off the spell and be free. To this end 
 I endeavored to examine my heart with the purpose of 
 discovering if possible the secret of Mona's power over me. 
 
 I was sure I could not be weak enough to be held so firmly 
 by her beauty alone, lovely as she was. Her mental equip- 
 ment did not seem to furnish the ground for such a deep 
 attachment, and I could not believe that I was good enough 
 to be so powerfully drawn to her by the inimitable charac- 
 ter of her spiritual nature. What, then, was the attraction? 
 It was not far to seek. What was it that first moved me, 
 before I had ever seen her? What accomplishment was it 
 that always came to my mind first when I thought of her? 
 In short, what would Mona, silent, be? I couM hardly 
 imagine. But then, she was not silent, and I knew well 
 19 
 
290 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 enough that, straggle as I night, I never could successfully 
 resist the subtle charm of that voice. 
 
 So, as I saw no escape for me, I next began to study how 
 I could infuse into Mona's love for me something more of the 
 personal element. How could I teach her to love me just 
 a little for myself alone? Evidently she had been educated 
 in an atmosphere of the most uncompromising monotony. 
 Where everybody loved ever^-body what chance could there 
 be for lovers ? I wondered what would move Mona. Some 
 heroic action which should appeal to her sympathies would 
 probably do it. She had been pleased with the part I had 
 taken in discovering her retreat in the moon, and perhaps 
 something else in that line would help me. But what was 
 there one could possibly do in Mars which could be called 
 heroic? I should have to ask Thorwald if he could think 
 of anything I could do to arouse the imagination of Mona 
 and bring her a little closer to me. 
 
 Not long after I had been indulging in these conflicting 
 thoughts I had a more promising opportunity than I had 
 hoped for of showing Mona that I could do something 
 besides make love to her. 
 
 One morning she came to me and said she would like 
 to go out for a long ride. As I never lost an opportunity of 
 being alone with her I eagerly accepted this one and hurried 
 off with her, lest any other member of the household should 
 appear and propose to accompany us. Mona was as agree- 
 able as ever, and chirruped away in her musical style as we 
 walked down the hill in search of just the right carriage. 
 We soon found one which pleased us, and as I was by this 
 time perfectly at home in the management of these vehicles, 
 we started off at a brisk pace along a road which took us 
 through a charming section of the country. It made me 
 happy to reflect that this pleasant ride was at Mona's sug- 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 291 
 
 gestion. Although she had peculiar views about my manner 
 of wooing, she did not shun my company, and I could not 
 refuse to believe she really loved me as she said. I turned 
 on more power, and as our speed became exhilarating I 
 said to my companion : 
 
 '' Mona, they will think we have eloped." 
 
 " Excuse me," came out in sweet notes, " you will have 
 to explain." 
 
 " Dear me, were your people so very proper that you 
 don't even know the meaning of that word? Didn't they 
 ever do anything wrong? " 
 
 '' Oh, is it wrong to elope? " 
 
 " That depends entirely on the point of view. But I 
 cannot explain further without bringing up the subject 
 which you have forbidden me to speak about." 
 
 " What subject is that? I have forgotten that I have ever 
 put you under such a prohibition." 
 
 " Why, the subject that is always nearest my heart and 
 nearest my lips, the subject of my great love for you, dear 
 Mona, so different from my regard for any other person." 
 
 " Oh, I remember now, but I assure you I had forgotten 
 all about it." And here her voice suddenly lost much of 
 its tenderness and assumed a character which she rarely 
 employed, as she continued, " But let us not discuss that 
 topic again. I already know all you have to say on it, and 
 why should we waste our time with such useless talk when 
 there are so many more valuable things to occupy our 
 attention? " 
 
 '' Forgive me," I exclaimed. " If you will promise me 
 not to sing in that tone again I will talk about anything 
 you wish." 
 
 " I agree," she responded, and never did her accents 
 sound sweeter. 
 
292 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Somehow I was not so much affected by Mona's coldness 
 this time as before, and I was able to recover my cheerful- 
 ness at once. I then determined to give her no occasion 
 for another rebuff if I could help it, but to do all in my 
 power to entertain her with what she called sensible con- 
 versation. There were many things connected with society 
 on the earth in which she took a lively interest, and I made 
 a great effort to talk myself into her favor, so that she would 
 not say again that she preferred the doctor's company to 
 mine. 
 
 We had been riding a couple of hours or more, generally 
 at a swift pace, when, from a high point in the road, we 
 saw we were approaching the shore of the sea or a large 
 lake. 
 
 Mona was so delighted with the view that I said : 
 
 " If we can find any kind of a boat on the shore we will 
 have a ride on the water." 
 
 " Can you manage a boat? " she asked. 
 
 " Oh, yes, if it is not too large." 
 
 " But it may be some new kind, something you are not 
 acquainted with." 
 
 " Then I shall have to study it out. But you are not 
 afraid to go on the water with me, are you? " 
 
 " If there is anything in this pleasant world to give me 
 fear it is water in such mass as that," she rei)liecl, stretch- 
 ing out her hand toward the sea. 
 
 " 15ut I thought you were afraid of nothing," said I. 
 
 " You have taught me the word," she responded, " and I 
 hardly know its meaning yet, but I must acknowledge that 
 I shrink from the ocean. Its vastness, so much water, over- 
 whelms me. You know it is many, many years since the 
 moon had any large bodies of water." 
 
 " So it is," I exclaimed, " and everything will be new 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 293 
 
 to you. What sport we shall have, and I shall make it my 
 business to see that the water does not harm you." 
 
 We hurried down to the shore and found the prettiest little 
 boat I had ever seen all ready for us, as if we had ordered 
 it for the occasion. It was evidently intended for children, 
 but was fitted with both sails and oars, and also, I was glad 
 to find, with a little screw and an electric apparatus to 
 turn it. I was overjoyed with our good fortune, and pre- 
 pared at once to embark. But Mona plainly hesitated. 
 She kept up her musical chatter and tried to be as cheerful as 
 ever, but I saw she was not as eager for the trip as I was. 
 I did not let her see that I noticed her manner, however, 
 and went on with my preparations. When I had brought 
 the boat around so that she could step into it conveniently, 
 she looked in my face, and asked in a voice which trembled 
 with excitement : 
 
 " Are you sure you understand how to manage it? It is 
 all so strange to me." 
 
 She wanted to decline to make the venture, I thought, 
 but her courage was too great. Now was the time when I 
 proved myself still a son of the earth, with fallible judg- 
 ment and a will too much engrossed with self. I had been 
 wishing for an opportunity to do some ditificult thing for 
 Mona, something noble which should win her affection, 
 and here, when the chance offered, I did not recognize it. 
 The truly heroic action would have been to respect Mona's 
 feeling and give up the idea entirely, for I knew she had a 
 strong aversion to trusting herself on the water. But it 
 was really my own pleasure and not hers that I was seeking, 
 for in answer to her question I said hurriedly : 
 
 *' Why, certainly. It is as easy to control as the carriage 
 we have just left. We'll not put up the sails if you say so, 
 and I promise to bring you back all safe and sound in a 
 
294 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 short time. I am sure you will enjoy the new experience, and 
 then I want to hear how your voice sounds on the water." 
 
 " Well, I will go," she said, " on your promise to protect 
 me ; but I have the queerest sensation, I don't know what to 
 call it. Do you think it is fear? " 
 
 " Oh, no, it can't be that, because there is nothing to 
 fear. Are you ready now? Let me take your hand." 
 
 As she stepped in and felt the motion she realized how 
 unstable the water really was, and sank down at my feet, 
 emitting an involuntary note of not very joyful quality. 
 But she showed great bravery and, as I helped her to a 
 seat, she said she would no doubt enjoy it after a while. I 
 now shoved the boat out and used the oars a few minutes, 
 but soon tiring of that exercise, I looked into the opefation 
 of the electric motor and found it quite simple. Turning 
 on the power, the screw worked to perfection and sent the 
 boat through the water in good shape. 
 
 Mona was now recovering her spirits, seeing that no harm 
 came to her, and at my request she sang some of her native 
 songs. This was delightful, and I resigned myself to the 
 full enjoyment of the occasion. It seemed to mc that the 
 excitement she had just passed through added a new and 
 pleasing quality to her voice, if that were possible. As I 
 sat listening and musing, my memory carried me back to 
 the first time I had heard this marvelous singer, and I 
 could not help contrasting the two situations. 1 felici- 
 tated myself on my present happiness, for when Mona was 
 singing I wanted nothing more. I seemed to forget then 
 that she would not listen to my tale of love, or if I thought 
 of it I attached no consequence to it. The voice seemed 
 to be a thing by itself, and a thing which in some way 
 appeared to belong wholly to me, w^hether Mona was mine 
 or not. 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 295 
 
 She stopped singing after a while and asked if we had 
 better not start for home. To which I replied : 
 
 " I turned the boat around some time ago, and we are 
 now headed directly for the place where we found it." 
 
 When she expressed surprise at this I steered about in 
 various directions to show her how easily it was done, and 
 then some mischievous spirit, which I myself must have 
 imported into Mars, put it into my head to try and see how 
 fast our little vessel could go. My idea was partly to satisfy 
 my own curiosity and partly to treat Mona to as great a 
 variety of sensations as possible. The electric apparatus 
 was extremely sensitive, and a slight movement of the lever 
 made an instant increase in our speed. A little more, and 
 we began to go through the water at quite a handsome rate. 
 I enjoyed it immensely, and if Mona did not like it she 
 had pluck enough not to make it known. This emboldened 
 me to put on still more power, which sent the boat plough- 
 ing along at such a velocity that the spray flew all about us 
 and the boat shook so that we kept our seats with difficulty. 
 Not knowing what I might be led to do next, and being in 
 reality terribly frightened, if she had only known what the 
 feeling was, Mona now mildly expostulated with : 
 
 " Isn't this a little too fast? Something might happen." 
 
 " Don't be afraid," I replied. " I'll take care of you. 
 The doctor must have taught you that last word, as it is not 
 used here. You know nothing ever happens in Mars. 
 Everything goes along in the even tenor of its way, moved 
 by laws which are fixed and certain. This boat, you see, is 
 strong and well able to bear the strain. The water is 
 smooth' and contains no hidden rocks, and it is perfectly 
 easy to steer clear of the shore, which you see is some dis- 
 tance ofif yet. But now that I have given you this little 
 excitement, which you will not regret after it is all over, I 
 
296 DAYBREAK, 
 
 will stop the current which produces this great force and 
 bring in an artificial law, as it were, to override the natural 
 law now in operation. Just look at this lever and see how 
 easily it is done." 
 
 I seized the handle, intending to shut off the power sud- 
 denly, but by some unaccountable mistake I turned it the 
 wrong way. Instantly I saw the bow of the boat jump out 
 of the water and go over our heads, and then Mona and I 
 realized that something had actually happened on Mars, for 
 we were both buried under the boat. 
 
 I was the first to extricate myself and come to the surface, 
 and, not seeing my companion, I thought she was surely 
 lost. I might save her yet, though, and was just about to 
 dive under the boat again, when her head appeared insight, 
 only a little way from me, her eyes wide open and, really, 
 a smile on her face. 
 
 " Can you swim, Mona? " I cried, excitedly. 
 
 She had not the breath to answer or else thought my 
 question unnecessary. But I soon found my own answer 
 when I saw her head sinking again just as I had reached her. 
 I clutched her, and, as I held her head above the water, I 
 began to understand that I had something on my hands to 
 fulfill my promise to take care of her. At this instant I 
 saw one of the oars from the boat floating a little way from 
 us and managed to secure it, holding Mona with one arm 
 and swimming with the other. I now helped my compan- 
 ion to half support herself by grasping the oar, while for 
 the rest she was induced to throw an arm over my shoulder. 
 In this way I was left free to make what progress I could 
 through the water, and I lost no time in swimming toward 
 the shore, since there was no hope of our being able to 
 make use of the boat, which now lay, bottom up, on the 
 surface. 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 297 
 
 All this was done without a word from Mona, although 
 I had been talking to her freely, giving her directions and 
 assuring her of my ability to save her. As this was her first 
 experience in drowning, she had evidently been trying to 
 sing under the water and had found it so difficult that she 
 had determined to keep her lips closed till she was well 
 out of it. With this thought in my mind I said to her as 
 soon as we were under way : 
 
 " Your head is so far above water now that you can open 
 your mouth with perfect safety. You see I can talk, and 
 my head is much lower than yours." 
 
 She was so situated that I could not see her face easily, 
 and therefore I do not know whether she ventured to unstop 
 her lips or not, but no sound came from them if she did. 
 Perhaps the water still filled her ears and made her deaf. 
 So I called aloud : 
 
 " Can you hear me, Mona? " 
 
 No answer in words, but I imagined I felt a slight pres- 
 sure of her hand on my shoulder. I toiled on, musing over 
 her strange behavior, till it occurred to me to try a subject 
 which had never failed to bring a response from her. 
 
 " I hope this will make you more affectionate to me, dear 
 Mona," I said; and then, as she made no answer, I con- 
 tinued : 
 
 " If we reach the shore alive and get home safe you will 
 love me more than you do Foedric, will you not? " 
 
 I thought this would bring an answer, and I was not dis- 
 appointed, except in the manner in which it came. Not 
 the faintest note escaped from her lips, but a throb of feel- 
 ing came along her arm, and her hand grasped my shoulder 
 with unmistakable vigor. I suppose she thought I would 
 understand what this answer meant, but I was puzzled. It 
 might mean so many things. Perhaps her heart was soft- 
 
298 DAYBREAK. 
 
 ening toward me and she was so much affected by her love 
 for me, stronger and deeper than she had ever thought it 
 could be, that she dared not speak. With this possibility 
 in view I began to feel very tender toward her and to ex- 
 perience the pleasure of one whose love is returned in full 
 measure. 
 
 But then her answer might have quite a different mean- 
 ing. What if she were telling me that she had determined 
 never to speak another word on that subject, and that my 
 question was an offense to her? Surely she had told me 
 often enough to talk about more sensible things, and per- 
 haps this was only a new and forcible way of repeating 
 the same injunction. I reflected, too, that it was hardly 
 fair to take advantage of the present situation to force upon 
 her a prohibited topic of conversation. 
 
 There was another possible meaning to her manner of 
 answering me. Perhaps she was indignant because I had 
 insisted on her getting into the boat with me against her 
 wish, and held me strictly responsible for all that followed. 
 With this view in mind I imagined she was saying to her- 
 self : 
 
 " I want nothing to say to you. I accept your assistance 
 because I cannot get to shore without you, but when once 
 out of this dreadful water I shall have nothing more to do 
 with you." 
 
 To place against the latter theory I had the fact that 
 Mona's face had beamed with pleasure all the time I was 
 getting her fixed so I could swim freely. Dwelling upon 
 this memory my mind returned to thoughts of love, and 
 I felt that I must try once more to start that familiar song. 
 So I said : 
 
 " Forgive me, Mona, if I have offended you, and let me 
 hear your voice again. You are too good to punish me so 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 299 
 
 severely for my fault in getting you into this trouble. Will 
 you not cheer me with a few notes while I bear you safely 
 to the shore? " 
 
 Again a pressure of the hand but no expression from the 
 lips, and I was left to further conjecture over the strange 
 mood my companion was in. I swam leisurely, so as not to 
 exhaust my strength, and as there was a considerable dis- 
 tance to go I had plenty of time to think after I had found 
 it impossible to induce Mona to enter into conversation. 
 Although so near, my companion seemed far away, and I 
 became extremely lonesome. In trying to determine what 
 had occasioned such a mishap in a world where I had been 
 taught to believe such things entirely out of date, I came 
 to the conclusion that the Martians owe their freedom from 
 many misfortunes to their ripened characters, rather than 
 to anything peculiar in their physical laws. With my 
 imperfect development I had made an error in judgment in 
 taking Mona upon the water, and with my untrained mind 
 I had simply made a mistake when I turned the lever of 
 the electric apparatus the wrong way. The Martians had 
 reached such high attainments in every direction that it 
 was practically impossible for them to make mistakes. 
 Thus had they freed themselves from many of the vexations 
 which harass the people of a younger world. 
 
 I was fortunately able to endure the strain of the great 
 task which I had undertaken, and finally succeeded in 
 bringing my precious burden to land and helping her to a 
 place of safety. We were both pretty well fatigued with 
 our exertions, but felt no danger from our wet clothes, be- 
 cause of the mild and balmy air. 
 
 Mona's behavior still perplexed me. Her manner was 
 delightfully pleasant and familiar. Now that we were safe 
 she appeared to appreciate the humorous part of the situa- 
 
300 DAYBREAK. 
 
 tion, and I was loath to believe that she could or would 
 affect such good nature if she were harboring unpleasant 
 feelings toward me. But I could not account for her con- 
 tinued silence, for as yet no word nor sound of any kind had 
 come from her lips. Her face and hands, however, were 
 continually in motion, and after I had overcome my usual 
 stupidity I discovered that she was actually making signs. 
 
 " Why, Mona," I exclaimed, " can't you speak?" 
 
 She shook her head. 
 
 " Nor sing, I mean? " 
 
 Another shake. 
 
 " Do you mean to say you have lost your voice? " 
 
 A nod. 
 
 For a moment a shadow settled upon her face, occasioned, 
 no doubt, by my falling countenance, fori must have shown 
 something of the great shock to my feelings. Mona with- 
 out the voice of Mona ! I could not at once realize the 
 depth of my loss. And now it was her turn to attempt to 
 restore my spirits, as we fell back to our original mode of 
 conversing. I urged her to make an effort to sing, and she 
 told me she had tried many times, and that it had grieved 
 her to be so unsocial while I was toiling so hard to save her 
 life. 
 
 " Why, my dear," I answered, " I thought you were angry 
 with me for speaking to you again about my love." 
 
 Her reply was a look so full of tenderness that I was 
 almost sure that, if she had had her voice, she would have 
 used it more kindly than before. Still it may have been 
 only compassion. 
 
 By this time we had found our carriage and were on our 
 way home, and I am sure that if, on our arrival, our friends 
 had judged from our looks, they would have supposed I, 
 and not Mona, had experienced a great misfortune. 
 
A GENUINE ACCIDENT. 30I 
 
 Avis had returned to her distant home several days before 
 this, but Antonia and Foedric were at Thorwald's when we 
 arrived, and I had the unpleasant task of relating to the 
 whole household our sad experience. I did not spare my- 
 self, although they were all kind enough to offer every 
 manner of excuse for me. Everybody showed sympathy 
 with Mona in all possible ways, but she herself still exhib- 
 ited the same sunny disposition as ever, although the house 
 seemed quiet without her bright and happy song. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 
 
 Family life in this model home went forward without a 
 jar. Thorwald and Zenith exhibited not the least sign of 
 restraint before us, so that what we saw from day to day we 
 were sure was their natural and usual behavior. They 
 never worked at cross purposes, were never impatient nor 
 forgetful of each other, but without effort, apparently, to 
 avoid friction, they always did what was best pleasing to 
 themselves, and at the same time what was just suited to 
 each other. This happy state of affairs did not come from 
 a division of labor, by which Zenith should have nothing to 
 do with outside matters and Thonvald nothing to say about 
 how things should go in the house, but it seemed to proceed 
 from their innate love of harmony, their perfect compatibil- 
 ity, and their practical equality. The doctor and I saw 
 there was something here far different from anything exist- 
 ing in the conjugal relation on the earth, but we could not 
 decide just what it was. The doctor was strongly of the 
 opinion, however, that it arose in some way from the higher 
 condition of woman. 
 
 " You know," he said, when we were alone, " the civili- 
 zation of a people on our planet is pretty correctly measured 
 by the position occupied by the women, so that here, in this 
 exalted society, they must be held in high esteem, if there 
 is the same analogy between the two worlds in this as in so 
 manv other things." 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 303 
 
 I quite agreed with him, and took the first opportunity 
 when we were all together to introduce the subject. 
 
 " I should like to direct the conversation," I said, ad- 
 dressing our host and hostess, " to a topic of considerable 
 interest, just now, to the people of the earth. I am sure 
 we can learn something of value in regard to it from you, 
 and I will introduce it, if you will pardon my impertinence, 
 with a personal question. Will you please tell me who is 
 the head of this household? 
 
 "Zenith." 
 
 " Thorwald." 
 
 Two answers in one breath. 
 
 " It is very polite of you," I said, " to disclaim the 
 honor and each one give it to the other, but, seriously, is 
 there no head? " 
 
 " \Miy, no," answered Thorwald; "we never think of 
 such a thing, and yet you must admit that things run smoothly 
 without it." 
 
 " I will then try again, if you please," I said. " Which 
 of you is the bread-winner? " 
 
 To which Zenith replied : 
 
 " That question is hardly appropriate, for you know we 
 do not work for our daily bread. The bread would 
 come anyway, whether we worked or not ; but then, as a 
 matter of fact, every one does work at some useful occupa- 
 tion, because we have found out by long experience that it 
 is much better for us than idleness. If you reply that you 
 have not seen us work while you have been here, I will say 
 that our time is considered to be well employed if we can 
 be learning anything or imparting knowledge to others, as 
 this is supposed to add indirectly to the general well-being 
 of society. But perhaps what you want to know is which of 
 us does the more to benefit the world, and even this would 
 
304 DAYBREAK. 
 
 be a difficult question to answer. Thorwald creates, we will 
 say, an elaborate design for a noble cathedral, and as he 
 watches its fair proportions rise under the hands of skilled 
 men, who take an equal pride and satisfaction in their work, 
 his heart is made glad by the thought that for many years 
 after he has left the body the structure will be used as a 
 place for teaching the way of life, with its graceful spires 
 pointing men to heaven. While I, perhaps " 
 
 " Let me tell that part," interrupted Thorwald. " While 
 Zenith, with just as strong a feeling of responsibility for a 
 share of the world's work, composes a beautiful song and 
 writes the music for it, and then sings it before a vast audi- 
 ence, while the phonograph catches it and holds it for future 
 generations. Is she not doing as much as I am toward 
 earning the bread for the family? " 
 
 " It certainly cannot be denied," I answered. " But 
 what I want to find out is, to use a homely expression com- 
 mon with us, which of you two holds the reins in this home?" 
 
 "Well," replied Thorwald, laughing, "that is a figure 
 of speech which is not employed here, for we use no reins 
 of any kind ; but I know what you mean, and I will answer 
 you by saying that we each hold one rein, and in that way 
 drive as steadily as if we were one person." 
 
 " But when disputes arise, which one gives in?" 
 
 " Disputes never arise, and if they did we would both 
 * give in,' whatever that expression means." 
 
 " If not your wills, do not your wishes or inclinations 
 sometimes oppose each other?" 
 
 " Why, no," Thorwald answered quickly. " It is impos- 
 sible, and for this reason : each one of us is so intent on 
 trying to please the other that we are saved from all tempta- 
 tion to selfishness, which is the root and source of all 
 differences." 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 305 
 
 While I was considering what next to ask, the doctor 
 broke in with : 
 
 ''' I think my companion will be obliged to discontinue 
 his questions and accept the truth that here we have found 
 an ideal household, where husband and wife are in reality 
 equal. Let me ask if the women, all over this happy world, 
 are treated with as much consideration as in the case 
 before us." 
 
 " Why, what a funny question," exclaimed Zenith, 
 before Thorwald could speak. " Why don't you ask if, all 
 over this happy world, we treat our men with consideration 
 and respect ? But, to save you the trouble of asking, I will 
 say that, all over this happy world, a man is held in as high 
 esteem and is as tenderly cared for as a woman, every bit. 
 Your words, Doctor, remind me that I have several times 
 wanted to speak to you about a certain manner which you 
 and your friend have exhibited t-oward me. No one could 
 accuse you of disrespect to Thorwald ; indeed, I think your 
 carriage toward him is excellent, but with me you seem to 
 be a little strained, and your manner is a trifle effusive. 
 Pardon me for the criticism. I know your action is well 
 meant, although it is something I am not accustomed to." 
 
 " I suppose," said the doctor, " you refer to our feeble 
 and, it appears, stupid efforts to be polite." 
 
 " Oh, then I ought to feel complimented instead of find- 
 ing fault with you. But why should you wish to be more 
 respectful to me than to Thorwald ? He is more worthy 
 your regard than I am, and has as many rights in this 
 house as I have, exactly." 
 
 " We have been taught to pay an extra deference to 
 women," answered the doctor. 
 
 "Why?" asked Zenith. "Because they are superior 
 
 beings ? " 
 
 20 
 
3o6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Hardly that, I think." 
 
 " Then it must be because they are considered inferior, 
 and you seek to hide your real feeling, which is one of 
 commiseration, by a false show of politeness." 
 
 "That sounds harsh," said the doctor, "and I believe 
 you are not correct." 
 
 " Oh, I do not mean to criticise you personally," Zenith 
 made haste to say, " but the system. It seems to me that 
 you. Doctor, try to be sincere ; and assuming that to be so, 
 let me ask you why you are more ceremonious in your man- 
 ner to your neighbor's wife than to your neighbor's hus- 
 band." 
 
 " Well, let me see. Why do I instinctively make a special 
 show of respect in meeting a woman ? I never analyzed 
 my feeling, but I will try to do so for you. I think one 
 principal reason is because it is so very conventional that 
 she would expect it, and think me either piqued or ill-bred 
 if I omitted it. Then, deeper than that is a desire to tell 
 her that I recognize in her and admire those graces and 
 amenities which are supposed to be peculiar to her sex. 
 And I suppose there is, also, a little selfishness in it, as if 
 I were asking her to take note that I knew what were the 
 usages of good society." 
 
 " But would you not also tell her in effect by your flat- 
 tery, if you will excuse the word, that she and the rest of 
 her sex are by birth not quite equal to men, and you are 
 trying to make up the difference all you can by politeness ? " 
 
 " I am not conscious of such a feeling, I am sure," 
 answered the doctor. " It seems to me that woman is 
 entitled to some extra attention because she is physically 
 weaker than man." 
 
 "True," said Zenith; "that is a good reason why she 
 should be protected." 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 307 
 
 " And should we not maintain and practice toward her 
 the spirit of true courtesy ? " 
 
 " Most certainly. But women should also exercise the 
 same spirit toward men. The duty is reciprocal. The days 
 of knight-errantry, when men were chivalrous and women 
 were merely beautiful, should not last forever; women, 
 too, should learn to be chivalrous. Do not imagine I 
 would have you less considerate or thoughtful of anyone, 
 or less demonstrative in your feelings, if you will only 
 remember that men and women are equal, have equal duties 
 and privileges, and should have similar treatment. Great 
 respect should go where it is deserved, whether to man or 
 woman. If I were an inhabitant of the earth and a woman, 
 I should try to have some such thought as this : one man 
 of character knows another good man is his equal ; therefore 
 as they treat each other so 1 would have them treat me, for 
 then I would know that they held me, also, as an equal, 
 and not as a doll, pretty and well dressed perhaps, but 
 brainless, nor as a child who must not be told things too 
 deep for its mind." 
 
 " I begin to understand you," said the doctor. "You 
 first get me to admit that women are not a superior order of 
 beings, and then you argue that, as we do not treat them 
 exactly as we do each other, we cannot consider them our 
 equals, and therefore nothing remains but that we must 
 look upon them as inferior to us." 
 
 Zenith gave a pleasant little pink laugh and answered : 
 
 " I see you have found me out. But you do not deny 
 that my logic is correct." 
 
 " I have tried to tell you several times," returned the 
 doctor, with a smile, " that, as for me, I do not feel guilty 
 of harboring the least degrading sentiment toward women. 
 But I cannot answer for the opinions of the world at large. 
 
3o8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 This subject promises to be more interesting than we antici- 
 pated. I see you know a great deal about it. Have women 
 always been accorded an equality with men, or is it a part 
 of your mature development ? ' ' 
 
 " Now, Doctor, just see how prejudiced you are. You 
 would never think of asking if the men of Mars had aUvays 
 been the equal of women. It would be quite as natural 
 with us to ask it in one way as the other." 
 
 " I will try again, then, by asking if the two sexes have 
 always been so happily equal as at this time." 
 
 " I will give you a direct answer to that question. They 
 have not. But I think I have talked enough for once. 
 Thorwald will tell you all about our tortuous course in 
 reaching our present condition, if you wish." 
 
 " Not at all," said Thorwald. " I would like to tell it, 
 but this is a topic that Zenith has taken a special interest in, 
 and she shall have the pleasure of talking to you about it." 
 
 " Now then ! " I said to myself, " here is a difference right 
 away. Zenith says Thorwald must tell it ; Thorwald would 
 like to do so, but insists on sacrificing himself for Zenith's 
 sake. Now, what if Zenith should prefer the pleasure of self- 
 denial, and refuse to let Thorwald immolate his desire so 
 readily ? What could prevent war in this happy family ? 
 Would a quarrel be any less a quarrel because its cause was 
 unselfishness rather than selfishness ? " 
 
 But if I, with a worldly heart, was expecting a lapse from 
 these excellent people, I was disappointed, for Zenith, with 
 a look of wifely affection toward Thorwald, said pleasantly : 
 
 " Very well, since Thorwald is so kind, I will do my 
 best, if you are sure you will not tire of hearing me talk." 
 
 The doctor and I expressed our pleasure with the arrange- 
 ment, and Zenith began : 
 
 " I wish to say at the start that, whatever may have been 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 309 
 
 your experience on this question, it is hardly possible that 
 your mistakes have equaled ours, for the folly and wicked- 
 ness of our race have been stupendous and of long continu- 
 ance." 
 
 " If you will excuse the interruption," I said, " I will 
 suggest that we can sympathize with you, as our history 
 shows the greatest injustice to women." 
 
 " Your remark proves to me that you cannot fully sym- 
 pathize with us. I did not infer, as you seem to do, that the 
 women of Mars had been the only victims of injustice. 
 
 '■' But without further delay let me begin, only do not. 
 hesitate to break in upon my story with any inquiries that 
 suggest themselves to you. 
 
 " We read that God created man, male and female; that 
 is, there came forth from the hand of the Maker a male 
 man and a female man, and all through that early age of 
 gold they loved each other, and served their God with purity 
 of heart and without a selfish thought. God was their 
 father, they were his children, with equal privileges, equal 
 affection, and equal ability to do faithful service. No evil 
 spirit was near to whisper in the ear of either a suggestion 
 of personal leadership. Ambition, that ambition which 
 would exalt self at the expense of another, was not yet 
 born, and neither of these happy beings could conceive it 
 possible to achieve a higher happiness by lording it over 
 the other. 
 
 " So they lived till sin came ; and among the woes which 
 sin brought in its train there were few more dreadful than 
 the decree that the man should rule over the woman and 
 that her desire should be unto her husband. For thousands 
 of years our race struggled against that giant evil. During 
 a long period the condition of woman was so low that we 
 know nothing of her, and when she reappears it is only as 
 
310 DAYBREAK. 
 
 the servant of man. Made in the image of God as the 
 companion of man and an equal sharer in all his rights and 
 duties, she is now his chattel, a piece of property, held 
 for his selfish use or disposed of for his advantage. 
 
 " Even in these dark days individuals of our sex rose out 
 of the general degradation and showed that they were fitted 
 by nature for a higher position. But sin and ignorance 
 kept the mass of them under the heel of their masters. As 
 civilization advanced there came some mitigation of their 
 lot, and where pure religion gained a foothold women 
 began to receive recognition ; but their state was deplorable 
 indeed among all those peoples whose religion was only 
 gross superstition and idolatry. 
 
 " In the process of time Christ came and brought the 
 light of heaven to this dark world, and from that hour 
 woman can well say that her day began to dawn. One of 
 the sweetest strains in her song of salvation is that evoked 
 by the memory of her resurrection from misery and abase- 
 ment to a position of honor among the children of men. 
 The change, however, was very gradual, for Christianity 
 itself was slow in gaining ground ; but the gospel was ever 
 the friend of woman, as of all the oppressed, lifting her 
 up where she could influence the world and begin to fulfill 
 her destiny. As fast as the nations shook off barbarism 
 and became in any degree enlightened, the unnatural bur- 
 dens were lifted from the shoulders of woman, although for 
 a long time she was compelled to perform more than her 
 share of severe toil even among people who thought them- 
 selves civilized. 
 
 " Then came a time when, in nations of some refine- 
 ment, there was such a reaction against the injustice and 
 degradation to which woman had so long been subjected 
 that she suddenly became an object of sentimental regard 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 31I 
 
 among courtly men. Her noble qualities were exaggerated 
 far beyond their merit, and she was set on a pedestal, to 
 receive homage and all the outward forms of respect from 
 those whom she so recently served as a menial. Being so 
 poorly fitted by her long training in serfdom for such exal- 
 tation, what wonder is it that her head was turned by the 
 flattery, and that her recovery was slow and difficult ? The 
 insincere and superfluous manners of that period remained 
 for ages a vexation to our growing intelligence and a hin- 
 drance to our true progress ; and, from what you have said, 
 I am inclined to think you of the earth are now going 
 through some such experience as ours. 
 
 " After that epoch had been passed, woman never fell 
 back to her former condition, although she did not yet for 
 a long time reach a position that was at all enviable, 
 except as compared with the dark days of her bondage. 
 But she was now where she could take advantage of the 
 general uplifting of the race, and though kept in the back- 
 ground by man as much as was possible, she was constantly 
 growing and learning, preparing herself for a future of 
 which she would then dare not even to dream. 
 
 " And now I am coming, in this rapid sketch, to that 
 period of activity and change which Thorwald has de- 
 scribed to you in its industrial features. In portraying 
 some of the evils of those days, arising from our almost 
 ineradicable selfishness, he was obliged to make his picture 
 a somber one, a necessity under which, happily, I am not 
 placed. Looking at the times, not as compared with the 
 present era but with what had gone before, which was the 
 only comparison the people of that day could make, there 
 was much room for encouragement. It was, in truth, a 
 bright day, whose beauty, however, consisted not so much in 
 the realization of happiness as in the promise of still 
 
312 DAYBREAK. 
 
 brighter days to come. Material prosperity abounded, 
 education flourished, and religion was beginning to creep 
 down from men's heads into their hearts. Wrongs were 
 righted, justice enthroned, and philanthropy sprang into 
 being. Even while there was so much evil, and while some 
 men seemed to be trying all they could to keep back the 
 breaking dawn, the day was surely coming. The brother- 
 hood of man, long preached as a settled principle, now 
 became a living force, showing itself in a multitude of 
 devices for relieving distress, lessening pain, alleviating 
 poverty, and for the general betterment of society. 
 
 " Surrounded by such a universal spirit of improvement, 
 woman felt the impulse of new life, and heard the call to a 
 higher service to humanity than she had ever yet rendered. 
 As men's minds broadened and their hearts grew more ten- 
 der, and as their sympathies reached out to the weak and 
 down-trodden of every class, it was not possible that their 
 ancient prejudice against woman could much longer sur- 
 vive. Her rise from this time forward was rapid. Let us 
 examine the position which, under the influence of this 
 kindly feeling, she soon came to occupy. Protected by 
 many special laws, guarded by all the legitimate forces of 
 society, but exempt from military and police service, hon- 
 ored for her high and noble qualities, respected by all 
 whose regard was of value, and loved with a true affection 
 which scorned the question of individual rights, her lot 
 seemed indeed a happy one. Shielded from the severe 
 struggles of life, freed from the cares of business, released 
 in a great measure from uncongenial work and from the 
 dangers attending exacting labor, with the disagreeable 
 things in life kept from her as much as possible, always 
 seeing the best of every man's character and manners, and, 
 more than all, being supreme in her natural domain, the 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 313 
 
 home, with none to dispute her right, what more could she 
 ask ?" 
 
 "What, indeed?" I remarked, as Zenith paused a 
 moment after her question. " The picture you have drawn 
 looks so bright, beside your description of her former lot, 
 that I have no doubt she was now contented and happy." 
 
 " So you think that shelter and protection and the love of 
 husband and children and the serenity of home ought to be 
 enough to satisfy one who was created with a spirit as rest- 
 less, a brain as active, an individuality as marked, and 
 hands as clever as those of man ? ' ' 
 
 As Zenith threw this question at me and waited for me to 
 answer, I realized that I had been caught by her former 
 inquiry, and found now that Zenith was about to take ad- 
 vanced ground on the subject before us. Wishing I had not 
 drawn her attention so squarely to my personal opinions, 
 and yet feeling obliged to stand up for my position, I said : 
 
 " It seems to me that woman's surest path to honor and 
 happiness is that marked out for her by nature, a path which 
 she adorns because so well fitted for it, and that to forsake 
 the home and compete with man for the thousand places in 
 the work of the world would be to cast aside the charm of 
 her womanliness and all that makes her what she is, a solace 
 and comfort to all the world. If she seeks for a pleasurable 
 life, where can she find such keen and lasting pleasure as 
 among the duties of home, and if she is ambitious to lift 
 the world to a higher plane, where is it possible for her to 
 have so much influence as in the nurture of the young ? " 
 
 '*' So spoke the men of our race in the era I am describing 
 to you," replied Zenith. " It seems as if you must have 
 been reading some of our old writers, so closely do you 
 follow the ideas then prevalent. I have read and reread 
 those histories until I am quite familiar with them, and 
 
314 DAYBREAK. 
 
 you shall hear how such views as you have expressed soon 
 became very old-fashioned." 
 
 " I am sure your account will closely concern us," I 
 said, " for the age of which you are now speaking must be 
 that corresponding to our own times on the earth. The 
 woman question is attracting special attention, and seems 
 bound to remain with us indefinitely; but I am frank to 
 say I think our women are making a mistake in trying 
 to elbow their way into man's domain, whatever may have 
 been the result of the movement in this favored world." 
 
 " I suppose you would have them stay at home where they 
 belong," said Zenith, with a good-natured laugh, which 
 sounded as if she were confident enough of her ability to 
 meet any possible argument. 
 
 "Yes," I replied, "out of pure kindness to them. It 
 is an astonishing thing to me that they can think of gain- 
 ing anything by giving up all that is distinctive in their 
 nature and becoming more like us. I am not so much in 
 love with my own sex as to enjoy seeing our sisters and our 
 wives and daughters trying to make themselves over into 
 men." 
 
 I now felt that I had said enough, and so expressed my- 
 self to Zenith, but she replied pleasantly that she was glad 
 I had told my thoughts, as it gave her an opportunity to say 
 some things that might not otherwise have been called for. 
 
 "You seem to think," she continued, "that woman's 
 supreme happiness is to be gained by self-effacement. I 
 suppose her custom is with you, as it formerly was here, to 
 renounce her own name at the marriage altar." 
 
 " It is," I replied. 
 
 "And from that hour," resumed Zenith, "she makes 
 every effort to bury herself, to deny her personality, and to 
 lay aside whatever individual desires and aspirations she may 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 315 
 
 have had ; that is, if she is what you would call a true woman. 
 If she objects to this renunciation and attempts to make an 
 independent career suited to her talents, then she is strong- 
 minded and is trying to unsex herself. With the world 
 full of work waiting for her nimble fingers and loving heart, 
 she is compelled to suppress all secret hope of doing some- 
 thing to impress her own character on that world, because 
 her only duty is in the home. A man is also called upon 
 to be a good husband and father, but that by no means 
 comprises all he is expected to be and do. To him it is 
 given to strike out into untrodden fields, and, without 
 reproach, to make a name for himself if possible. 
 
 " You say work is hard and disagreeable, but is it all 
 dull and uninteresting ? Are there not sweet moments of 
 hope in every work, and then the joy of achievement when 
 it is over ? Do not men find this joy and the rewards of 
 labor amply sufificient ? The more difficult the task, the 
 greater the satisfaction when it is accomplished. Business 
 is perplexing and uncertain, you say, but what of the tri- 
 umphs of success ? Would any man refuse to undertake an 
 enterprise because success was not certain ? The very un- 
 certainty adds zest to the business, and makes hope possi- 
 ble. From all this striving and achieving, and from all the 
 satisfying rewards which come with success, woman is 
 debarred. Then there are the professions and the wide 
 range of occupations which require education and special 
 training. What a variety for man to choose from, while you 
 would confine woman to one ; and a great many women, not 
 being bom good cooks or good housekeepers, cannot fill 
 that one with any credit to themselves. So what can life 
 be to them compared with what it ought to be? Think of 
 the opportunities they might have in these higher occupa- 
 tions of competing for the prizes of life — honor, fame, 
 
3l6 DAYBREAK. 
 
 position, riches, and, above all, the consciousness of doing 
 some good in the world. Oh, it is impossible for you to 
 realize anything of the longing in woman's heart to be 
 someone, to do something, and so to be relieved from the 
 everlasting monotony of the treadmill, which, if men were 
 obliged to submit to it, would make the majority of them 
 insane. 
 
 " You see I have put myself in the place of one of my 
 sex in that olden time, and have spoken as she felt when to 
 express her feelings would have been almost a shame to her. 
 
 " What I desire to show you is that woman had not then 
 received all that was due her, although men seemed to think 
 she was fully emancipated. But events moved rapidly 
 in that stirring age, and this great question could not be 
 kept in the background in a day when every abuse and 
 injustice was allowed a hearing and reform was in the very 
 air. Even the dumb beasts had such powerful advocates 
 that cruelty and unkindness were greatly checked. What 
 wonder then, as men's sensibilities and consciences became 
 quickened, that they should begin to see, what they could 
 not see before, that a fuller liberty ought to be accorded 
 to woman ? But this vision came not without help. Some- 
 times in our history we have known of a race being deprived 
 of their freedom, and so benumbed by their condition that 
 they desired nothing better, and so perforce waited for a 
 movement for their enfranchisement to come from without. 
 It was not so in this case. \\'omen themselves cried out 
 against their lot. They were not so enraptured with the 
 calm and quiet of their conventional life but that they felt 
 the stirrings of ambition for something different, and they 
 did not fear to raise their voice for more liberty." 
 
 "Liberty!" I echoed. "Were they really deprived of 
 liberty ?" 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 317 
 
 " Yes, liberty to choose a calling that would suit their 
 individual tastes and satisfy their growing ambition." 
 
 " Excuse me," I again interrupted, " but were not these 
 women who exhibited so much restlessness unattached — 
 that is, without many family ties ? And were not the great 
 majority so contented in the shelter of home and so 
 engrossed in the care of husband and children that they 
 were entire strangers to any such disturbing fancies, or ambi- 
 tions as you call them ? And, again, did not this large 
 class of happy and busy wives and mothers resent the action 
 of those self-appointed liberators who were fighting for an 
 image of straw and crying themselves hoarse over imaginary 
 wrongs ? ' ' 
 
 Zenith smiled again in that peculiar manner which told 
 me, in the pleasantest possible way, that she was perfectly 
 sure I was on the losing side, and with the smile she 
 resumed : 
 
 " Your questions are so familiar to one who has studied 
 this subject that they seem like another plagiarism, as it 
 were, from our histories, but I will give you fair 
 answers. 
 
 " It is true that the early protests came from the solitary 
 women, unfortunately not a small class at that day, who, 
 being without legal protectors, felt the inequalities of the 
 law and the unjust restraints put upon their sex by soci-ety, 
 but the truths they spoke came with added force because 
 of their intimate acquaintance with their needs. 
 
 '' You are wrong in your supposition that the mass of 
 women were so shallow in mind as to know nothing of 
 those longings for a fuller, more satisfying life. Deep in 
 their nature, planted by the Creator himself, was the same 
 lofty spirit with which man was endowed, and it could not 
 be smothered by marriage. Taking a husband should not, 
 
3l8 DAYBREAK. 
 
 and in reality does not now, change one's ambition or aim 
 in life any more than taking a wife does, but in those be- 
 nighted days men, after marriage, could go forward with 
 their plans just as if nothing had happened, while the 
 women were supposed to forget their high hopes and aspi- 
 rations and confine themselves entirely to the trivial round 
 of domestic duties. The men, however, were much mis- 
 taken if they thought their wives were forgetting. They 
 but bided their time. 
 
 " In your last question you are not altogether wrong, for 
 there were a few unthinking ones who joined with some of 
 the men in ridiculing the whole movement as unnecessary 
 and foolish. But this class had not much influence, and, in 
 spite of such opposition as they offered, the reform made 
 steady progress. 
 
 " As a help to obtain what she was striving for, woman 
 asked for the right of suffrage, and thereupon had to un- 
 dergo a fusillade of cheap criticism from those who would 
 not understand her, and who supposed she wanted this priv- 
 ilege as an end and not as a means. Men were slow to grant 
 the right to vote, but after much discussion suffrage began 
 to be allowed in matters where the women were particu- 
 larly interested. With the first concession, however, men 
 realized that the force of all their arguments was broken, 
 and before many years the full right was bestowed. 
 
 " And now, Thorwald, I am sure our good friends did not 
 come so far from home to hear me talk all the time. The 
 rest of the subject concerns your sex as much as mine, and 
 you had better take up the story at this point." 
 
 " Oh, no," replied Thorwald, " I shall not take the nar- 
 rative away from you now, you may be sure, for what is left 
 is just the part you can best relate. I shall enjoy it as 
 much as our friends from the earth. But I propose that we 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. 319 
 
 hear the rest this afternoon, and that, in the meantime, we 
 go out for a drive." 
 
 " A drive," I asked, " what do you drive ? " 
 
 "You shall see," Thorwald answered, as he stepped to 
 the telephone. I thought I should hear his message, but 
 found the instrument had been further improved. In the 
 use of the telephone as I had known it, everybody in the 
 house was much surer of hearing what was said than the 
 person at the other end of the line was, but here the one 
 addressed was the only one to get a word of the communi- 
 cation. 
 
 Thorwald talked to us a short time about other matters, 
 and then asked us all to prepare to go out. When we 
 reached the door the doctor and I were surprised to see a 
 beautiful and commodious carriage, to which were attached, 
 with the lightest possible harness, four of the handsomest 
 horses we had ever seen. There were, besides, two fine 
 saddle-horses for the children, who were to accompany us. 
 
 Thorwald drove, but without rein or whip, the horses 
 being guided perfectly and easily merely by word of mouth. 
 The animals were also so large and strong that they seemed 
 to enjoy the sport as much as we did. 
 
 " Do you mean to say," I inquired, " that such a turn- 
 out as this can be had for the asking ? " 
 
 " Certainly. I just said through the telephone that I 
 would like a carriage for four persons, and two saddle- 
 horses. The man who has the care of the horses is a friend 
 of mine who likes the work better than anything else." 
 
 "The horses appear to be well broken," the doctor 
 remarked. 
 
 "Broken," said Zenith, "what do you mean by that. 
 Doctor ? ' ' 
 
 "Why, it is an expression by which we mean that the 
 
320 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 high spirit with which they were born has been subdued, 
 making it easy to train them to obedience." 
 
 " They must be wild, then," spoke Zenith again, " and 
 you are obliged to tame them. The difference here is that 
 the horses are born tame and do not need breaking, and 
 though they have plenty of spirit, as you see, they are so 
 intelligent and have such solidity of character that there is 
 never any danger that they will become unmanageable." 
 
 " That must be so," said I, "or you could not be sure 
 of being free from accidents. But tell us, Thorwald, how 
 it happens that we have not seen others enjoying this de- 
 lightful mode of traveling." 
 
 " It is not very singular that you have not seen any horses 
 before," said Thorwald. " They have been entirely super- 
 seded in all kinds of business, you remember, by mechan- 
 ical power, and even for pleasure-riding most people are 
 too tender of heart to enjoy using them. They fear the 
 horses will be fatigued, and they do not like to see them 
 straining themselves in dragging a heavy load, when there 
 is a force that has no feeling ready to do it a great deal 
 better. 
 
 " But you can see these horses are not working very hard, 
 and it is a good thing for us sometimes to give up a little 
 sentiment. There is some danger that our sympathies may 
 carry us too far. For instance, it is probably a real kind- 
 ness to these horses to give them a little work, if we are 
 only careful not to render their service galling to them ; and 
 yet there are many people who never drive, on account of 
 the feeling they have for the beasts." 
 
 " It would be a good thing if we had more of that senti- 
 ment on the earth," said the doctor. 
 
"the horses are born tame. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 
 
 After an exhilarating ride, in which the doctor and I, 
 certainly, were not troubled by any over-sensitiveness in 
 regard to such robust horses, we returned to the house and 
 soon found ourselves seated in the music room listening to 
 one of their famous dramatists reciting his own words 
 through the phonograph. Next we had some music, and 
 then a poem, from the same prolific instrument. 
 
 When this entertainment was over, and after lunch, Zenith, 
 at our urgent request, seconded by Thorwald's solicitation, 
 resumed her narrative. 
 
 " We read," she began, " that during the time when men 
 were grudgingly bestowing the right of suffrage on our sex, 
 woman was making rapid strides toward a position in soci- 
 ety fitted to her talents and aspirations. One occupation 
 after another became available, and it was no longer a dis- 
 grace or hardly a peculiarity for women to be earning their 
 living instead of depending for support on their fathers or 
 brothers. This tended to create in them a feeling of inde- 
 pendence, and in many employments they had every right 
 to be proud of their attainments, for, with so little train- 
 ing, they often surjDassed the men at their own trades. 
 Even then, however, some of the old prejudice against the 
 sex seemed to remain in force, since women were discrimi- 
 nated against in the matter of wages. When they did the 
 
 21 
 
322 DAYBREAK. 
 
 same work and did it better, still their pay was less than 
 that of men. But this was a temporary injustice, which 
 disappeared, as it was bound to do, when woman had ac- 
 quired her full freedom and had been in the field long 
 enough to prove her right and ability to stay. 
 
 " The work at which women excelled was that requiring 
 a quick intelligence, nimble fingers, and the faculty of easy 
 adaptability. In the realm of physical strength woman 
 was not a competitor, but there was another field in which 
 she more than made up for that loss, and in which she early 
 began to show great native ability. That was in all pur- 
 suits demanding the education of the mind. Here is 
 where she was to look for the greatest of her victories. 
 Nature had endowed man with a superior strength of body 
 and muscle, but woman with a higher order of mind." 
 
 " I must interrupt you here, Zenith," said the doctor. 
 " This is assuredly an instance where your race differs mate- 
 rially from that of the earth, for wjth us man has by nature 
 the stronger mind." 
 
 " How do you know ? " asked Zenith. 
 
 " It has been proved so in all ages." 
 
 " Yes, but does not the expression ' all ages ' include with 
 you only the ages in which man has been the ruling spirit, 
 and woman has been kept down and allowed but little 
 opportunity to show the strength of her mental faculties? 
 You know our history takes in not only a period similar to 
 that covered by your whole career, but also other ages which 
 we believe correspond with the years yet to come for the 
 inhabitants of the earth. It has been during the latter era, 
 a time which you have not yet seen, that woman has proved 
 the truth of my assertion." 
 
 "I wish to make myself understood," said the doctor 
 again. " I am willing to grant the equality of the sexes. 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 323 
 
 as far as natural rights go ; that is, that every man and every 
 woman ought to have the opportunity to develop all their 
 talents, untrammeled by any edict or convention of soci- 
 ety. Perhaps I would agree with you also in believing it 
 would be better to treat men and women alike, with open- 
 hearted, sincere courtesy, and use equal ceremony in show- 
 ing respect to individuals of either sex. But it seems to 
 me that there is a vast difference between all that and your 
 latest position. There are many people of our generation 
 on the earth, and their number is rapidly increasing, who 
 believe in the essential equality of the sexes, but I never 
 heard one put forward anything approaching the claim you 
 make, that woman was created with a higher order of mind 
 than man — I believe that was your expression ; and this is 
 why I say that in this particular your race differs greatly 
 from ours." 
 
 To which Zenith replied : 
 
 " I am not so sure of that, my dear doctor. It would 
 seem hardly fair that man should be given both physical 
 and mental superiority. But please tell me again why you 
 think man has the stronger mind." 
 
 " Because he has done the thinking of the world. The 
 intellectual achievements of woman, though occasionally 
 brilliant, are not to be compared with those of man. This 
 is true in every department throughout our history — in 
 science and art, in religion, in literature, in government, 
 and in everj^thing that I could name. It is hardly to the 
 point for you to say that woman would have done more if 
 she had possessed a fuller freedom ; perhaps it is true, but 
 it seems to me a matter of conjecture. Neither is it a 
 complete answer for you to say that in the years to come 
 woman, being wholly enfranchised, v/ill revolutionize the 
 world by her unexpected powers. We can judge only by 
 
324 
 
 DAYBREAK. 
 
 what she has done. Excuse me, Zenith, for trying to up- 
 hold my point. It is rather discouraging, when I can see 
 by your face that you can demolish my argument in a 
 moment, whenever you choose to attempt it." 
 
 We all laughed at the doctor's want of courage, and 
 Zenith answered : 
 
 " I beg your pardon ; I am greatly at fault if I have any 
 such expression in my face. My confidence, if I have any, 
 is not in any supposed ability I may have in conversation, 
 but in our experience here on Mars. Your history matches 
 ours so well up to your generation that I cannot but think 
 the likeness will continue; and if it does, then woman, in 
 your near future, will prove the truth of my statement. But 
 before I proceed to tell you what she has done in this world, 
 let me ask you if your women have shown any mental pecu- 
 liarity which distinguishes them from men." 
 
 "Yes," answered the doctor, "their intuitive percep- 
 tions appear to be more developed than those of men, prob- 
 ably because they use them more. A man may reach 
 a certain conclusion by a course of reasoning, while a 
 woman will often arrive at the same point much quicker by 
 intuition. That is, a man will tell you why he knows a 
 thing, when a woman simply knows it because she knows it." 
 
 " Is that faculty akin to anything else with which you 
 are acquainted ? " 
 
 " Yes, we call it instinct in animals." 
 
 " Is not the possession by woman of that quality a silent 
 but powerful suggestion to you of the fact that she was 
 treated like an animal in the dark days of her inthrall- 
 ment ? " 
 
 " I had not thought of it," returned the doctor, " but it 
 certainly may be looked upon as a sad commentary on that 
 rude age." 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 325 
 
 " Do you consider this instinct an advantage to woman ? " 
 asked Zenith. 
 
 " Certainly; it is a great help to her, often ser\-ing with 
 much success in place of other faculties." 
 
 " Would it be a valuable quality to add to man's mental 
 equipment ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed, if he could retain all his other powers of 
 mind." 
 
 *' Well, now let me ask you what would come to pass if 
 the women of the earth, possessed already of that quickness 
 of thought, that ability to discern the truth by direct ap- 
 prehension, should, by thorough education and many years 
 of patient training, acquire the power of reasoning, the 
 judgment, the strength of mind, and all the intellectual 
 powers now held by your men ? ' ' 
 
 " That is a very large ' if,' and I cannot tell you what 
 would happen," answered the doctor. 
 
 "I have only described," continued Zenith, "what 
 actually took place on our planet. When the movement for 
 giving woman a higher education began, men looked at 
 the subject just as you do now. ^Vomen were supposed to 
 be of inferior mental capacity, and it was thought to be a 
 foolish thing to attempt to educate them. ' Better educate 
 the boys,' men said, 'and let the girls learn to cook and 
 sew and to play the piano; that is all that will ever be 
 required of them.' But, in spite of every discouragement, 
 the girls improved their opportunities so well that they 
 were soon taking the prizes away from the boys. Broad- 
 minded philanthropists of both sexes endowed schools for 
 them, and the highest institutions of learning opened their 
 doors to them. When the young women, almost from the 
 start, began to be successful in competitive contests in 
 different departments of scholarship, it was generally 
 
326 DAYBREAK. 
 
 thought that such cases were exceptional and would not be 
 apt to be repeated very often. But this was a great mis- 
 take. These instances proved to be no exception. It was 
 found that woman's facility of thought and native acute- 
 ness gave her an immense advantage over the masculine 
 mind in mastering any ordinary course of study. But this 
 was surface education. The reasoning power and the solid- 
 ity of mind for which men were distinguished in mature 
 life came later, but they came. 
 
 " At first, only here and there a girl was f-ortunate enough 
 to be offered a liberal education ; but when it was found 
 that in almost every instance they brought great credit on 
 themselves, the number increased with rapidity, until a col- 
 lege course was the customary and expected close of almost 
 every girl's school-days. For it was not the rich only that 
 had this advantage, since by this time education was free, 
 being provided either by the public or by universities richly 
 endowed. 
 
 " All this time the boys seemed to find a great attraction 
 in business and the trades, and appeared to be willing that 
 the girls should have a monopoly of the higher education. 
 One circumstance that greatly helped this state of things 
 was the extraordinary furor that prevailed just then in the 
 matter of manual training. This system had received more 
 or less attention from educators for many years, and it had 
 been introduced into schools as an addition to the regular 
 course of study. That was a material age. Men desired 
 first of all to be practical, and the new method of teach- 
 ing, being eminently practical, became exceedingly popu- 
 lar with the boys. The parents, not dreaming where it 
 would end, and seeing the eager interest with which their 
 sons now crowded into the schools, encouraged them in it. 
 
 "Schools of technique, in which the literary branches 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 327 
 
 were entirely subordinate, sprang up on every hand, and 
 two or three years spent in these institutions took the place 
 of a college course. The old universities tried to meet 
 the changing sentiment by paying more attention to science, 
 by giving the students a free choice of studies, and by short- 
 ening the course when desired. But the mechanical idea 
 in the nevv^ education seemed to be the attraction. The 
 boys were seized with a passion for doing something with 
 their hands, and their inventive faculties were quickened, 
 increasing in a remarkable degree their interest in their 
 work and studies. 
 
 " For a long time this movement was thought to be a 
 great advance in education. It was such an improvement 
 on the old way, to find the young men learning something 
 useful, rather than wasting their time over the dead lan- 
 guages and other things they would never need after finish- 
 ing school. And it must be acknowledged that all this 
 industrial impulse was of advantage to the world in its 
 way. It multiplied labor-saving machinery, added to the 
 people's comforts in many ways, and increased the general 
 prosperity and well-being of society as far as material im- 
 provements could do it. 
 
 " But there was another side to the picture. So much 
 time could not be given to training the hand and harden- 
 ing the muscle without detracting from the attention due 
 to the cultivation of the brain. To be sure, the brain was 
 active enough, but it was receiving a one-sided develop- 
 ment, which boded it no permanent good. 
 
 " I have spoken at such length of this almost universal 
 rage for technical education, because it was a chief factor 
 in turning the world over." 
 
 We all smiled at this expression, and the doctor asked : 
 
 " How did it overturn the world ? " 
 
328 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " By aiding in taking the real brain work away from tlie 
 men and giving it to the women." 
 
 " Did this actually happen ? " 
 
 " Certainly it did. Not in a day, but in the process of 
 time. How could it be otherwise, when the women alone 
 had been for many years going through that long, patient 
 mind-drilling which is the only preparation for a thorough 
 education ? When the young men observed that a civil 
 engineer, a superintendent of a factory, or even a skilled 
 mechanic could earn a larger salary than a college grad- 
 uate, it took away much of the incentive for the old-fash- 
 ioned education, and they were perfectly willing to see 
 their sisters take what they had not time for. 
 
 '' And so it came about that the women began to crowd 
 into the learned professions ; and, as there was not one 
 which they could not adorn, the prejudice against them 
 soon wore off, and before many years they were competing 
 with men in all the grandest fields of human action. Even 
 in the matter of government woman's power was felt. Men 
 were so engrossed in the endeavor to develop to their full- 
 est extent the material resources of the planet that they 
 became careless of the higher duties of citizenship, espe- 
 cially after the women began to take control of things. 
 They saw affairs were well managed, and seemed to be 
 relieved to have them taken out of their hands, not dream- 
 ing that they were forging chains for themselves which it 
 would take long years to break. Although the world was 
 constantly growing better, it was far from a perfect age. 
 Human nature was still a synonym for selfishness, and with 
 men and women measuring swords on every intellectual 
 battlefield a contest for supremacy was inevitable. 
 
 " Man was absorbed in his chosen work, he was indiffer- 
 ent to public affairs, and he was, in his way, proud of the 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 329 
 
 position woman was taking in the world, but he could not 
 let her assume his place as acknowledged leader without a 
 struggle. He said he had given her her rights, and now 
 she wanted to deprive him of his rights. 
 
 " There was too much truth in this, for society had not 
 reached a state where the sexes could live in perfect 
 equality. It was admitted by all that there must be a 
 head, both in the household and in the state, and it long 
 remained a question which should rule. But was there 
 ever a struggle of long continuance on the earth in which 
 mind did not triumph at last ? " 
 
 " I must answer in the negative," replied the doctor, 
 " although I perceive it will help your argument." 
 
 "Why, this is not an argument," continued Zenith. 
 " It is simply a story of what has taken place on this 
 planet. If you have any doubt of it, ask Thorwald. You 
 have known him longer than you have me, and, perhaps, 
 would have more confidence in what he would say. He 
 ought to have told this part of the story himself. I know 
 you think I am exaggerating, because you see I am making 
 my sex come out ahead." 
 
 Zenith said this in a playful manner, which showed she 
 was as far as possible from being offended, but the doctor 
 pretended to take her seriously, and replied with feeling : 
 
 " Do forgive me, Zenith, for my thoughtless expression, 
 and pray do not stop in your narrative at this interesting 
 point. I will tell you how I came to use the word to 
 which you object. While you were talking I was thinking 
 how one would be received on the earth, who should attempt 
 an argiraient to show the probability that anything like 
 what you are telling us should ever come to pass there." 
 
 "Well, how would such an argument be received?" 
 asked Zenith. 
 
330 DAYBREAK. 
 
 '' It would probably be passed by without any notice 
 whatever, if you will excuse me for telling the truth," 
 answered the doctor. " It certainly would not be looked 
 upon as serious, and I fear it would not even receive the 
 dignity of being called funny. Even the women would 
 laugh feebly at the extravagant notion, and think no more 
 of it. But we were talking of Mars, not of the earth, and 
 I am exceedingly anxious to know how affairs progressed 
 here, though there is no likelihood that they will ever be 
 paralleled among us." 
 
 " I would not be too sure, Doctor," spoke up Thorwald. 
 " Better wait till Zenith is through." 
 
 " I shall wait longer than that before I believe the earth 
 will ever go through such an experience. But now I am 
 ready to listen." 
 
 ''When I speak of woman assuming leadership," re- 
 sumed Zenith, " do not misunderstand me. Although 
 society was not perfect, still it v/as not a gross age, and 
 there was no return to the manners of those rude times 
 when women were cruelly treated and men took all the 
 good in the world to themselves. Oh, no, there was no 
 absence of good manners. Women treated men with the 
 greatest courtesy, showing them every mark of outward 
 respect, and being much more polite to them than to each 
 other. And it was not all show, either; for, in spite of 
 the fact that the men were patronized unmercifully, the 
 women really thought a great deal of them, and often 
 remarked to each other that the world would be a dull and 
 uninviting place without them. They admired their robust 
 strength of body, their brawny arms and well-trained 
 hands, as well as their many excellent qualities of mind; 
 and they never tired of telling them in honeyed words 
 how necessary they were to their happiness. 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 33I 
 
 " The women were very considerate also in the matter of 
 laws. The rights of the men were well looked after. To be 
 sure, they were not allowed to vote and hold office, but in 
 their fortunate, happy condition it was incredible that 
 they should care about a little thing like that. Were they 
 not perfectly protected by the law, and did they not have 
 as much to do already as was good for them ? The women 
 argued that if the men were given the right of suffrage it 
 would only be the cranks who would avail themselves of it, 
 for the great mass of the men were perfectly satisfied with 
 their condition. 
 
 " A man was allowed the right of dower in his deceased 
 wife's estate, and he could hold property in his own right, 
 even after marriage. His wife could not even deed away 
 her real estate without his consent. By this you see how 
 carefully the men were shielded from the liability of com- 
 ing to want. 
 
 " In matters of the heart it was not considered modest 
 for a man to make a direct proposal, but in reality the 
 affair was in his hands, for no woman could make any ad- 
 vance unless she received encouragement from the object 
 of her affections." 
 
 " How about the home ? " asked the doctor, " Did man 
 take the place of woman there? " 
 
 " He did whatever he was asked to do in the home. You 
 must know that at this time domestic duties were quite 
 different from what they formerly were. Men had not given 
 up all their thought and time to handicraft for nothing. 
 The drudgery had pretty well disappeared under the full 
 play of the inventive faculties, so that the home duties 
 were not exacting. What work there was, was shared by the 
 sexes, each doing that which was appropriate. The manage- 
 ment of the home was, of course, in the hands of the women." 
 
332 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " Was there no department in which the men were mas- 
 ters ? " inquired the doctor. 
 
 " Not one. They thought they were in full charge in 
 their peculiar field of labor, but here, as everywhere, the 
 women dictated their terms when they chose." 
 
 The doctor was bound to learn all he could about this 
 curious state of things, and asked again : 
 
 " What effect did all this strain upon the mind have on 
 woman's physical nature ? You have admitted that she was 
 weaker in body than man, and it seems to me she must have 
 been ill prepared for the struggle you have narrated. 
 From the experience we have had in educating women, we 
 believe it is a positive injury to them to attempt to reach 
 that high degree of culture which is easily and safely com- 
 passed by men. Our idea is that nature never intended that 
 they should study much, for their minds are really not 
 any stronger than their bodies. Too much brain work has 
 already ruined the health of a good many girls, and when we 
 left the earth the reaction against the higher education of 
 woman had fairly begun. For we believe that her mental 
 faculties can be developed only at the expense of her phys- 
 ical powers, and that if she were to persist in such an abnor- 
 mal cultivation of her intellect it would be sure to result in 
 the deterioration of her offspring and disaster to the race. 
 So, for the sake of the generations unborn, we — that is, the 
 male men of the earth — who still retain our grip on affairs, 
 have about decided to put a stop to this foolish mania among 
 our young women. We will probably pass laws, setting a 
 limit in the several branches of study beyond which girls 
 shall not be allowed to go, either at school or privately." 
 
 We all laughed heartily at this idea, including the doctor 
 himself, who continued : 
 
 " Well, what else can we do to stop them ? Stop them 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 333 
 
 we must, or we shall soon become a race of weaklings and 
 mental imbeciles." 
 
 Thorwald had been getting more and more interested, as 
 I could see by his face, and now broke out with : 
 
 " Doctor, you suq^rise me. I have acquired such a 
 respect for your intelligence that I can hardly believe you 
 serious. If Zenith will excuse me, I should like to answer 
 your question. Hard study did not hurt our young women, 
 and it never hurts anyone. It is careless living and a dis- 
 regard of the laws of health that do the harm. Physical 
 training was an important part of the education of our 
 women. They could never have accomplished what they 
 did without sound bodies, and it must be unnecessary for 
 me to say that the more highly cultured they became the 
 more our race improved. Learning never made poor 
 mothers. Ignorance does that. Do not keep education 
 out of the home. Keep out folly, low desires, sordid ambi- 
 tions, uncultivated tastes, narrow-mindedness, envy, strife, 
 wastefulness, inordinate pleasures, and every evil thing that 
 comes from an empty, ignorant mind. Keep out the 
 darkness ; let in the light. It is not God's way to give 
 capacity and desire for noble things, and then shut the door 
 to their attainment." 
 
 " Many thanks, Thorwald," exclaimed Zenith, " for your 
 good help. And now. Doctor, will you ask anything fur- 
 ther ? " 
 
 " I must admit," answered the doctor, " that your expe- 
 rience gives you more knowledge of the subject than we 
 possess, and perhaps we are wrong. Of course, we want 
 that to come to pass which will be best for our race. But 
 let me ask if the gentler sex, as we call them, did not lose, 
 by such superior culture, their gentleness and their charm. 
 The masculine type of woman is not at all popular with us." 
 
334 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " This question, Doctor," answered Zenitii, " shows that 
 you have a poor conception of our condition at that time. 
 This great change in society had been gradual, and I must 
 remind you that by the time it was accomplished the world 
 v/as much improved in every way, although, as we have seen, 
 it was by no means perfect. In her treatment of man 
 there was none of that domineering spirit which you might 
 expect; and the victory she had achieved was never used 
 harshly. Her reign, if firm, was mild. And woman her- 
 self, in the general betterment of things, had improved, 
 even in the direction you mention. Instead of becoming 
 less womanly, in her changed condition, every admirable 
 quality in her had ripened toward perfection, while she had 
 thrown off much that was disagreeable and unlovely in her 
 disposition. In personal appearance the advance had been 
 remarkable. Being relieved of the severe labor and sordid 
 cares which were once her lot, and with her mind set free 
 by high culture and her artistic tastes developed, nature 
 asserted itself by making her truly a delight to the eye and 
 a comfort to the heart of mankind. Whatever charms she 
 possessed in her old life were now doubled, making her 
 indeed a blessing to the world and preparing her for the 
 next great change, which came with the advent of the pres- 
 ent age." 
 
 " In spite of the sweetness and beauty surrounding them, 
 did not men fret at the firm hand that held them down ? " 
 
 " At first, yes. But as time went on it came to be looked 
 upon so naturally that it was hardly thought of as a thing 
 which should not be." 
 
 " How long did such a state of things continue ? " 
 
 " It continued until our race had outgrown all such trivial 
 things as selfish ambition and personal strife, until our 
 characters had ripened for a higher service than the old 
 
THE EMANCIPATION OF MAN. 335 
 
 world had ever dreamed of, and until love reigned in our 
 hearts, supreme and unquestionable. 
 
 "What makes the situation seem so strange to you is 
 because it is so contrary to your experience. Let me see if I 
 cannot make it look more reasonable to you by epitomizing 
 our history on the subject in this way : 
 
 " Our career is made up of three eras. The first was one 
 of brute force, when man ruled by strength of body and 
 subdued the world to our use. Everything weaker than 
 himself, even woman, his natural helper, was made to feel 
 the power of his arm. This age lasted long, but its rigor 
 slowly passed away, and it merged gradually into the second 
 era, which was one of mind. Here, too, man thought to 
 rule, claiming the leadership by right of possession and 
 natural endowment. But woman's sharpness of intellect 
 was more than a match for him when it was given full op- 
 portunity, and she won, as we have seen, after a long strug- 
 gle. The third and present era is a spiritual one. In the 
 realm of the spirit men and women are equally endowed, 
 and hence it is that in this age you find the two sexes living 
 in perfect equality. 
 
 " Comparing the words you have spoken with what I have 
 read of our history, I conclude that the earth is now pass- 
 ing from the first to the second era. The struggle is on. 
 Soon your sex will be considering the question of the eman- 
 cipation of man. You have the sincere sympathy of both 
 Thorwald and myself, and that you may emerge from your 
 trials as happily as ,we have from ours is our heartfelt 
 wish." 
 
 Zenith closed, and the doctor was silent. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 AN EXALTED THEME. 
 
 The doctor and I had not forgotten that Thorwald still 
 held in store for us a talk on the most important theme of 
 all. We wondered why he did not give it to us, as he 
 had many opportunities in those days of quiet pleasure. 
 He seemed to take great delight in hearing from us every- 
 thing we chose to tell, asking numerous questions which 
 showed a growing knowledge of the earth and its inhabi- 
 tants. 
 
 It was the doctor who finally inquired when we were 
 going to hear what he had promised us. 
 
 "I suppose I have been waiting," answered Thorwald, 
 " for you to ask for it. I could listen to your talk a great 
 deal longer with pleasure and profit. It is astonishing how 
 closely your history matches ours up to your times. The 
 period you have been describing to me as that in which you 
 live corresponds with a similar age here. It was a time of 
 great activity and rapid change, and one whose records 
 make a deep impression on many of our writers, judging from 
 the attention they give to it. It was an enviable time to 
 live in, if you compare it with the previous ages, but chiefly 
 on account of the promise it contained of the glorious day 
 to come. 
 
 " Doctor, are you sure you desire to hear about the growth 
 of Christianity in this world and the blessings it has brought 
 us ?" 
 
AN EXALTED THEME. 337 
 
 " Most certainly," answered my companion. " I want 
 to learn all I can of your history and present condition, and, 
 as religion seems to occupy a chief place in both, any- 
 thing you may say on the subject will be listened to with 
 delight." 
 
 Perhaps Thorwald was a little disappointed because the 
 doctor did not give a more personal reason ; but he failed 
 to show it if he was, and, after calling to Zenith to come 
 and sit with us, he began : 
 
 " P'air shines the sun on this fair world. So shines the 
 sun on other fair worlds. Its piercing rays dart out in all 
 directions from the great glowing mass, and as they fly out- 
 ward they lose in brilliancy and intensity every second. 
 In eight minutes some of these rays are intercepted by the 
 earth and find there an atmosphere well adapted to receive 
 them. In twelve minutes some strike this world, and 
 although they are less powerful than those that fall on the 
 earth, the conditions here are favorable for their reception. 
 At varying distances from the center other rays find other 
 planets as ready to welcome them, no doubt, as ours are. 
 
 " As the sun is in the physical universe, so is the Sun of 
 righteousness in the domain of the spirit. Infinite in 
 power, wisdom, and love, he comes wherever there are 
 souls to save, shedding light in every dark spot, bringing 
 life and hope and comfort, and lifting men out of the dark- 
 ness of sin up to a condition of peace and happiness. 
 Many ages ago he came to this planet, and started into life 
 those forces which have brought us to our present state. 
 Then he came to the earth, and you are at this time begin- 
 ning to feel more intensely the impulse of his mission." 
 
 " Your illustration is a forcible one," said the doctor, as 
 Thorwald paused a moment, " and weakens my former posi- 
 tion, which would make it necessary for me to believe that 
 
 22 
 
S3^ DAYBREAK. 
 
 all the rays of the sun, except the few that fall on Mars and 
 the earth, are lost. It seems to me now quite reasonable 
 that some do their beneficent work on other planets also." 
 
 "Yes," answered Thorwald, "whenever they are ready 
 to receive them. And now I hope to lead you to see that 
 the same intelligence that made the sun and gave to its 
 rays such power has been present as a personal force in 
 this world, molding it to his use and raising up a people 
 here for his service and glory. 
 
 " In the perfect plan of that omniscient being the advent 
 of the Savior occurred at the most opportune moment. 
 Deep in the heart of one nation, firmly grounded in their 
 nature by ages of discipline and suffering, lay the belief in 
 one only God. The other nations of the world, surfeited 
 with sinful pleasure and worn out with a vain pursuit of 
 happiness, were ready to abandon the gods of their imagi- 
 nations. Some lofty souls among them, following intently 
 every prompting of their better nature, had developed high 
 characters, while of God's peculiar people many pure hearts 
 waited, with joyful expectancy, the coming of the promised 
 Savior. 
 
 " He came, the lowly, patient one, and, although the 
 world was made by him, it knew him not. The greatest 
 event in the history of the globe passed almost without 
 notice; but the seed was planted, and in God's own time 
 the growth began, which has filled our happy world with 
 the perfect flower of Christianity. 
 
 " The religion which Jesus taught aimed to save the 
 race. It was universal, not only as adapted to all nations, 
 but as fitted to regenerate and perfect the whole nature of 
 man — body, mind, and soul. It would take me too long to 
 tell all the changes it wrought. It found the heart hard 
 and unfeeling, and made it tender and loving. It found 
 
AN EXALTED THEME. 339 
 
 men filled with every evil passion and almost without a 
 desire to be better, and it gave them a longing to be free 
 from sin and pure in heart. It found the race in darkness 
 and despair, and brought them hope and light and comfort. 
 Above all, it attacked the demon of selfishness and gave 
 men the promise that in time they should be entirely free 
 from its power. 
 
 " Slowly the truths of Christianity spread. The mission- 
 ary spirit was born and the gospel was carried to remote 
 lands. It was ever God's way to work through the agency 
 of his creatures, whether these be brute forces or intelli- 
 gent beings. And so through imperfect men the perfect 
 rule of life made feeble progress. But as it was the work 
 of the Spirit, there was never any danger, even in the 
 darkest ages, that the gospel would not triumph over all the 
 sin and degradation of the world, and lift men to a higher 
 plane. 
 
 " For a long period the truth lay buried beneath igno- 
 rance and superstition. Then came an awakening, and 
 men, with their minds more enlightened and their con- 
 sciences quickened, began to catch something of the true 
 spirit of the gospel. Christianity now became a dominant 
 power. Under its benign sway civilization advanced, intel- 
 ligence spread, and Christian nations outstripped all others 
 and extended their power to every part of the globe. 
 
 " Soon the ameliorating influences of the gospel were 
 felt on every hand. Government began to be administered 
 with more regard for the interest of the governed, and men 
 came to receive consideration simply because they were 
 men. All the aggravated forms of oppression ceased under 
 the newborn spirit of human brotherhood, a sentiment 
 brought into the world by the founder of Christianity. 
 
 " This brings us, my friends, up to that intense age of 
 
34° DAYBREAK. 
 
 which I have spoken before, and which you say you recog- 
 nize as that corresponding with the time in which you are 
 living on the earth. Let me state briefly the condition of 
 some of our affairs of that period. 
 
 " The industrial world was in a ferment, as we have 
 seen, and it was only in a general and impersonal way that 
 the Christian religion shed its influence on the majority of 
 the actors in that drama. Individuals, among both em- 
 ployers and workmen, had good impulses and indulged them 
 as much as they could, and I am inclined to think this class 
 was larger than most of our writers admit. But we read 
 that the greater part were moved chiefly by motives of self- 
 interest. Still, Christianity was a growing force among 
 them, and they could not entirely escape its influence. 
 They were born under its elevating power, and, even if they 
 did not acknowledge its sway, they were quite different men 
 from those who lived before Jesus began to preach the law 
 of love. This remark will apply to all the people of that 
 day who were born under Christian skies, and yet acknowl- 
 edged no personal allegiance to the Savior. They were the 
 unconscious heirs of a priceless inheritance." 
 
 " I just want to say, Thorwald," the doctor interrupted, 
 " that I can accept that idea fully now, with respect to the 
 people of the earth, though at one time I should not have 
 been willing to do so." 
 
 Thorwald smiled his answer, and without further reply 
 continued : 
 
 " Let us look at the business situation. National and 
 local governments had begun to extend their powers beyond 
 what had before been considered legitimate. With one 
 excuse or another they had taken out of private hands many 
 branches of business, and there was a strong tendency toward 
 a continuance of the policy. There was no difference in 
 
AN EXALTED THEME. 34I 
 
 principle between carrying the mails and carrying freight 
 and passengers, or between giving the people cheap 
 water in their houses and furnishing them with cheap 
 coal. 
 
 " It was acknowledged that there were certain things 
 which the city or state could do better than private enter- 
 prise, and the difficulty was to decide where to draw the 
 line. While this uncertainty existed in the minds of most 
 people, there was a small but aggressive party who were in 
 favor of not drawing the line at all, but of putting every- 
 thing into the hands of the government. They would have 
 had the people, in their corporate capacity as a nation, raise 
 and distribute the products of the soil, do all the manu- 
 facturing and dispose of the goods to consumers, conduct 
 all the trades and professions, and, in fact, carry on every 
 kind of business necessary to the well-being of society." 
 
 Of course, this woke up the doctor, whose practical mind 
 could see nothing attractive in such an arrangement as that, 
 and he was moved to say : 
 
 " I trust, Thorwald, that your ancestors did not adopt 
 that crazy scheme as an experimental step in their develop- 
 ment. But I beg your pardon for using such vigorous lan- 
 guage without knowing whether they did or not." 
 
 Thorwald smiled, as he answered : 
 
 " You are safe, Doctor. From actual experience we can- 
 not tell what the result of such a trial would be, for the 
 vast majority of the writers, and the people too, of the 
 period were opposed to the plan, and no doubt with good 
 reason. 
 
 " But I do not wonder that this idea had a fascination for 
 some right-minded people, in the promise it gave of doing 
 away with the evils arising from competition, to which I 
 have before referred." 
 
342 DAYBREAK. 
 
 Thonvald paused here, as if to invite one of us to speak, 
 if he wanted to do so. I accepted, by saying : 
 
 " I wish you would fell us a little more on that subject. 
 Competition is said to be the life of trade with us, an 
 accepted principle of honest business. And yet you speak 
 of it as something that should be done away with." 
 
 " If you could know," answered Thorwald, " how repug- 
 nant the idea is to us of the present day, you would under- 
 stand how truly you have voiced my feelings." 
 
 " I have no doubt," I said, " that your experience has 
 taught you much on the subject that we do not know, but 
 this is the way it looks from our standpoint : There is born 
 in us a passion for getting that which belongs to others, or 
 that which others are trying to get. In some of us this 
 Instinct is developed more than in others, and some are 
 unprincipled enough to indulge it unjustly ; but let me ask 
 you if it is wrong to follow the leadings of such a desire 
 if we are strictly honest in all our dealings." 
 
 " We might differ over the meaning of the phrase 
 * strictly honest,' but I will answer your question by saying 
 it is certainly wrong." 
 
 " But it seems to be a part of our very nature." 
 
 " Do you offer that as a reason for its being right ? I 
 never heard you claim that human nature was perfect," said 
 Thonvald. 
 
 "Then," I returned, " in our present state, with which 
 you are now pretty well acquainted, is it not possible to 
 carry the principles of Christianity into business ? " 
 
 " To answer that as I should be obliged to do would make 
 me appear to you too arbitrary, and so perhaps I had better 
 let you find your own answer in the questions which I will 
 ask you. Is not unselfishness one of the first principles of 
 Christianity ? Now, the very essence of competition is a 
 
AN EXALTED THE.ME, 343 
 
 regard for self-interest, with no room for thought about the 
 interests of others. In an ideal state of society the rules 
 of life given by Jesus are fully obeyed. In such a state, 
 would a transaction be right where each person was trying 
 to do what was best for himself, although it might be to the 
 damage or loss of another ? It might be called honest to 
 own slaves, and probably in the history of the earth a great 
 many sincere Christian people have owned them, but you 
 have now reached that condition, I think, where you can 
 see it is wrong. So your way of doing business may be 
 honest, but in our more ideal state we see that it is not 
 right. Our remote ancestors, through the various stages of 
 our development, did a thousand things with clear con- 
 sciences which we could not do now. I understand your 
 situation perfectly, and am sure your race will outgrow its 
 imperfections." 
 
 I thanked Thorwald for his faith in us, and he resumed 
 his narrative. 
 
 "In the age of Avhich I am speaking," he said, "the 
 church was taking a prominent place in the world, but had 
 not assumed the leading j^osition which it afterward reached. 
 Many nations were still without the light of the gospel, 
 and even in nominal Christian lands the actual supporters 
 of the church were in the minority. In the midst of much 
 evil and many discouragements the church was trying to 
 regenerate society, but it had a difficult task, partly on 
 account of the great perversity of the human heart, and 
 partly because the church itself was not free from the 
 imperfections of the age. Its members represented all 
 shades of spirituality, the great majority of them having 
 but a faint appreciation of the glorious cause in which 
 they had enlisted. They called themselves soldiers of the 
 cross, but were so burdened with the ordinary but more 
 
344 DAYBREAK. 
 
 pressing duties and occupations of life thiat tliey never 
 dreamed of the grandeur of the service, nor of the bril- 
 liant deeds of which tlie church was soon to show itself 
 capable. 
 
 " One chief hindrance to the growth of the church and 
 to the spread of its influence was the spirit of division 
 within itself. Theoretically, all believers, the world over, 
 were one body, or church, but in point of fact there were 
 many churches, and in some particulars they were quite 
 sharply opposed to each other. This evil was in full force 
 in that age, but there were signs in the air that it was not 
 to remain forever a stumbling-block to the faith of the 
 world." 
 
 " We are afflicted in the same way," said I, " and some 
 of us are hopeful enough to look forward to a really united 
 church. But many think it is a part of our nature to differ, 
 and are not able to see how all can ever come to think 
 alike. They say that if by a miracle all should be brought 
 into one church, and then left to their own inclinations, in 
 a short time there would be as many sects as there are 
 now." 
 
 " And so there would," returned Thorwald, " with your 
 present ways. Your imperfect nature must change under 
 the softening influence of the gospel. The differences 
 that cause such trouble come from each individual's selfish 
 regard for his own opinion. All must learn not only to 
 respect but to embrace the opinions of each other when 
 they are right opinions. Two streams may run in parallel 
 channels forever if each persists in following strictly its 
 own course. If one turns toward the other and the other 
 turns away, they will still be kept apart; but let each 
 turn toward the other, and how quickly they come to- 
 gether." 
 
AN EXALTED THEME. 345 
 
 I told Thorwald I could apply his illustration to our 
 condition and we would tr}' to profit by it. 
 
 "One of the promising features of the religious situa- 
 tion," he continued, "was the good start the church had 
 made in missionary work. In the zeal with which this was 
 taken up it was quite a new departure for the church, for 
 not long before this time good men believed that if God 
 intended to save the heathen he would do it without any 
 help from man. But now success had come in the work in 
 sufficient measure to greatly encourage the faithful souls 
 engaged in it. 
 
 " When I speak of zeal, however, you must understand 
 that this quality was confined to a few people. Nearly all 
 were only half-hearted Christians at the best, doing some- 
 thing, to be sure, but not at all alive to the grand opportu- 
 nity of bringing the world to the feet of the Savior. Only 
 here and there was one found who was ready to give himself 
 unselfishly to the work, and the amount of money given to 
 advance the cause of Christ, at home and abroad, was 
 small indeed compared to that spent in luxurious living 
 and hurtful indulgences. 
 
 " At the same time, it was an age of progress. The 
 ordinary span of life was long enough to show improvement 
 in many ways, and men, seeing the rapid advancement the 
 world was making, took courage and looked forward more 
 confidently for the dawn of a brighter day. Religion was 
 beginning to be more of an every-day matter, and Christians 
 were coming to a faint realization of the real value of the 
 gospel in its adaptation to all the needs of men. Care for 
 the body, better ways of living, and right conduct toward 
 others were all taught, as well as duty to God, and society 
 began to feel the benefit of such sensible teaching." 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 
 
 We all hoped Mona's affliction would prove temporary, 
 but after a number of days had passed, and no improvement 
 appeared, Thorwald had an expert anatomist come to the 
 house and make an examination of the organs of her 
 throat. Although this was a new way in which to apply his 
 skill, as the Martians of that era were all physically per- 
 fect, he thought he might be able to discover the cause of 
 the trouble. The result of this experiment was somewhat 
 reassuring, for our scientist told us there was no defect of 
 organ or injury to any part, closing his report with the 
 remark that the case presented the greatest mystery of the 
 kind he had ever encountered. My companion, the doctor, 
 now expressed his opinion, which coincided with my own. 
 This was, that Mona's trouble was occasioned by the shock 
 to her nervous system when she was plunged into the water, 
 an element which she so much dreaded. Our good friends, 
 including the expert, were utterly unable to understand the 
 meaning of this .theory. The remark that Zenith made was : 
 
 " Why, but for our friend, and others who pry into these 
 things for us, we would never know we had any nerves." 
 
 " Happy will our race be," responded the doctor, " when 
 it arrives at the same blissful ignorance." 
 
 " Well," continued Zenith, " if your opinion is the cor- 
 rect one, what have we to hope for in Mona's case ? " 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 347 
 
 "Unfortunately," answered the doctor, "we have no 
 experience to teach us what to expect. We can only hope 
 with you that she may speedily recover her voice, which has 
 seemed to form such a great part of her, and has given us all 
 so much delight." 
 
 Perhaps it was imagination, but it seemed to me that 
 Mona's behavior toward me was more affectionate than it 
 had formerly been. She had told me before, to be sure, 
 that she had loved me with all her heart, but in these latter 
 days she appeared to seek my society more and to show 
 other indications that her love was assuming more of the 
 personal element for which I had once so assiduously sought. 
 But how was it with myself ? This question forced itself 
 on me, one day, and I was a little startled to find that an 
 answer did not spring up spontaneously. Was it possible 
 that my love was becoming cold ? I would not admit it. 
 Just as the poor girl had lost her chief attraction, should I 
 turn from her and forget all my former professions ? On 
 the first suspicion that such might possibly be my desire, I 
 said it was a wicked thought and I should never let it be 
 true. But even if I could not force my heart to remain 
 faithful, no one should ever know it but myself. 
 
 A little more time elapsed and I discovered that, in spite 
 of my brave resolutions, Mona, silent, was filling less and 
 less of my thoughts, and that I was living on the precious 
 memory of her lost voice. But this discovery did not shake 
 my determination ever to be to Mona herself a true and 
 faithful lover. 
 
 At this juncture I was sitting alone, one morning, going 
 over in my mind the strange vicissitudes of my love affair, 
 when, in a far-distant part of the house, I heard a sound 
 which thrilled me. I stopped all motion and listened, my 
 heart, however, trembling with the fear of a disappoint- 
 
348 DAYBREAK. 
 
 merit. The music, for it was sweet music to me, came 
 nearer, and now I could not be mistaken. What joy filled 
 my heart ! How impossible to forget that voice ! I sat 
 still and let it come. She evidently knew where I was and 
 was coming to find me, pouring forth her heart in the way 
 she knew I adored. Where now were my fears that my 
 heart was growing cold toward her ? Could it be possible 
 that I had ever doubted my affection for her since I first 
 heard her sing ? Nearer it comes, filling my ears now with 
 its familiar melody, a song without words but full of mean- 
 ing for one who hears aright. She is guided true by the 
 lamp of love and is now in the next room. I cannot wait, 
 but interrupt her song with this cry : 
 
 " Come to me, my love, come quickly. I know your 
 voice and the meaning of your song, and my heart re- 
 sponds to yours." 
 
 The strain continues, and soon a form appears in the 
 doorway. I spring from my seat and start to meet it, but 
 fall back almost immediately in confusion. 
 
 '' Oh, Avis," I exclaimed with vexation, " I thought you 
 were Mona again. I supposed you were on the other side 
 of the world." 
 
 " I was, but I have come back to sing for you. I heard 
 poor Mona had lost her voice and I wanted to do what I 
 could to fill her place. But I fear you are not pleased with 
 me." 
 
 " My dear friend," I replied, " I beg your pardon for 
 the abrupt manner in which I received you. I thought 
 Mona had suddenly recovered her voice and was coming in 
 the fullness of her joy to tell me about it, and you can 
 imagine my disappointment when I discovered my mistake. 
 But now I assure you I am glad to have your sympathy and 
 delighted to know that you are to be near me. Please go 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 349 
 
 on with the song which I so rudely interrupted, and let me 
 hear your voice as often as possible. It is exceedingly 
 fortunate for me to have you here while Mona is recover- 
 ing. Will you stay till she can sing again, or do you think 
 it is too selfish in me to make such a request ? " 
 
 Instead of answering me. Avis began to sing again, and 
 in a twinkling I had forgotten my question and everything 
 else in the enjoyment of the moment. 
 
 I now wanted little to make me supremely happy. There 
 was Mona herself, with her exquisite beauty and friendly 
 manner, and there was Mona's voice in the mouth of one 
 who liked me enough to go half around the world to enter- 
 tain me. And, if the truth must be told, my heart inclined 
 more and more toward the voice. This was a startling 
 truth indeed when it first fell upon me, and I fully deter- 
 mined that no one else should know it. Mona should never 
 discover that I loved her less because she could not sing, 
 and Avis should never know that her marvelous song was 
 beginning to make the singer dear to me. 
 
 Whenever I found myself alone I could think of nothing 
 but this perplexing subject. As I dwelt upon my situation, 
 I told myself I must be careful, and avoid getting into 
 trouble. Mona was becoming more and more tender toward 
 me every day, and now Avis had come, unconsciously storm- 
 ing the seat of my affections with Mona's own voice. I felt 
 that I was in some danger of embarrassing myself before the 
 rest of my friends, and it behooved me to simplify mat- 
 ters if possible. 
 
 First, I must find out to a certainty just how I stood with 
 Mona. Notwithstanding the admission which I had been 
 forced to make to myself, I felt that it must be right for me 
 to continue to devote myself to Mona, even if my heart did 
 not bound toward her as in the days of my exuberant love. I 
 
35° DAYBREAK, 
 
 should indeed be unworthy of her to give her up now. When 
 I considered my former depth of feeling, I fairly despised 
 myself for entertaining for a moment the possibility of her 
 becoming less dear to me. But, for all that, I knew deep 
 in my heart that the charm which had held me to her was 
 gone, and I knew of no way to arrest and bring back my 
 wandering affections. 
 
 Still, it could not be right for me to let her know I was 
 changing. What would she think of me, and what opinion 
 would Thorwald and Zenith have ? I must own that the 
 latter consideration had a good deal of force with me, for I 
 did not want to lower myself and our whole race in their 
 eyes. 
 
 So I prepared the form of speech with which to address 
 Mona again on the old subject. It seemed strange that she 
 should begin to grow fond of me just as soon as my love 
 began to cool, and I determined with all my will never to 
 let her know the state of my heart. 
 
 Not long after I had made this resolution, I was surprised 
 to have the doctor tell me he was sorry to see I was not so 
 partial to Mona's society since she had lost her voice. I 
 do not remember what I said to him in reply, but I know 
 his remark set me thinking hard. Perhaps other observers 
 had noticed the same thing and were too considerate 
 of my feelings to speak of it. Surely, I must have matters 
 put upon a better footing at once. 
 
 As for Mona, she was never happier in her life, if we 
 could judge from her actions. She had now learned to talk 
 so well in her mute language that we all found conversation 
 with her comparatively easy. Her fascinating manners 
 made her interesting always, and in spite of her great loss 
 she was still an important part of the life of the house. I 
 argued to myself that my heart must be hard indeed if I 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 35 1 
 
 could not continue to love her. To me her behavior was 
 characterized by such a peculiar sweetness that I knew she 
 was ready, on a word from me, to recall some of the harsh 
 things she had said and to own a love quite different in 
 kind from her regard for others. 
 
 The opportunity soon came to speak to her, and I em- 
 braced it. 
 
 " Mona," I said, " I want to make a little speech to you. 
 First, let me ask you if I can introduce a subject on svhich 
 you have more than once stopped my mouth. Perhaps you 
 know what I mean." 
 
 " Oh, yes," she replied, " I remember it very well, and 
 you may talk all you please about it now. You must for- 
 give me if I was unkind before and used my voice to vex 
 you. But I am surprised to have you bring up this 
 topic." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Because I thought from your manner that you did not 
 love me as you used to." 
 
 By this time the speech that I had prepared was all out 
 of my head, and I was wondering if it were possible that 
 I had lost so much of my affection for Mona that she had 
 discovered it by a change in my manner. In reply to her 
 remark I said : 
 
 " But such a thought has not made you unhappy, Mona, 
 if I may judge from your behavior. I have never seen you 
 more cheerful and full of life." 
 
 " No," she responded, " I think it has had the contrary 
 effect. I was rather relieved to find you were recovering 
 from your foolishness, and I thought we would now be able 
 to live in peace, treating each other in a kind and sensible 
 manner. I am disappointed to find that you are still cling- 
 ing to the old idea, but I will not object to your saying all 
 
352 DAYBREAK. 
 
 you please on the subject, for I have my own reasons now 
 for being gracious to you." 
 
 " That's the very thing I want to ask you about, Mona. 
 I have noticed your great kindness of late, and have sup- 
 posed it came from the fact that you were learning to 
 love me in my way; that is, somewhat to the exclusion of 
 others. Isn't it that ?" 
 
 " I think you will not be pained when I say you have had 
 a wrong impression." 
 
 " Why do you think such a discovery will not pain 
 me ?" 
 
 " Because I am sure you do not care for me now in the same 
 way as before. It was my voice that inthralled you. In all 
 this interview you have not once said you love me, and you 
 know at one time you could say nothing else. But let me 
 tell you why I have shown an extra tenderness toward you 
 recently. It was because I feared you would think I blamed 
 you for my misfortune. I wanted to let you know I had 
 not the least unkind feeling and that, in spite of the loss 
 of my voice, I was as happy and contented as ever." 
 
 " Well, after all, you do love me a little, do you not, 
 Mona ? ' ' 
 
 " Why, of course I do, just as much as ever. And now 
 let us go right along and be nice to each other. We will 
 love each other and love everybody else just the same, and 
 you must promise not to look disturbed any more when I 
 am talking with Foedric ; but you have been very good 
 about that of late." 
 
 " I will promise," I answered ; " but what will you do if 
 you find I am loving another person more than you ? ' ' 
 
 " Oh, I cannot understand what you mean by loving 
 more and loving less. It is a strange idea to me, and I 
 hope I shall never get accustomed to it. My way is to 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 353 
 
 love everybody with all my heart, and that's an end of it. 
 Don't you see in that way I escape all the worry and vexa- 
 tion which you seem to have in the matter ? As to your 
 loving another, you will pardon me if I say it will be a 
 great relief to me for you to do so. I have not been used 
 to being the sole recipient of any person's affection, and I 
 shall rejoice to be freed from the responsibility. If you 
 have thought me happy heretofore, you will now be aston- 
 ished at my sprightliness. I suppose you refer to Antonia. 
 She is a lovely girl, and " 
 
 "Allow me," I interrupted ; but before I could goon 
 with my denial that voice again fell on my ears — so dis- 
 tant and low that I held my breath to listen. At first 
 Mona did not hear it, but it soon increased in volume ; and 
 now, as the sweet sounds came pouring upon us, my com- 
 panion saw how I was affected, and said in her sign lan- 
 guage : 
 
 " Oh, I was mistaken. Antonia is not the one." 
 
 My heart was now all aflame, and, with Mona by my side 
 and gazing into my glowing face, I almost forgot her pres- 
 ence in the approach of one whose song had such power. 
 Was she old ? Music like that is never old. Why should not 
 my heart go out to her ? She was still beautiful and not so 
 old as I had supposed. And then, of course, people in that 
 advanced condition, did not wear out in a few years as they 
 did on the earth. As for her size, she was rather small for 
 a Martian, and I, living under new conditions, would cer- 
 tainly take a start before many days, and no doubt become 
 as large as Foedric, almost. 
 
 These ingenuous sentiments came to me with the sweet 
 accents of that melodious song, and when Avis appeared 
 I had great difficulty to keep from making some foolish 
 exhibition of my feelings. 
 23 
 
354 DAYBREAK. 
 
 At my next sober moment, that is, when I was by myself, 
 and out of hearing of that intoxicating music, it was very 
 easy for me to realize my ridiculous situation, but not so 
 easy to tell how I was to escape from it. As to my rela- 
 tions with Mona herself, I was greatly relieved by our last 
 conversation. I certainly need no longer feel obliged to 
 tie my vagrant heart to her. She would not miss it if it 
 never once showed itself again, but how could I hope to 
 preserve any sort of character in the eyes of my other 
 friends ? What sport the doctor would make of me if he 
 knew how I felt toward Avis. He little thought that this was 
 the daughter of Mars most likely to bring me to my knees. 
 
 And the doctor would have good reason for whatever 
 enjoyment he might have at my expense, for I felt at first that 
 I did not deserve any sympathy. When away from the pow- 
 erful influence of that voice I was myself, and could see 
 everything in its tme perspective, but it is difificult to 
 describe the change that came over me as soon as those 
 entrancing notes fell upon my ear. The music sent great 
 waves of emotion through my being, the storm center gen- 
 erally appearing to be the seat of my affections. My heart 
 would beat fast, going out toward the singer in sympathy 
 and love. The doubts of propriety belonging to my sane 
 moments — hesitation, argument, uncertainty — all went in a 
 flash, and I was almost ready to throw myself before her 
 and proclaim my love without shame or embarrassment. 
 At such times I felt that I could hold my head up in view 
 of all the inhabitants of Mars and prove to them that I 
 was not fickle, but as steadfast as constancy itself in follow- 
 ing always one and the same attraction. Was I not as true 
 to the best that was in me, when my heart was ravished by 
 the voice of Avis, as I was when I had loved Mona so ten- 
 derly for the same sweet charm ? 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 355 
 
 As day followed day in this delightful home, it was the 
 society of Avis which I continually sought, and I was never 
 quite happy except in her presence, or, at least, within 
 hearing distance of her voice. And it was not long before 
 the constant association of Avis with the music I loved so 
 well began, even when I was not listening to her, to draw 
 my affections toward one who, at will, could exert such 
 power over me. 
 
 Mona was still herself, the same friendly, joyous creat- 
 ure as ever, but the knowledge that I could never gain her 
 undivided affection helped to cure my infatuation. And 
 now, with my heart free, why should I not love Avis ? The 
 mere fact that she was an inhabitant of Mars proved that 
 she was far too good for me, but I could see by the example 
 of Fcedric and Antonia that Avis would never, in conse- 
 quence of her high development, have any scruples against 
 loving one person more than others. 
 
 When I had fully persuaded myself that I was perfectly 
 consistent in my present course, I became quite anxious to 
 know what others would think of me. But I was too much 
 afraid of the doctor's criticism to confide my secret to him. 
 I must try one of the Martians, whose high breeding and 
 true courtesy would not permit them to make light of one's 
 feelings on so serious a subject. 
 
 So it was to Zenith that I went for sympathy. She had 
 been more than kind to me, and it is remarkable how easy 
 and perfectly at home she made me feel in her company. 
 
 " Zenith," I began, " I want to consult you on a delicate 
 subject, and I will first ask you a rather abrupt question. 
 Will you give us your permission to take Avis back to the 
 earth with us ? " 
 
 A Martian never loses self-possession and is never at a 
 loss what to say to the most unexpected proposition. 
 
356 DAYBREAK. 
 
 "Well, that is abrupt," Zenith quickly responded. 
 " Do you know, Thonvald and I were talking only this 
 morning about your apparent fondness for the society of 
 Avis. Are you forgetting Mona ? " 
 
 This was getting into the subject faster than I had in- 
 tended, and I determined to take my time, so I said : 
 
 " Zenith, this province must be the New England of 
 Mars, by the way you evade my question and ask an- 
 other." 
 
 " But you wouldn't expect me to answer such a question 
 offhand. You see, it contains several new ideas. First, 
 I didn't know you thought of returning to the earth. Then 
 I am surprised that you should want to take anybody 
 with you. And, finally, I am more surprised that you 
 should choose Avis rather than Mona. Now that I have 
 explained so fully, may I not ask you again if this means 
 that you are forgetting Mona ? " 
 
 " Mona is not able to sing for me," I said. 
 
 " And do your ideas of what is right allow you to be- 
 come indifferent to her as soon as she loses one of her 
 attractions ? Here her misfortune would tend to make 
 her only more dear to one who really loved her." 
 
 To which I made haste to answer : 
 
 " I am proud to tell you. Zenith, that such sentiments 
 prevail on the earth, too, and I have been trying hard to 
 hold them in my own breast. But in living with you I am 
 learning to be honest, and it would not be right for me to 
 deny that Mona's chief charm for me is gone from her, 
 and is in the possession of another. The voice of Avis 
 has the same power over me that Mona's formerly had, and 
 shall I fight against my growing fondness for Avis ? " 
 
 " Is your race so little developed, then," asked Zenith, 
 " that your ears are the only avenue to your hearts ? " 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 357 
 
 Before I could answer, Mona herself came bounding into 
 the room, and Zenith continued : 
 
 "There's the poor child now. How can you be so 
 unkind to her ? " 
 
 " Who's unkind to me ? " asked Mona in her sign lan- 
 guage. 
 
 "Zenith thinks I am," I answered. 
 
 " Why, you are mistaken. Zenith ; he is just the opposite. 
 We have always loved each other, and I think more of him 
 than ever since I lost my voice, and he has ceased making 
 serious speeches to me that I can't understand. I wish you 
 could see how he enjoys hearing Avis sing." 
 
 In this way Mona proved to Zenith that she was not 
 heart-broken. I was going to explain the matter myself, 
 but was glad to have Mona take it out of my hands. 
 
 The most difificult task yet remained. I must tell Avis 
 how affairs stood ; and yet, was it the proper thing for me to 
 do ? I wondered how the delicate subject of making love 
 was handled in Mars, where the two sexes were perfectly 
 equal. Which one was to make the advances ? The mat- 
 ter is simple enough on the earth, where women are infe- 
 rior and dependent. Of course, they must smother their 
 own feelings and wait to be discovered, while the men can 
 make their selection, and if they do not succeed at first 
 can simply try again. That is entirely proper, and every- 
 body knows just what to do ; but here things are probably 
 different. I don't want to make a failure in this case, as I 
 did with Mona, not knowing the customs of the moon- 
 dwellers. Perhaps my best way will be to try a little 
 coquetry and pretend I do not care for her nor her singing. 
 That may draw her on to make some avowal to me. 
 
 I had gone so far in my deliberations, when I was inter- 
 rupted by the doctor, who called to ask if I did not want 
 
358 DAYBREAK. 
 
 to go out with him, I consented reluctantly, as I preferred 
 to go on with my thinking till I could come to some deci- 
 sion. But the doctor had a purpose in taking me out, and, 
 as soon as a good opportunity presented itself, he said, 
 inquiringly : 
 
 " You find Avis a pretty good singer ? " 
 
 " Excellent." 
 
 " And good company ? " 
 
 " Excellent company. Why ? " 
 
 " Oh, nothing ; only I thought you were neglecting another 
 friend." 
 
 " Why, Mona doesn't care for me, and Avis does, or, at 
 least, I think she does." 
 
 " Do you mean by this," inquired the doctor, " that you 
 have transferred to Avis the personal interest you had in 
 Mona ?" 
 
 " Have you anything to say in disparagement of Avis ? " 
 I asked. 
 
 " Certainly not. I have a high respect for her. But 
 there is one other plain question I would like to ask you, 
 in view of your rather erratic behavior." 
 
 '•' Well, what is it ? I'm dying to know." 
 
 " It is this. What are you going to do with Marga- 
 ret ?" 
 
 " Margaret ? Oh, yes, I forgot about Margaret. That 
 is something else I have got to think over." 
 
 That night, as I was falling asleep, the same sweet, 
 familiar music came to me from a distant part of the house. 
 Half-thinking and half-dreaming, I let my mind drift 
 where it would. The sensation received through my ears 
 was so delicious and so satisfying that I wondered why I 
 could not rest in it entirely and not think of the singer; 
 but that was impossible. The notes penetrated from my 
 
VANQUISHED AGAIN BY A VOICE. 359 
 
 brain down to the region of my heart. I thought of Mar- 
 garet, but Margaret could not sing like that. Mona could 
 not, now; no one but Avis. Oh, how I loved her for it ! 
 I remembered how nice Margaret was, and how much I had 
 once thought of her; but as for loving her now, with this 
 music of Mars in my ears, why, I simply couldn't try to do 
 it. At last Margaret, Mona, Avis, all became jumbled up 
 in my chaotic mind, and I thought they were one superb 
 woman, and I loved her. The conceit was worthy the colos- 
 sal selfishness of a dreamer. The essence of three worlds 
 was mine. The earth, the moon, and Mars had all given 
 me their best. And she could sing. The thought was 
 soothing. I was asleep. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. 
 
 The events related in the foregoing chapter were inter- 
 esting to us all, in one way and another, but the doctor 
 and I felt that the real purpose of our visit to Mars, if any- 
 thing so unpremeditated could be said to have a purpose, 
 was to learn all we could of the planet, and especially of 
 its people. And as we did not know how soon our visit 
 might be brought to a close, we lost no time in urging Thor- 
 wald to continue his instruction whenever he could find it 
 convenient. Thorwald's answer to this was, that he hoped 
 nothing would occur to hasten our departure, but that it 
 was his convenience to heed at any time our wishes, and 
 he would resume his talk as soon as we pleased. So it was 
 not long before we were seated, and Thorwald began again 
 as follows : 
 
 " It is now my privilege to speak to you, my friends, of 
 that part of our history which differs from anything you 
 have experienced, and I anticipate much pleasure in doing 
 so. I must say again that we have found the parallel 
 remarkably close between your career and ours up to the 
 time when you left the earth." 
 
 "We have indeed," remarked the doctor, "and that 
 makes us all the more anxious to learn what came to you 
 next and how you escaped the threatening storms." 
 
 " There were certainly many clouds upon our horizon at 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. 361 
 
 that day," resumed Thorwald. " The people were full of 
 unrest. The worst part wanted to replace organized society 
 Avith anarchy, but this extreme party never succeeded in 
 their purpose. The world had progressed too far for that. 
 There were too many churches and schools and printing 
 presses. The anarchists should have begun their efforts in 
 a ruder age. 
 
 " There was more danger from the jealousies and mis- 
 chievous tendencies among the great industrial class, 
 because their number was so large. But even here the 
 same influences which saved us from the nihilist had their 
 effect. As time went on, men came to think more, and the 
 result of this was that both conscience and reason began to 
 govern men's actions. 
 
 " The workmen had looked about them and had seen 
 many corporations increasing in wealth and power, and indi- 
 viduals rolling up enormous fortunes, and they had felt that 
 they were not getting a fair share of the money their labor 
 was earning. But then a little thought enabled them to 
 realize that these evidences of great prosperity came from 
 the successful few, while a large proportion of all business 
 ventures were failures ; and in these the employees received 
 more of the profits than the owners did. Then the wage- 
 earners had the benefit of much of the money accumulated 
 in large fortunes, by having the free use of libraries, trade 
 schools, reading rooms, and an increasing number of phil- 
 anthropic institutions, which were equipped and endowed 
 by the rich. Such a use of wealth became an ordinary 
 thing, so that it was not a matter of wonder and wide notice 
 when a man spent a liberal share of his fortune in edu- 
 cational or other humanitarian work. 
 
 " All this had a great effect on the mass of the people, 
 gradually raising the average of character, and placing 
 
362 DAYBREAK. 
 
 before the mind a higher incentive for right living. Igno- 
 rance had always been to the race a twin enemy with sin, 
 and the growth of intelligence meant the general elevation 
 of mankind. 
 
 " Another chief item in the reformation of men in that 
 age of improvement was the general abandonment of the 
 drinking habit. You will understand, of course, that the 
 mainspring of all these reforms was the gospel of Christ, 
 under which man's spiritual nature was gradually developing. 
 But, at the same time, there was always a secondary cause, 
 and through human instrumentality such blessings came 
 to us. What do you suppose brought about the overthrow 
 of intemperance ?" 
 
 " I suspect," answered the doctor, with a glance at our 
 hostess, " it was the growing influence of woman, who, by 
 that time, according to Zenith's account, ought to be tak- 
 ing quite a leading position." 
 
 "Doctor," said Thorwald, "you take in the situation 
 completely. If there was one thing woman had always 
 been sure she could do, it was the breaking up of the liquor 
 traffic. In the old days, when she had been treated as man's 
 inferior, she had declared that, if she had the power, she 
 would stamp out the manufacture and sale of intoxicating 
 drinks, and make it impossible for men to get them at any 
 price. And when power came to her I am glad to say she 
 proved that her boast had not been in vain. Not that she 
 fulfilled her threat in any such dramatic way as she had 
 had in mind, but the end was accomplished just as 
 surely by the force of her high character, working itself out 
 in many ways. It was chiefly a crusade of education. The 
 children of one generation after another were taught the 
 value of right habits and purity of body, and in time the 
 change was wrought, a victory for woman more precious 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. 363 
 
 to the race than any army of mailed warriors had ever 
 won. 
 
 " With temperance came better manners, more self- 
 respect, a kinder spirit, a more tender care for others, and, 
 along with these things, better hearts and better homes." 
 
 As Thorwald had invited us to interrupt him as often 
 as we pleased, I took advantage of a pause here by say- 
 ing: 
 
 " I see, Thorwald, you are making the people all too 
 good to leave any fear in the mind of a social convulsion, 
 but I would like to ask how politics were smoothed out. 
 During that period of industrial war, which you described 
 to us, you said the workingmen and ignorant classes found 
 they were in the majority and were beginning to use their 
 power unjustly. We are threatened in a similar way on the 
 earth at this time, and I am anxious to know how the cloud 
 in your sky was dispersed." 
 
 " I will endeavor to make it plain to you," replied Thor- 
 wald, *' but you must remember I am trying to condense the 
 history of a great many years into as few words as possible. 
 It was found that there had been a mistake in making the 
 right of suffrage universal without universal education, and 
 that the ignorant and vicious were so numerous as to make 
 the average unsafe to rely upon in a crisis. It was a diiifi- 
 cult matter to remedy this state of things. Some attempts 
 were made from time to time to confine the privilege of 
 citizenship to the intelligent part of the community, but 
 many of the best people thought this was taking the wrong 
 course, and that the only safe cure was in educating all classes 
 up to a full appreciation of their higher duties. There was 
 a growing faith, the world over, in the virtue of the people 
 at large, and wherever they had been given full power to 
 govern themselves, or had taken it from their former rulers, 
 
364 DAYBREAK. 
 
 they were exceedingly jealous of any abridgment of this 
 power. 
 
 " Here, again, we see the effects of the beneficent influ- 
 ence of woman. The more her dominion increased the 
 more was intelligence diffused, and although she yielded 
 to the subtle temptation of power and reigned alone for 
 a while, yet the world had, on the whole, great cause to be 
 thankful for her signal advancement. With education made 
 compulsory, and with society brought gradually under the 
 sway of Avoman's finer nature and more lofty ideals, com- 
 munities were molded to a higher form of life, and saved 
 from the evils which threatened them in their former state. 
 
 " Let me tell you briefly how war was banished from our 
 world, that monster whose hideous presence Avould be so 
 utterly out of place here now. At the beginning of the 
 age I am describing, the foremost nations kept powerful 
 armies and navies, all ready for their deadly work. Wars 
 Avere frequent and bloody. The best of the young men in 
 nearly every land were forced to bear arms and fight for 
 their country at the command of their rulers, while the 
 conscience of mankind was dulled and stunted by the spec- 
 tacle or constant menace of war. 
 
 " The lives of millions of men were actually in the hands 
 of a few irresponsible autocrats, who were possessed with 
 exaggerated or false notions of national honor. Now came 
 a time when the world stood hushed, as it were, on the eve 
 of a mighty conflict. Every nation had increased its army 
 and strengthened its defenses to the utmost limit. Every 
 day threatened to see the match lighted — a hasty word, a 
 fancied insult, any trivial thing, which would bring on the 
 struggle and put the world in mourning. And what was it 
 all for ? No one could tell. It seemed to be nothing but 
 the selfish ambition of the nders and their innate love for 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK, 365 
 
 supremacy. As for the real actors, those who were to do 
 the actual fighting, they had no love for their work. How- 
 ever it may have been in the past, the world was older now 
 and better, and war was abhorred with all its accompani- 
 ments both by the army and by the people at large. 
 
 " It was a time of great inventions, looking not only to 
 the saving of life but to its destruction. Even while the 
 nations were standing, arms in hand, waiting for the signal 
 to begin the conflict, their weapons were rendered useless 
 and the strength of their fortresses reduced to nothing by 
 the working of one man's brain. Yes, by a single inven- 
 tion, inspired by God for the good of his creation, inhu- 
 man war received its death-blow and the world obtained a 
 mighty impulse toward its final goal." 
 
 The doctor became somewhat excited by these words and 
 asked with eagerness : 
 
 " What wonderful invention was that ? " 
 
 "The perfection of the air ship," Thorwald replied, 
 " by which any required weight could be taken into the air, 
 and carried with ease and certainty by currents of air or 
 force of gravity. 
 
 " You no doubt see what such an invention implies. It 
 means that powerful explosives could be dropped from the 
 sky in quantities sufficient to annihilate an army or utterly 
 destroy a city. Experiments were made, and engineers 
 learned, with surprising rapidity, to cast the bombs with 
 great accuracy from any desired height. 
 
 " At once every government hastened to build air ships 
 and manufacture explosives. There seemed to be no limit 
 in sight to the production of either, and soon power enough 
 was stored in this way to extinguish half the life of the 
 world, when rightly applied. The entire system of warfare 
 was revolutionized; but, while all were preparing for offen- 
 
366 DAYBREAK. 
 
 sive operations, there appeared to be no adequate plan of 
 defense under the new system. It therefore became appar- 
 ent that, should the threatening cloud burst, it would be 
 difficult to imagine the extent of the destruction it would 
 bring. This feeling, which filled all hearts with dread, 
 delayed the catastrophe, for no one was ready to assume 
 such an immense responsibility. So matters stood for a 
 long time, the fear of the dire consequences preventing an 
 outbreak, while the sentiment against war was rapidly grow- 
 ing. In nations of the highest civilization, where the 
 Christian character of the people was reflected in the gov- 
 ernment, some serious disputes had been settled by arbitra- 
 tion, and every time this humane method was adopted a 
 precedent was created which made war appear more and 
 more useless and barbarous. The world was now becoming- 
 so much changed that such a good example was contagious, 
 and the result was that the aerial warships and the deadly 
 dynamite did not have to be used. 
 
 " Among the legends of the time is the improbable one 
 that, when these air fleets were at their highest point of 
 efficiency, and the world was literally lying at their mercy, 
 one hot-headed young monarch, whose selfish pride had 
 stolen away his senses, gave the command to fire the train 
 which would rain destruction upon his foes ; when, wonder 
 of wonders, not a man would obey his order. Angered 
 beyond measure by such an unwonted experience, he seized 
 with his own hand the electric apparatus arranged to give 
 the fatal spark, but with such violence and indiscretion that, 
 instead of sending the current on its appointed mission, 
 it turned from its course and destroyed the angry youth 
 himself. 
 
 " This is undoubtedly a myth, but the rest that I have 
 told you is well-authenticated history. 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. 367 
 
 " The abolition of war seems sudden, but it never would 
 have taken place as it did had not the people been prepared 
 for it by a radical change in their character. For many 
 years the spirit of peace had been quietly at work on the 
 heart of mankind, until it came to be realized that warfare 
 and strife, whether between individuals or nations, were 
 bound to die away under the growing appreciation for the 
 higher law. 
 
 " It was one of the supreme days in the history of Mars, 
 when grim war passed and became but a memor}\ The effect 
 was instantaneous. At once the people of the different 
 nations were drawn together to their mutual advantage. 
 Commerce became world-wide, one language was adopted, 
 and the arts of peace flourished as never before. Men 
 began to feel that they were one family, national distinc- 
 tions were made little of, and the world drifted gradually 
 toward universal brotherhood. 
 
 " I must now draw your attention to the work of the 
 church and show you how it was carrying out its great commis- 
 sion. First, to prepare for the highest usefulness, it quite 
 early freed itself from the sectarian spirit. As the magni- 
 tude of its mission became more apparent the points of 
 difference between the denominations grew constantly 
 smaller, and, in time, all Christians found themselves 
 united on the fundamental truths of the gospel, and work- 
 ing together to bring the world to the light. With this 
 union fully accomplished, Christianity became more than 
 ever the dominant force in the world, and the church the 
 chief center of all work looking to the elevation of the 
 race. 
 
 " The progress of the world was along the line of the 
 brotherhood of man, and that doctrine was the church's 
 own. Christianity taught the true socialism, which, how- 
 
368 DAYBREAK. 
 
 ever, could not be realized till the heart had lost its selfish- 
 ness, and each one had learned to care for the interests of 
 his neighbor. Although such a condition was not in sight 
 at that day, there was a mighty awakening which set the 
 current of men's thoughts and desires strongly in the right 
 direction." 
 
 "Do you call yourselves socialists now?" asked the 
 doctor. 
 
 " No," answered Thorwald, " but you can call us so, if 
 you please. It is a good word, but our condition is much 
 more perfect, since the coming of the kingdom of God in 
 every heart, than any dream of socialism, in the olden 
 time, ever contemplated. 
 
 " I was speaking of the increasing power of religion. 
 Where the church had been weak and dependent on a few 
 half-earnest, timid believers, it was now strong and active, 
 and supported by all the self-respecting portion of soci- 
 ety. Instead of being forced to beg for its meager subsist- 
 ence, it now received in abundance the money that was 
 poured out voluntarily. Men did not wait for death, but 
 gave their fortunes away during their lives, and enjoyed the 
 blessing which followed. The church went down to the 
 people, and in so doing lifted them up to itself. It showed 
 them how to make much of life, gave them instruction and 
 recreation and social enjoyment, fed the hungry, clothed 
 the naked, and visited those in trouble. It strengthened 
 familv and neighborhood ties, encouraged peace and good- 
 fellowship, and taught men to love each other as a prepara- 
 tion for loving God. 
 
 " A local church of that day was not a feeble body of 
 men and wom^en, with an overworked and underpaid man 
 at their head, who was expected to do all the varied work 
 required, except what he could get done by a small number 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK. 369 
 
 of his members, themselves worn out with the labor and 
 business of life. No, I will acquaint you with a then mod- 
 ern church. It was an institution rich in resources and 
 men, male and female, reaching out into the community in 
 every direction, helping the people in every imaginable way 
 to live as well as preparing them to die, a beauty and a joy to 
 all. It appealed to every side of man's nature, first supplying 
 physical wants, not by indiscriminate largess of money, but 
 by teaching sobriety, industry, and thrift as virtues necessary 
 to a rounded character. Such teaching was not confined to 
 pulpit precepts, but there was no lack of good souls who 
 took delight in going into the homes of the people and 
 showing them by example the best ways of living, and how 
 to make even the homeliest duties a loving and beautiful 
 service. To provide further for the needs of the body, 
 there were gymnasiums, bath-houses, swimming schools, 
 playgrounds, riding schools, and the like. 
 
 " More numerous still Avere the means offered to meet the 
 intellectual and social desires — club-houses, lecture halls, 
 conservatories, museums, picture galleries, libraries, read- 
 ing rooms, observatories, kindergartens, manual training 
 and trade schools, besides games and sports, spectacular 
 and dramatic exhibitions of a high order, and many other 
 things, designed to compete with attractions of a debasing 
 character. 
 
 " Then, rising high over all, both in outward form and 
 inward grace, was the church edifice itself, set apart and 
 strictly preserved for its sacred purpose. In the noble 
 lines of its architecture, in the beauty of its artistic adorn- 
 ment, and in the character of its service, intellectual and 
 musical, it represented the highest culture of the age. 
 The structure included under its roof accommodations for 
 the various departments of religious work, and its doors 
 24 
 
370 DAYBREAK. 
 
 were always open, inviting every passer-by to enter and seek 
 for spiritual refreshment. 
 
 " Imagine, if you can, an institution employing all these 
 agencies, every one of them fully equipped and manned, 
 and with streams of money flowing in to their support ; no 
 barren appeals from the pulpit for funds to pay expenses, 
 and no auctioneer's hammer profaning the sacred aisles. 
 
 " This was the church of the period. Can you wonder 
 that God's rich blessing was on such work and that his 
 kingdom made rapid progress ? There was an ever-in- 
 creasing number of God's ministers, men and women, 
 imbued with Christ's own spirit, working in all these vari- 
 ous activities to elevate and save their kind. 
 
 " In the life of the people there was nothing in all the 
 world that so surrounded them as the church. They could 
 not escape from its influence. It touched them from one 
 side or from another, calling upon them, by every manner 
 of appeal, to lead less sordid lives, and seek the highest 
 good. Whereas in the olden time they seemed to be set 
 in the midst of evil influences, which imperceptibly 
 molded their characters and too often wrecked their lives, 
 their condition was so changed that their environment was 
 now a help and not a hindrance, and so the gospel found 
 easy entrance to their hearts and lives. 
 
 " This much the church had done by giving its money 
 and itself, with new-born zeal, to the work of the Master. 
 And from this time you may be sure its victories were 
 rapid and notable. 
 
 " While this great change in society had been going on 
 among nominal Christian people, hand in hand had gone 
 the work of the gospel in heathen lands. The faster the 
 money was poured out for the church at home, the more 
 plentifully it was offered for the foreign field. Sometimes 
 
UNTIL THE DAY BREAK, 37I 
 
 it was feared there would be more money than men and 
 women for the work. Then the laborers would come forward 
 in such numbers that the money would be exhausted, which, 
 however, gave no concern, for it was sure to come again as 
 soon as needed. Where one missionary, in the former 
 days, had had the courage to take up the work, now thou- 
 sands sprang forward and with eager hearts went into the 
 field. 
 
 " Going to the heathen in the same spirit of brotherly love 
 and helpfulness which had been so successful at home, the 
 church was almost overwhelmed with the happy results. 
 One people after another threw away their idols, and became 
 followers of the gentle Savior, whose disciples showed so 
 much of his spirit. In every part of the world the gospel 
 was gaining fast over superstition and ignorance. In 
 Christian lands no other news was so sought after by all as 
 the reports of the progress of the cross, at home and abroad. 
 Enthusiasm is a small word with which to describe the burst 
 of genuine interest in this great cause. Nor was it a tran- 
 sient show of feeling, but so steady and constant that there 
 was never any doubt of its enduring till the final victory 
 was won. 
 
 " Where now were the dangers that threatened society ? 
 What had become of the labor troubles, the schemes of the 
 anarchists, the menace of the unemployed, the risk of a plu- 
 tocracy, and all the evils that darkened the sky of that 
 former day ? How far away, how trivial these things 
 seemed, now that they had passed, and men were learning 
 to dwell together in peace." 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. 
 
 Thorwald paused again, and the doctor felt moved 
 to say : 
 
 " Your sketch has been richly enjoyed, Thorwald, and if 
 it can be taken as prophetic, in any sense, of what is to 
 come to pass on the earth, we are to see some happy days 
 indeed. But a question has arisen in my mind which I 
 would like to ask you. When you broke off your former 
 narrative, things were in a pretty serious state among your 
 ancestors. You have now told us in a general way that 
 there was a great change for the better, and that every 
 thing and every body improved until the time came when 
 it was easier to be good than not. I accept the fact, but do 
 not understand the practical operation of the causes that 
 led to such a result. For instance, I would like to know 
 how that industrial strife came to an end. The parties to it 
 seemed to be full of bitter enmity and far enough from 
 ever loving one another. You have perhaps answered my 
 question already, and my stupidity has prevented me from 
 grasping your meaning." 
 
 " Let me first ask you a question," said Thorwald. " I 
 have inferred, from some words you have let fall from time 
 to time, that your mind has changed somewhat. Will you 
 admit that whatever advance this world has made has come 
 through the teachings of Christ ? " 
 
AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. 373 
 
 ** It would be rather presumptuous in me," answered 
 the doctor, " to think of denying anything to which you 
 hold so firmly. More than that, in the light of what I 
 have seen and heard here, my own views, so rashly expressed 
 in the first days of our acquaintance, seem to me out of 
 place. They were formed without sufficient study of the 
 subject, and I am free to tell you that I now believe the 
 same influence to which you attribute your growth is the 
 strength and growth of our race also." 
 
 " Your words give me great pleasure," Thorwald resumed, 
 *'' for now I know I have your full sympathy. The troubles 
 to which you refer, and all the clouds of that period, were 
 dispersed by the growth of the spirit of love in the world. 
 Does that seem a vague and insufficient answer to your ques- 
 tion ? Does the cause appear inadequate to the effect ? 
 Perhaps I should have warned you not to expect any new or 
 startling method of removing these evils. The world was 
 not in need of any nostrum for curing sin, nor of any new 
 scheme of the visionary for teaching men how to find peace 
 and happiness. 
 
 " No, the old gospel was sufficient. The power was 
 already at work which was to regenerate the world and, in 
 time, to do away with all kinds of oppression and injustice. 
 The gospel did not spend its force so much in attacking 
 special forms of evil. It struck at the foundation of our sinful 
 nature, and, by long and patient effort, won a firm place in 
 our hearts. Then the whole structure of evil passions and 
 low desires fell, and our race began to build, on this new 
 and safe foundation, more beautiful and enduring man- 
 sions. 
 
 " If we were to be the children of God, it was necessary for 
 us to be like him, to deny ourselves, and to love our ene- 
 mies. So, with that spirit growing in our hearts, what place 
 
374 DAYBREAK. 
 
 was there for greed and anger and strife between man and 
 man ? 
 
 " One secret of the new power put forth by the church is 
 to be found in the union of all good men and women in its 
 support. Before that period many people of character had 
 stood aloof, giving little thought to religion for themselves, 
 and less still to its influence on the world at large. Some 
 of them were out-and-out unbelievers, but, for the most 
 part, they were careless livers, too much engrossed in the 
 affairs of this world to feel any anxiety about the world to 
 come. 
 
 " But now, in the march of events, the time came when 
 the lines must be sharply drawn between the good and evil 
 forces. Iniquity presented such a bold front, and all the 
 foes of order and decency became so threatening, that the 
 moral forces of society had to combine for mutual pro- 
 tection. The church, being the conservator of morals as 
 of religion, was the only rallying point for these forces, 
 and felt at once the impulse of new life. Thus, society, 
 in the hour of its extremity, found the true source of its 
 salvation, and from that day its progress toward a higher 
 state began, a progress which has never yet been stayed. 
 
 " Let me urge you. Doctor, to learn a lesson from our 
 history. You acknowledge that, if the earth is to be saved 
 from the evils which threaten its peace, it must be through 
 the gospel. If, therefore, you and others like you wish to 
 help speed the earth in its upward path, you must obey and 
 work for that gospel. To do good to your fellowmen and 
 assist in the regeneration of the world is only one motive 
 for doing this, but it will, I am sure, lead you to that other 
 motive, a desire to please your God. Every consideration 
 calls you to leave your doubts and negations, your neglect 
 and indifference, and join with all the strength of your char- 
 
AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. 375 
 
 acter in a united effort to free the earth from some of its sin. 
 When this is done, when all the good forces cease their 
 strife and their cold neutrality and come together under 
 the banner of love, you will see a mighty change. Then 
 will the earth grow bright with hope and begin to realize 
 something of the nature of its high destiny. 
 
 " Let me continue to describe the effect of such warm- 
 hearted, combined labor among us, and the result on our 
 planet of the great spiritual awakening to which I have 
 referred. 
 
 " As men took note of the vast improvement going on 
 around them, for every department of life felt the quick- 
 ening of the new zeal, they became more and more eager 
 in the overthrow of evil. And they had learned thoroughly 
 the great truth that the way to regenerate the world was for 
 everyone to build up his own character in truth and right- 
 eousness. Noble lives, devoted to lofty aims, were the 
 natural result of the change, and our race, emerging from 
 such a state of imperfection as I have tried to outline, 
 began to realize with joy that they were living in a new 
 world. 
 
 " I wish I could describe to you in fitting words the 
 wonderful nature of this advancement. All the pride and 
 selfishness, so common to all hearts in our degenerate days, 
 were now driven out and replaced by the spirit of self- 
 denial. Love, the living principle in the gospel, had 
 conquered all its foes and was now enthroned in every 
 heart. 
 
 " Do not suppose all this came about in one gener- 
 ation. It is only by comparing one period with another 
 that we are able to see such marked progress. Our devel- 
 opment toward the higher life has always been step by step, 
 and sometimes so slow that the people actually living, and 
 
376 DAYBREAK. 
 
 in whom the change was taking place, were not aware of 
 any growth. 
 
 " But there have been special periods in our history 
 when, after long years of preparation, the race has come to 
 a sudden appreciation of a higher and better condition. 
 The most glorious epoch of this kind came at the close of 
 the period I have just been describing. 
 
 " Perhaps you have seen some rare plant, having come to 
 its maturity through a process so slow as to bring discour- 
 agement, often, to those who are cultivating it, now sud- 
 denly burst into bloom with such magnificence that the 
 disappointments of the past are all forgotten in the enjoy- 
 ment of its beauty. 
 
 " So broke that blessed day upon Mars. None so fair 
 had ever dawned before, and none less fair have we ever 
 seen since. 
 
 " While this spiritual awakening was taking place, there 
 had been rapid progress, also, in our material develop- 
 ment. The evils that formerly vexed our bodies having 
 disappeared, we were now free from sin and sorrow alike, 
 and so were prepared to enter upon duties relating to our 
 higher condition. 
 
 " All nature rejoiced with us, for the world itself was 
 filled with the joy and beauty which came from the knowl- 
 edge of the Lord. Peace reigned in the animal creation, 
 and such gladness abounded everywhere that it is hardly an 
 exaggeration to say that the mountains and hills broke forth 
 into singing, and all the trees of the field clapped their 
 hands." 
 
 As Thorwald uttered these closing words, so beautiful 
 and familiar, I was so impressed with their appropriate- 
 ness to his narrative that I did not stop to wonder where 
 he had obtained them, but inquired with eagerness : 
 
AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. 377 
 
 " And is it true, Thorvvald, that instead of the thorn there 
 came up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier there came 
 up the myrtle-tree ? " 
 
 " That describes the situation admirably," he answered, 
 "and it is literally true." 
 
 " Why should that be so ? " I asked. 
 
 " Because, when sin was banished from our world, it 
 dragged in its train every evil thing and left all bright and 
 joyous behind it. Even the unconscious soil was so improved 
 in character that, whereas in the former time it had brought 
 forth by nature the thorn and brier and noxious weed, there 
 now sprang up spontaneously all manner of healthful plants 
 and fruits." 
 
 "But," said I, "we do not attribute moral excellence 
 to the ground that produces our food. How could the 
 absence of sin make it any better ? " 
 
 " Like everything else," replied Thorwald, " it reflected 
 the spiritual condition of our race. By long and patient 
 cultivation, by a constant use of good seed, and by a per- 
 sistent fight against every tendency to evil growth, men had 
 so changed the nature of the soil that it yielded only that 
 which was good. Even if left without care the ground did 
 not deteriorate, but the products took on the character of 
 the times and gradually improved. To such a degree had 
 our once sinful world been changed. 
 
 " The disagreeable features in nature's laboratory were 
 lost to every sense, while everything that was beautiful in 
 sight or sound, or that was pleasant to the taste, now pos- 
 sessed an added charm. The birds sang in more joyous 
 notes, the flowers glowed in brighter hue, and ail created 
 things burst forth in a song of praise to their Maker." 
 
 " Is it possible," I asked, " that the growth of love in 
 the heart will so transform a world and make even inani- 
 
378 DAYBREAK. 
 
 mate things more beautiful ? The earth is full of selfish- 
 ness and I fear will be so for a long time, and yet we think 
 we have a few things that are perfect. I cannot conceive, 
 for instance, how anything could ever grow, sin or no sin, 
 that would surpass in beauty one of our finest roses." 
 
 To which Thorwald replied : 
 
 " Is this not of value to you, to learn that the roses of 
 the future are entirely beyond your conception ? Let me 
 assure you that, with each new advance in your progress 
 toward a higher condition, there will unfold within you new 
 powers of appreciation for the increasing beauties in 
 nature, and new desires for spiritual perfections which are 
 now too high for your mind to grasp. Is it not a pleasure 
 to know that there are many things in reserve for the earth 
 of whose character and perfections you cannot conceive ? " 
 
 " It surely is," I replied, " and we shall never cease to 
 thank you for this hour's talk. But now let me ask if you 
 were not really in heaven when you reached such a happy 
 state. With both man and nature redeemed from sin, with 
 the tears wiped away from all eyes, with all griefs assuaged 
 and sickness and sorrow forgotten, and with love supreme in 
 the heart, what more was needed to make a heaven ? Many 
 of our generation on the earth believe that the earth itself 
 will be our heaven, when sin has been driven out and peace 
 and joy abound." 
 
 "Oh, no, not heaven," answered Thorwald. "The 
 earth will be better in a thousand years than it is now, much 
 better in ten thousand years, but it will never be heaven." 
 
 " But why ? " I persisted. " We cannot understand how 
 there could be any more blessed place than the earth would 
 be if it should ever reach the condition which you have pic- 
 tured to us as existing here." 
 
 " You have just stated the trouble," Thorwald replied. 
 
AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. 379 
 
 " You cannot understand. With your present capacities you 
 think a state such as I have described would be perfection ; 
 but you — I mean, of course, your race — will come in time 
 to see imperfections even in such a life, and will, with 
 increasing spiritual vision, see still higher things to strive 
 for. Let me urge you to keep your hearts attuned to the 
 heavenly music and your minds open to divine influences." 
 
 Here Thorwald was about to leave us, as we remained in 
 quiet thought after his solemn and impressive words. But 
 I kept him a moment to ask if they had solved all the 
 mysteries of God's moral government. " By no means," 
 he replied. " There are still many things unexplained in 
 God's dealings with us, and we think this is well. Life 
 would lose much of its value if the time should come when 
 there would be nothing to learn. We know much of God's 
 character, but are not acquainted with its full depths, and 
 whenever we see or experience anything mysterious in his 
 providences we are content to wait for a fuller revelation 
 of truth in the future. 
 
 " We shall see the time when all our questions will be 
 answered — that is, in the world to come — and, in the mean 
 time, we try to strengthen our high and beautiful concep- 
 tion of God's character by referring everything we do not 
 understand to his loving and gracious qualities, which we 
 know so well." 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 
 
 That night, when the doctor and I were alone, I said to 
 him : 
 
 " Well, doctor, what do you think of it all ? " 
 
 " It would take me a long time," he replied, " to tell 
 what I think. I confess I am beginning to imbibe a 
 little of the spirit of this place. I have spent my life in 
 the pursuit of material facts, which we supposed were the 
 only substantial and valuable things in life. Now I find 
 myself thinking lightly of such matters, with my mind 
 held in the grasp of far different thoughts. I realize now 
 something of the substance and reality of unseen things, 
 and believe that man has a spiritual side to his nature, which 
 must be developed if he is to fulfill the high expectations 
 of our friends in this world. Taught by Thorwald's words 
 and by all I have seen here, I have come to that point where 
 I can say I am losing my doubts and acquiring a love for 
 things which formerly did not exist for me. If we ever 
 return to the earth we shall find occupation enough for the 
 rest of our lives in teaching the lessons we have learned 
 here." 
 
 "Yes," I said, "if we ever return. But doesn't that 
 seem impossible ? " 
 
 " It certainly is difficult to imagine how it can be accom- 
 plished, but going home ought not to be any more impossi- 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 3S1 
 
 ble than our coming here. Perhaps we had better bestir our- 
 selves, for Mars is now getting farther away from the earth 
 every day. Thorwald says the two planets were nearer each 
 other at the recent opposition than ever before since their 
 records began, and this is probably what drew our moon 
 here, so fortunately for us. For the return trip we 
 might get these generous people to loan us Deimos or 
 Phobos." 
 
 " What are they ?" 
 
 " Why, don't you know ? They are the little satellites of 
 Mars, named after the favorite horses of the war god." 
 
 "But seriously now," I asked, "how are we to get 
 home ? ' ' 
 
 "Well, seriously, I don't know," the doctor answered. 
 " Some accident may happen to send us away from here in 
 a hurry." 
 
 " You know this is not the right world for accidents," I 
 said. 
 
 "I am not able to see," he replied, "how they can 
 be sure that they are entirely free from accidents. They 
 have been so long without them that it seems to me it 
 would not be strange if a big one should come almost any 
 day. One must be due, as we say." 
 
 In the morning Thorwald met us with a pleasant greet- 
 ing, as usual, and then said : 
 
 " I have been surprised that you have not shown more 
 curiosity on one subject of vast importance to us. You 
 have not once asked to see our comet." 
 
 "We have talked of it by ourselves, " said the doctor, 
 
 " but we have been too much engrossed in studying your 
 
 history and customs to think much of a topic so far above 
 
 our comprehension as the comet. Your civilization is much 
 
 higher than we can appreciate, and I am sure we should 
 
382 DAYBREAK. 
 
 make small progress in attempting to investigate a develop- 
 ment that is so much beyond yours." 
 
 " Your excuse," returned Thorwald, "is as complimen- 
 tary as it is ingenious. But should you not like to see an 
 object which possesses so much interest for us ? " 
 
 " Certainly," the doctor made haste to reply; " and just 
 as soon as you choose to take us. You told us it was at the 
 door of a large city. Is it far from here ? " 
 
 " Yes," Thorwald answered, " a long way in miles, but 
 not far in minutes if we go by the tubular route. But if it is 
 agreeable to you, suppose we take the air line and make a 
 leisurely excursion of it." 
 
 We both assured him that we were delighted with the 
 prospect, and I suggested that Zenith and the children 
 should accompany us. 
 
 "Yes," said Thorwald, "and in anticipation of your 
 consent to go on the expedition, I invited some other 
 friends of yours last night to share the pleasure with us. 
 And here they are now," he continued, rising and stepping 
 to the door. 
 
 The doctor and I hurried forward, and were heartily 
 greeted by Proctor, the astronomer, and Foedric of the red 
 voice. The latter was accompanied by a comely-looking 
 ape, which had been trained to act as his body servant. 
 The animal was intelligent, and quick to understand every 
 word addressed to him, but quiet and respectful in de- 
 meanor, and, to all appearance, as well fitted to fill the 
 station he occupied as the servants we had been accustomed 
 to seeing on the earth. 
 
 Zenith explained to us that in many households the ape 
 and other creatures were employed for light services, and 
 were exceedingly useful. But as for their own house, she said 
 the work that could not be done by mechanical means she 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 383 
 
 preferred to do herself, assisted by her children. It was 
 much better that every child should have some stated work 
 to do. 
 
 It was not long before we were all on our way to the 
 aerial station, where we selected a commodious air ship, 
 managed by one of Foedric's friends. 
 
 ^^'hen we were seated comfortably and were enjoying once 
 more the exquisite sensation of sailing so easily through 
 that balmy air, Thorwald said to the doctor and me : 
 
 " We all anticipate a great deal of pleasure in showing 
 you our big natural curiosity and what it contains. We 
 want to see your surprise when you look upon its vast 
 proportions, and your growing curiosity as you try to make 
 out some of its mysteries. Things which baffle our skill 
 may be plain to you, and perhaps you will even be able 
 to do something with that puzzling language." 
 
 " Yes," said the doctor, " if it is beyond your skill we 
 shall no doubt be able to read it at sight." 
 
 "Well, at any rate," continued Thorwald, "we shall 
 enjoy the novel experience of exhibiting the marvel of our 
 whole world to those who were, until so recently, entirely 
 ignorant of its existence." 
 
 " I hope," I said, " that our behavior will not be such 
 as to disappoint you, when we are brought face to face 
 with the object for which you have so deep a senti- 
 ment. 
 
 " But, Thorwald, the doctor and I have been talking about 
 going home. Not that we are tiring of your society, but 
 we are filled with a desire to tell the people of the earth 
 what we have found on Mars and try to teach them some of 
 the good lessons you have given us. The doctor, who has 
 a monopoly of the scientific culture in our party, can see no 
 prospect of our getting away from your planet. With your 
 
384 DAYBREAK. 
 
 more advanced science, can you suggest any way by which 
 we can take a dignified leave of you ? " 
 
 '.' We should regret exceedingly," replied Thorwald, " to 
 lose you just as we are becoming well acquainted, but I have 
 no criticism to make on the excuse you offer for wanting 
 to revisit your home. 1 must say, however, that you pre- 
 sent to us too hard a problem to solve. With all our attain- 
 ments in astronomy and in the navigation of the air, you 
 went one point beyond us when you took passage from the 
 earth to Mars, for we have no means by which to express 
 passengers from one planet to another. 
 
 " We consider the circumstances of your leaving the earth 
 and your journey hither the most remarkable thing of the 
 kind ever heard of, and we have nothing in our experience 
 on which we can begin to build any scheme for sending 
 you off on so long a flight through space. If you will only 
 be content to stay here till we have progressed further with 
 our investigations of the high civilization brought to light 
 in our comet, perhaps we can help you. The remarkable 
 people whose exalted condition is there represented may 
 have had powers in this direction of which we cannot con- 
 ceive. The subject will add even more zest to our re- 
 searches. 
 
 " Why do you desire to leave us so soon ? You have 
 seen but few of our notable improvements, and learned 
 comparatively little of the practical workings of our high 
 civilization. And then I have been hoping the doctor would 
 come fully into our belief before he went away." 
 
 " If you could hear what he has told me," I said, " you 
 would see that he is already fit to be sent as a foreign mis- 
 sionary from this blessed world to the struggling earth." 
 
 " Good ! " cried Thorwald. " I am delighted to hear it. 
 If anything could reconcile us to the loss of your society, 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 385 
 
 it is the knowledge that you will both be glad messengers 
 of hope to your promising race. I rejoice that I have had 
 a share in the work of preparing you for your mission. 
 
 ** And now, suppose we all humor your conceit and give 
 you our parting words, as if the ship were at hand which 
 wa-s to sail the mighty void, and bear you safely to your 
 distant home. 
 
 " Come, wife, friends, the day is young and the air 
 delightful. There is nothing to hasten us on our way. Let 
 us ride leisurely along and take a little time to speed these 
 earth-dwellers on their prospective journey with a few words 
 of cheer. 
 
 " Foedric, what advice have you to offer them before 
 they take their leave of us ? " 
 
 Foedric was modest, as we had learned before, but he 
 entered into Thorwald's plan with evident pleasure, and 
 said, addressing the doctor and me : 
 
 " My friends from foreign skies, you do not need advice 
 from me after you have been so long with Thorwald and 
 Zenith, but I will send a message to your unfortunate fellow 
 beings who have never had the pleasure of their acquaint- 
 ance. When you have related your experiences and told 
 them the condition in which you have found us, ask them 
 to call us no longer Mars, but Pax, the world of peace. 
 Our planet is red, but not with war. Its red is rather the 
 blush of the dawn that ushers in the day of universal love. 
 My word to men is to expect the advent of that day, and, 
 expecting, to prepare for it. Useless, cruel, inhuman war 
 must cease, with all strife and hatred and envy and bitter 
 feeling; and then shall you begin to see the full measure of 
 beauty in the song of the angels of which you have told 
 us, and ' Peace on earth ' will be a blessed fact and not a 
 prophecy. Thorwald, I have finished." 
 25 
 
386 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " You have spoken well, Foedric," said Thorwald. " And 
 now, what wise counsel will you give, Proctor ? " 
 
 " From what I have learned in regard to the people of 
 the earth," replied Proctor, " it seems to me they will be 
 obliged to have a great deal of war there yet — war against 
 a world of evils, which must be driven out with a strong 
 hand before they can have peace. When each individual 
 has subdued his own spirit, then there will be no more war, 
 and no other enemies to conquer. 
 
 " Study the majesty and power of God as exhibited 
 nightly in the starry sky, and learn to revere a being who 
 holds in his hands a million worlds, and not only guides 
 their movements but directs with a heart of love the minut- 
 est affairs of all their inhabitants. Look over the broad 
 field of creation, and think of the earth, grand and beauti- 
 ful as it is, as only one among the vast number of peopled 
 orbs, all swinging in unison, parts of one plan, every one 
 in its day sending forth a song of praise to its maker. So 
 shall your hearts expand and burst the narrow bounds of 
 selfish desire and trivial occupation, and you will begin to 
 grow into the full stature of the sons of God." 
 
 Proctor spoke with such feeling that the doctor and I 
 now began to think that these people must be in earnest 
 and were really preparing to send us home in some way, but 
 the latter idea was, as will speedily be seen, an unjust sus- 
 picion. 
 
 " Zenith," said Thorwald, " will you take your turn, after 
 Proctor's inspiring words ? " 
 
 "If we were in truth making our farewells to these 
 friends," replied Zenith, " I should feel more sadness than 
 I am conscious of now. 
 
 " My message, O men, shall be a plea for purity. If you 
 would seek to make your world the better for your visit here. 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 3S7 
 
 teach men everywhere to be pure, a hard lesson to learn, 
 but one that will bring a rich reward. First make the 
 fountain sweet. Be pure in heart, and then your lives, 
 and even your thoughts, will be pure. When you can fully 
 obey the command, ' Think no evil,' you will need no other 
 commandment to keep your lives unspotted. Such a require- 
 ment no doubt seems too difficult for you now, but the earth 
 must come to its maturity by following the same high ideal 
 which has ever been set before us. There is one law for 
 all worlds, an infinitely pure and holy God commands us 
 all to be perfect even as he is perfect, although to that per- 
 fection nor earth nor Mars, nor, perhaps, any other world, 
 has yet attained. 
 
 " But, Thorwald, I fear you will not have time to give 
 your farewell words before our friends depart." 
 
 "I shall not require much time," replied Thorwald, 
 " but I should not like to lose the opportunity of adding 
 something to what has already been said. I think we have 
 been wise in having this talk, for those who could take 
 advantage of such a novel way of coming to us may dis- 
 cover some means of going home again before we suspect 
 it." 
 
 Then, turning to us, Thorwald continued : 
 
 " Go back to the earth, my brothers, and tell men to 
 despair not in their conflict with evil ; for God reigns, there- 
 fore the good will triumph. Tell them you found a race 
 of happy beings here, not perfect, but aiming toward per- 
 fection, having escaped many of the perils that belong to 
 an earlier stage of existence. The earth, too, will one day 
 be old. Will it be happy then ? Your generation can help 
 to make it so. With our history to guide us, and with the 
 knowledge you have given us of the earth's present con- 
 dition, we have high hopes of your race, and I ven- 
 
38S DAYBREAK. 
 
 ture the prediction that your world will see, in the near 
 future, such an advance as you have never dreamed of. 
 The era of a united effort to overthrow the evil forces is 
 approaching, when all will press with eager, sincere hearts 
 into the work, when money will be poured out like water, 
 when men will begin to lose their selfishness and take each 
 other by the hand as brothers, and when the dark places of 
 the earth will grow bright with the light of the gospel. 
 
 " I do not wonder you want to get back there. I hope I 
 should have the same desire if I were in your place. What 
 a time in which to live, with so much good work to do, and 
 such encouragement and sure reward ! " 
 
 Thorwald's enthusiasm made him eloquent, and we all 
 regarded him intently as he spoke. How well I remember 
 that group of persons : Proctor, the devout astronomer ; 
 the stalwart and earnest Foedric ; Zenith, the queen of all 
 womanly graces ; and Thorwald himself, our friend and 
 brother, the rich fruit of an advanced development. 
 
 My companion and I were deeply impressed with the 
 words we had heard, and could hardly realize that these 
 friends were not aware that our life in Mars was nearly 
 over, their farewells were so genuine. 
 
 But, hark ! Thorwald is still speaking : 
 
 " Go back to the earth, I say, and — " a crash, a sensa- 
 tion of falling, a dull pain in my head, a new voice at my 
 ear, saying, 
 
 " Why, Walter, are you hurt ? " 
 
 During the effort to recover full consciousness I said : 
 
 " There, Doctor, the accident you expected has certainly 
 come." 
 
 And then I opened my eyes and discovered that I was 
 sitting in an undignified position on the deck of a vessel 
 of some kind. 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 389 
 
 Again the voice, now more familiar and identified with a 
 lovely face, said : 
 
 " You must have had that broken chair; I knew it would 
 let you down some time. Don't you know me, Walter ? " 
 
 " Why, yes, it's you, Margaret, isn't it? But where's the 
 doctor ? ' ' 
 
 "Oh, how are you hurt?" cried Margaret in alarm. 
 ** Tell me, and I will run for the doctor at once." 
 
 This conversation had all passed in a moment, and by 
 the time it was finished I had extricated myself from the 
 broken chair with Margaret's assistance, and was now wide 
 awake. I had never expected to leave Mars without the 
 doctor; but now he was gone with all the rest, and I was 
 well content to find myself back by Margaret's side, and to 
 hear her pleasant words, the words of a plain inhabitant of 
 the earth, not too good to love me a little selfishly. A 
 wave of intense happiness in the possession of such a love 
 passed over me. It was a feeling I had never before expe- 
 rienced in my waking moments and it must have illumined 
 my face, for Margaret continued : 
 
 " I don't believe you are hurt at all. You look too happy 
 to be in pain. What have you been dreaming about, that 
 makes your face shine so? How thankful I am for this bright 
 moonlight. I never saw you have so much expression 
 before." 
 
 "Margaret," I replied, as soon as she would let me 
 speak, "don't you remember you sent me on a quest for 
 my heart ? Well, I have found it and brought it back to 
 you." 
 
 " How lovely to find it so soon," she exclaimed; " and 
 I know by your looks it's a large one and full of love. But 
 tell me about it. How did it happen ? " 
 
 " Why, I fell in love with a voice." 
 
390 DAYBREAK. 
 
 " With a voice ? Whose voice ? " 
 
 " Well, it didn't seem to matter much. First it belonged 
 to Mona and then to Avis, and part of the time to both of 
 them." 
 
 " You make me jealous," said Margaret. 
 
 We were now standing, hand in hand, leaning on the rail 
 of the vessel, in the full enjoyment of our new-found hap- 
 piness. 
 
 " You will not be jealous," I answered, " when you know 
 all about it. I have enough to tell you, Margaret, to 
 occupy a week, I should think. I have seen and heard a 
 great deal, and seemed to be living amid other scenes for 
 many months, and yet I notice the moon is but two or three 
 hours higher than when you left me there in the chair to go 
 and find your book. I shall take great pleasure in relating 
 to you the entire experience when we have time. Perhaps 
 I will write it out for you. I have been stirred as I never 
 expected to be, but I assure you I have brought back my 
 whole heart to you. Only," I added, as a sudden flash of 
 memory startled me with its vividness, " I should like to 
 hear that voice once more." 
 
 " Ah," said my companion, " why do you think of that 
 so much ? I fear you are not quite heart whole. What 
 was there peculiar about the voice ? " 
 
 " Margaret, it was the most exquisite music anyone ever 
 dreamed of. I cannot describe my emotions or the inten- 
 sity of my enjoyment whenever I heard it. First the voice 
 belonged to a beautiful girl whom I thought we met on the 
 moon, and who talked only in the language of the birds. 
 Then she went to Mars with us, and there I heard the same 
 sweet voice also from one of the noble women of that 
 happy planet. 
 
 " Oh, what queer things we do in our sleep, and how 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 391 
 
 supremely selfish a dreamer is. I once had a theory that 
 we are all responsible for the character of our dreams, but 
 I hope, my dear, that you will not call me to too strict an 
 account in this case, I should blush to tell you how I loved 
 each singer, and yet I know now it was only the voice that 
 charmed me. I shall seek my pillow with delight to-night, 
 to try and catch in my sleep some faint echo of that song, 
 for I never expect to hear its like in my waking hours. You 
 are laughing at me, and I don't wonder. Let me see. I 
 dreamed that I dreamed that you and Mona and .Avis were 
 all one grand, sweet singer. I wonder what would have 
 happened if I had staid there long enough to tell .\vis some- 
 thing that was on my mind. Perhaps I never should have 
 come away. 
 
 " But forgive me, dear Margaret, for my enthusiasm for 
 simply a memory, and put the blame on my sensitive ears. 
 And now, tell me what you have been doing during these 
 long hours. Did you find the professor and get your 
 book ? ' ' 
 
 " Yes, but I had to stay a few minutes and hear him talk. 
 I hurried back, however, to be with you, and for my reward 
 found you fast asleep." 
 
 " I was only dozing. But what did you do then ? " 
 
 " Oh, I sat quiet for a while, and then took up the amuse- 
 ment I usually follow when I find myself alone." 
 
 "What is that? Pray tell." 
 
 "Singing, of course." 
 
 "Singing?" 
 
 " Why, yes, didn't you know I could sing ? " 
 
 " Do you mean to say you were singing all those two or 
 three hours ? ' ' 
 
 " Not all the time, but at intervals. I sang so loud 
 sometimes that 1 thought I should wake you." 
 
392 DAYBREAK. 
 
 **Then," I exclaimed with feeling, " it was you that I 
 heard. You know my ears are never fully asleep. Mar- 
 garet, it was your voice that I have been falling in love 
 with." 
 
 At this Margaret laughed heartily, as she answered : 
 
 " You have been a good while finding it out. I knew it 
 all the time. That's what I sang for, and I had my pay as 
 I went on, for every time I began, whether soft or loud, I 
 could see your face light up with the light of your soul, and 
 then I knew my voice was finding its way to some corner of 
 your brain.'.' 
 
 " How stupid of me," I said, " not to wake up the very 
 first time I heard you ; but I thought it was Mona. Oh, how 
 it did thrill me ! And to think I am to hear it again when 
 I am really awake. Come, why do we waste all this time 
 in talking when I have that great happiness still unful- 
 filled ? May I not hear you sing now ? " 
 
 *' Oh, you might be disappointed, after all. My idea is 
 that you enjoyed my singing because all your critical facul- 
 ties were dulled in sleep, and you heard only through your 
 heart, as it were. Don't you think it would be better to live 
 awhile on the pleasant memory you have brought back with 
 you ? ' ' 
 
 " Not at all. I can retain the memory, and have the 
 present happiness besides." 
 
 " But you said you never expected to hear such music in 
 your waking hours." 
 
 " Do not be so cruel, Margaret, as to recall those words 
 against me, although they were really a tribute to you, for 
 it was your own voice that forced me to utter them. But 
 what can I do to induce you to sing ? " 
 
 " Go to sleep," she replied. " I will sing for you all 
 you please when you are asleep, and you can hear me and 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 393 
 
 think of Mona at the same time. That will be a double 
 pleasure." 
 
 " My dear, I prefer to think of you. Mona was a beau- 
 tiful girl, but she could never love me as you do." 
 
 " Why so ? Wasn't her heart large enough ? " 
 
 " Yes, it was too large — so large that she loved every- 
 body, and one no more than another; while you, darling, 
 have chosen me, out of all the i)eoi)le in the world, as the 
 object of your highest and dee])est love, and yet in doing 
 that have only increased your power of loving others. Now 
 what will you do to pay me for that speech ? " 
 
 " Well, I'll relent. But you must at least pretend to be 
 asleep. Come back and find another chair that you can 
 rest in easily, and I will sit beside you. There, that will 
 do. Now turn your head away from me, close your eyes, and 
 promise me you won't open them till I tell you to do so. I 
 intend to have the calm judgment of your ears uninfluenced 
 by your sight or any other sense. If you can manage to 
 fall asleep while I am singing, so much the better." 
 
 " Margaret," I replied, *' I shall try hard to keep my eyes 
 closed, but there isn't a drug in the ship's dispensary pow- 
 erful enough to ])ut me to sleep." 
 
 " Then keep quiet and think of Mona. That will be the 
 next best occupation for you. Stop laughing, or I shall 
 disappoint you, after all. I should think the memory of 
 the first time I sang for you would be enough to sober you. 
 Now I am going to turn away my head, so that if you do 
 look around you won't see my face." 
 
 I said nothing in reply, being too eager to have her begin. 
 And now I had not long to wait for the fulfillment of my 
 oft-expressed desire. 
 
 Sweet and low came the first accents of her song, and, 
 with all my anticipations and with the foretaste I had had in 
 
394 DAYBREAK. 
 
 my sleep, I was not prepared for the effect they had on me. 
 It was Mona's voice, but with every fine quality so exagger- 
 ated that all my faculties, now in the fullest sense awake, 
 were completely taken captive. I made no movement, 
 except to turn my head slightly so that I might drink in 
 the sweet sounds with both ears. As the notes increased in 
 volume my pleasure grew to rapture. Not only was my 
 critical taste fully satisfied, which of itself was almost 
 bliss, but that other and higher effect followed — my heart 
 was enlisted. I had never known love till that hour. We 
 had been introduced to each other years ago and had kept 
 up a cold and formal acquaintance, and in my recent sleep 
 we had made notable progress, but only now did love and I 
 really clasp hands in a warm and lasting embrace. 
 
 If I had loved Margaret before, then the feeling I now 
 had was something else, it was so different. But it was 
 nothing else, and, therefore, I was obliged to conclude that 
 I had lived all these years with a false notion in my head. 
 As the song changed now and then, but did not stop, my 
 heart swelled with its strong emotion, and I had the greatest 
 difficulty to keep my promise and remain quiet. At length 
 the music ceased, and I jumped from my chair with the 
 intention of giving Margaret some palpable sign of my new 
 love, when I was arrested by her warning hand and these 
 words : 
 
 " Wait, Walter, someone is coming. I can see all you 
 want to tell me in your face." 
 
 I was obliged to stop, and reserve for a more private place 
 any violent manifestation of my exuberant affection, but 
 answered quietly : 
 
 " Not all, dear Margaret. You will never know all my 
 love." 
 
 There was now more or less passing back and forth by the 
 
A SUDDEN RETURN TO THE EARTH. 395 
 
 passengers, preparing for the approaching landing, but yet 
 we were able to continue our conversation. At Margaret's 
 request I told her more about Mona and Avis, and the prin- 
 cipal incidents of what seemed to me a real experience, 
 reserving the graver parts of the story for other occasions. 
 Her sympathies went out ])articularly towanl Mona, and 
 suggested the (question : 
 
 " Did not the poor child recover her voice ? " 
 
 " I think she did soon after we left," I replied. " I 
 neglected to tell you that, the morning we started for our 
 last aerial trip, Antonia told me she was teaching Mona the 
 use of the vocal organs, and the results were already such 
 that she believed she would in a short time be entirely 
 successful." 
 
 " How fortunate for me," said Margaret, laughing, " that 
 you came away just then." 
 
 " Oh, Margaret," I exclaimed as loud as I dared, " I 
 thought I was hapjiy last night, but what shall I call my 
 condition now ? Do you have that intensity of feeling for 
 me which is nearly bursting my heart ? " 
 
 " Yes, my dear, I have had it for years. But my love is 
 certainly increasing now, when I see yours flowering out so 
 luxuriantly." 
 
 In such sweet converse the time passed rapidly. Steadily 
 our noble vessel carried us every moment nearer home. 
 And with the last words of Thorwald, " Go back to 
 the earth," still ringing in my ears, we steamed amid 
 familiar scenes — the lights from Long Island, New Jersey, 
 Staten Island, and soon Liberty's torch. Governor's Island, 
 and the great city in front of us. This voyage was ended, 
 but our life's voyage seemed to be just beginning as I led 
 Margaret forth with wonderful tenderness and whispered in 
 her ear, passionately, the magic words, " I love you." 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 Every book should have a purpose. Notwithstanding 
 the popular character of much that is contained in these 
 pages, the purpose of this volume is a serious one. 
 
 I acquired the belief in the habitability of other worlds 
 when quite young, and it long ago grew into a settled con- 
 viction. 
 
 Firmly held by this idea, what is called the astronomical 
 difficulty in theology gave me great concern. When I 
 considered the vast extent of the universe, and saw, with but 
 little imagination, millions on millions of habitable worlds, 
 I felt the force of the old objection. How could our tiny 
 earth have been chosen for such peculiar and high honor 
 as we read of in the gospel story ? 
 
 Thomas Chalmers, in the preface to his astronomical 
 discourses, states the difficulty in these words : " This argu- 
 ment involves in it an assertion and an inference. The asser- 
 tion is, that Christianity is a religion which professes to be 
 designed for the single benefit of our world; and the infer- 
 ence is, that God cannot be the author of this religion, for 
 he would not lavish on so insignificant a field such peculiar 
 and such distinguishing attentions as are ascribed to him 
 in the Old and New Testaments." 
 
 And then Dr. Chalmers proceeds in his able manner to 
 overthrow both assertion and inference. He shows that it is 
 only presumption for the infidel to claim that Christianity 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 397 
 
 is designed solely for this world, and asks how he is able to 
 tell us, " that if you go to other planets, the person and 
 religion of Jesus are there unknown to them." " For any- 
 thing he [the infidel] can tell," the writer continues, " the 
 redemption proclaimed to us is not one solitary instance, 
 or not the whole of that redemption which is by the Son of 
 God; . . . the moral pestilence, which walks abroad 
 over the face of our world, may have spread its desolation 
 over all the planets of all the systems which the telescope 
 has made known to us. . . . The eternal Son, of whom 
 it is said that by him the worlds were created, may have 
 had the government of many sinful worlds laid upon his 
 shoulders." 
 
 In this and in all the rest of his argument Dr. Chalmers, 
 while intimating that the redemption may include other 
 worlds, retains the belief that the actual occurrences related 
 in the gospel took place only on this globe. Others may 
 have heard the story, or, as he beautifully says : " The won- 
 der-working God, who has strewed the field of immensity 
 with so many worlds, and spread the shelter of his omnipo- 
 tence over them, may have sent a message of love to each, 
 and reassured the hearts of its despairing people by some 
 overpowering manifestation of tenderness. . . . Angels 
 from paradise may have sped to every planet their delegated 
 way, and sung from each azure canopy a joyful annuncia- 
 tion, and said, ' Peace be to this residence and good will 
 to all its families, and glory to Him in the highest, who 
 from the eminence of his throne has issued an act of grace 
 so magnificent as to carry the tidings of life and of 
 acceptance to the unnumbered orbs of a sinful crea- 
 tion.' " 
 
 But, as Dr. Chalmers truthfully says, it is not the infidel 
 alone that raises this question. It is asked by many sin- 
 
398 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 cere believers, generally in communion with their own 
 minds, and has disturbed, if not hindered, their faith. 
 These brilliant discourses left me still perplexed on the 
 main point, and I was forced to ask myself again if it was 
 at all likely that one world could be made so unlike all 
 others as to become the only scene of such a wonderful 
 event as the death of the Son of God. And even if this could 
 be made to seem probable, what an infinitesimal chance 
 there would be that our earth would be the one chosen for 
 this exhibition, out of the unnumbered worlds that fill the 
 immensity of space. 
 
 As a feeble hint toward a possible solution of this diffi- 
 culty, this volume is offered. The argument may not be 
 acceptable to a single reader. I do not say that I believe 
 it myself; but the thought has helped to satisfy my mind 
 and may be of assistance to some other soul. I will merely 
 say that, of course, I do not believe the analogy between 
 any two worlds is so close as I have made it, for the pur- 
 poses of the story, between Mars and the earth. 
 
 In my effort to relieve the book of dullness, I have 
 exaggerated some of the situations, as in the treatment 
 of the woman question for example, but the intelligent 
 reader will easily discover whether there be anything of 
 value remaining after the extravagance has been brushed 
 away. 
 
 Alvan Clark & Sons, the celebrated makers of tele- 
 scopic lenses, in view of their recent successes in casting 
 larger object-glasses than was once thought possible, now 
 assert that they can place no limit to the size these glasses 
 may reach in the future. It is only a question of time, 
 skill, patience, and money. 
 
 Is it, then, presumptuous to believe that the day will dawn 
 when this world will know whether Venus or Mars is inhab- 
 
POSTSCRIPT. 399 
 
 ited ? And if either or both of them shall be found to 
 be peopled, among the many questions of engrossing inter- 
 est to be studied it seems clear to me that the most impor- 
 tant will be the moral and spiritual condition of the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 The Author.