Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-11
'rstood it If ! had; 20 / said: Eyes, meant

| Iurtner on, ana l noticed that he only had one
arm. had noticed two or three rather big
looking mon with only one arm in the course
| OF the morning, and 1t struck me as curious. I
remarked about IL to my guide.
He said: "Yes, when . man is much above
the average size and strength We cut one of his
equal; we lop him down a bit, as it were. Ma
ture. you see, il somewhat behind the times,
but we do what Ne can to put her straight"
aid: II suppose you can't ;:soli:h hsr3'
| well, not altogether" he replied eve
only wish we could. But" he added afterward
with .pardonable pride, we've done good
deal"
Isaid: "How about an exceptionally clever
man; what do you do with him?"
| well, We are not much troubled in that wey
now" he answered 1--WE have not come across
anything dangerous in the shape Of brain power
| for some very considerable time now. When
| We do We perform surgical operation upon
the head. which softens the brain down to the
average level"
Il have sometimes thought" unused the old
gentleman. that it was a pity we could moi
level up sometimes instead of always leveling
down; but Of course that 10 impossible"
said: do you think it right Of you to cut
these people up and tone them down in this
He said: "Of course II is right"
''You seem very cock-sure about the matter, "
retor.ed. Why is it of course right
Because it is done by the Majority"
| 1 L
"a Majority can do no wrong" he answered
"Oh and is that what the people who are
Topped think?'
They" he replied evidently astonished at
the question. oh they are in the minority,
you know"
Eyes, but even the minority has q right to its
arms and legs and heads, hasn't it,"
"A minority has no rights" he answered,
| after pause.
1 said: IFS just as we'll to belong to the
Majority 9sas ity if you're thinking Of living here
He said: Yes, most of our people do. They
seem to find it more convenient"
was finding the town somewhat uninterest-
ing, and asked if we could not 20 out into the
country for change.
My guide said: "Oh, yes. certainly" but did
not think l should care much for it.
| "Oh. but it used to be so beautiful in the
country" urged. before l went to bed
| There were great green trees and grassy wind
waved meadows and little rose-decked cottages
| and"
"Oh, we've changed ell that" interrupted
/ the old gentleman; "It is all one huge market
garden now, divided by roads and canals cut
| at right angles TO each other There is no
| beauty in the country now whatever We have
| abolished beauty; it interfered with our equal
ity. 1t was not fair that some people should
| live amid lovely scenery and others upon bar
rem moors. So we have made it all pretty
much alike everywhere now and no place can
| lord it over another"
Can man emigrate into any other coun-
| try?" / asked; lit doesn't matter what coun-
try-any other country would do"
'Oh. yes.if he likes" replied my companion;
| ''but why should he? All lands are exactly the
| same. The whole world is all one people now
| one language, one law, one life"
us there no variety, no change anywhere?"
1 asked. What do you do for pleasure, for
| recreation. Are there any theaters?''
No" responded my guide. I'VE had to
IL. Il
| seemed utterly unable to accept the principles
| OF equality. Each actor thought himself the
best actor in the world and superior in fact, to
most other people altogether. don't know
| whether it was the same in your day2'
Exactly the same" answered, "but We
| did not take any notice of il"
"Ah, we did" he replied, land in conse-
| quence shut the theaters UP. Besides, our
| White Ribbon Vigilance Society said that all
places OF amusement were vicious and degrad-
| ing, and. being an energetic and stout-winded
| band they soon won the Majority over to their
views, and SO all amusements are prohibited
now"
said: "Are you allowed to read books?"
well, he answered, there are not many
written. You see, owing to our living such per-
feet lives, and there being no wrong or sorrow
or Joy. or hope, or love, or grief in the world
and everything going so regular and so proper
| there is really nothing much to write about
except, of course, the destiny Of humanity"
True" said, Il see that. But wha. Of the
| old works, the classics? You had Shakespeare
and Scott. and Thackeray, and there were one
| or two little things of my own that were not
half bad. What have you done with all those?'
"Oh, We have burned all those old works"
he said. ''They were full OF the old wrong
notions OF the old wrong. wicked times, when
men were merely slaves and beasts of burden I"
He said ell the old paintings and sculptures
had been likewise destroyed, partly for that
| same reason and partly because they we're con-
sidered improper by the White Ribbon Vigil
| lance Society, which was a great power now;
while all new art and literature was forbidden,
| as such things tended to undermine the prin-
ciples of equality. They made men think, and
the men that thought grew cleverer than those
that did not want to think. and those that did
and being in the Majority, objected to some
purpose.
He said that, from like considerations. there
| were no sports or games permitted. Sport and
games caused competition, and competition led
| to inequality.
1 said: How long do your citizens work each
day2'
| Three hours" he answered. after that
all the remainder OF tho day belongs to our
| selves"
All! that i. just what wa. coming to-"
selves during these other twenty one hoursY'
| "Oh, we rest"
What! For the whole twenty-one hours?'
| well rest, and think and talk"
| what do you think and talk about?"
'Oh! Oh, about how wretched life must
have been in the old times and about how
happy we are now, and-and-oh, and the dos
| tiny of humanity"
| Don't you ever get sick Of the destiny Of
humanity?'
| mo, not much"
| And what do you understand by it2 What
Is the destiny OF humanity, do you think?"
| "Oh-why too go on being like We arc
| now, only more so-everybody more equal,
and more things done by electricity, and every.
BODY TO have two votes instead Of one and"
THAT will do; don't want to hear any more
THINK or Have you got religion?"
An. And you worship God9"
| ooh, yes"
what do you call him?"
"The Majority
| Zone question more. You don't mind nv
your"
oh; no; This i: all part Of my three hours
| 'Oh, I'm glad Of that. should not like to
feel that was encroaching ON your time for
rest, but what wanted to ask was, do many Of
| the people here commit suicide?'
/ No; such thing never occurs to them"
| looked at the faces Of the men and women
that were passing. There was q patient, al
most pathetic expression upon them all I
/ wondered where had seen that look before: il
seemed familiar to me.
All at once remembered. II was lust the
quiet, troubled. wandering expression that I
had always noticed upon the faces of the horses