The sun., 1891-04-19
THE LAST MAN AND WOMAN.
A GRAPHIC STORY OF 1MB KxT7NC-
1TON or THE HUMAN RACE

Inevitasle-Crowded 60 the ESsator b
tho conquerins Ies-A Voyage Above 9
Dying Planet, and Some Singular Meet
ings While Cireiing the Giobe-Ths Cry
OF Brute AMID Utter Desolatios. e
Prom ns Contemporary Rsvtsm
l.
Tho earth had been inhabited for abou,
twonty two million years. and its vital history
had been divided into six progressive periods.
The primordial age. or formation OF the first
organisms unfusoria, zoophytes. cchln oderu-
alta, crustaceans, molluscs-a world OF the
deaf and dumb and almost blindl had taken
not less than ten million years to 90 through
its different phases. Tho primary age tflsh.
insects, more perfect senses, sepnrate senses.
rudimentary plants. forests OF horse-tails and
OF tree ferns) had then occupied more than six
million years. The secondary aRe tsaurtanA
reptiles birds. forests Of copiferD and OF cyca-
dacen in order to accomplish ita work. re-
quired two million tbrce hundred thousand
years. The tertiary AGO tmammtfers. mon.
koys superior plants. nowers. fruite and ssa-
sons) had lastod half a million years. Tho
primitive human age. the time OF. national
divisions. OF barberlsm. aud OF militarism. had
filled about three hundred thousand years.
and the sixth nRe. thnt OF Intellectual human.
fly. had reigned for nearly two million yearA.
During that long succession OF centuries tho
earth had grown older and the sun had become
colder. In the beginning OF tho AGES tho tor.
fes,rial globo was entirely covered by the
waters OF tho ocean. Urheavals oaused first
islands then vast continents. to emerge; the
surfa,u OF evaporation diminished in extent:
tho ntmosphcrs was saturated with less vspor
aud could not 30 wcli preserve the heat rc-
coived from tho sun: 40 that q gradual de.
oR fa,v ks,pn vvnA hPn al
During the first human n2o three quarters Of
tho globe wero still covcvsd By water and the
temperature remained high. But from con-
tury to century q portion Of the rain water
penetrated through the soil to the deep rocks
and returned no moro to the ocean. tho guam
t.ty Of wGtor diminished. the level OF the
sea wns lowered. and tho screen OF atmos-
pherIc vapor Afforded only an insufficient pro-
tection to the nocturnal radiation. There rs-
suited a slow. century-lonR decrease In tenn
peratpre, md then Q spreading OF the loo.
which at first covered only the high mountains
and the polar regions. but little By little invsd
Cd the temperate regions aud inscnsibly low.
cred the line Of perpetual snow.
On tho other hand the sun. the source OF all
light and all heat. radiatine perpetually with
out m instant Of cessation. In the centre OF
cold. obscure. and empty space slowly lost the
calorinc power which caused the earth to live.
OF su electric and almost blush white. satu-
rated with incandescent hydrogen. during tho
geological periods which witnessed the ap-
pssrance Of terrestrial life. 1t gradually lost
that dazzling whitsnsss to acquire the color.
perhaps apparently warmer. OF Glitterin ing gold
and such was its real color during the nrst
three hundred thousand years Of human
history. 1t then became yellower and even
reddish. consuming its hydrogen. oxtdiEing
ITSELF metallizing ITSELF This slow Transports
tion Of its photosphere. the increase Of its
spots. the diminution Of its protubsrans erup-
uons brought about . correlative decrease in
the emission OF its heat.
In consequence Of these various causes the
terrestrial temperature had. from century to
century. become lower. The geographical
aspect Of the globe had mstamorphossd itself.
tho sea having several times taken the place Of
tho land. and vice versa. and the extent Of
the sea havin9 considerably diminished. and
been reduced TO lssa than quarter Of what is
was at the advent Of humanity. The seasons
which had begun IN the tertiary age had per-
petuatsd themselves through the centuries,
but with DECREASING intensity for the sum-
mer heat Climates inssnsibiy approached
each other near the equator: the Glacial zones
(boreal and austraD iAexorsbly forced back tho
temperate zones to tho place Of tho ancient
torrid zone. Warm valleys and equatorial 70.
gions!alone were habitAbie :the rest was frozen.
From century to century humanity had At
tained forms Of exquisite beauty. and NO longer
worked materially. A network OF electricity
covered the globe. producing at will all that
was needed. 1t was then unified race. on.
Gus races that had characterized the nrst
period. Doubtless tho absolute equality
dreamed OF BY the poets had not been attained
and there were still superior and inferior be-
inGs seekers and Indifferent. active and inac-
tive mon. but there were no moro scandalous
unfortunates nor irremedable miseriea
About the year 1900. 900 after Jesus Christ
the last great focus Of human civilization shone
in the centre Of equatorial Africa. in the bril-
liant city OF Suntown, which had already
been several times raised again from its ashes
1t was more than hundred thousand years
since the spots where Paris London. Rome.
Vienna. and New York had stood were buried
beneath tho ice.
attained the last limits Of q luxurious and
yoluptnons civilization. Leaving far behind 1t
and OF Paris. it had thrown Itself heart and soul
into the most exauisi,e REIN ments Of pleasure
tie schieyements o. sciences, ar, aud indussry
had; during several centuries. neen applied to
anS all ths q III. t9 their
Tint under the brilliant light OF enchanting
nights. rs beneath tho yeiled shadows OF the
day. tho nervous system could NO longer find
. moments rest. and about their twenty fifth
year men and women dropped dead Of total
ness oi ths planet ana the sprrosch 81 stsrnsl
winter they hnd oarly m aintGined about them-
selves warm and oxyRentzed 0tmosphere.
milder and moro exciting than The old breezes
IRON the woods and RrsIries, bad lived
% 70 the 'l" 'insyi,able eai. iaea The et el.saaes @
Of costumes. ..a tho beauty o! forms; had
conssauence Of a passional selection. which
seemed to have no other object ihsn tmMedi-
ate hhapnin.ss y, Wives d;S no onSsr 6sss%s
the lower classes alone remained In condition
- undertake the duties OF motherhood. FASH
Ion ion hayins for some time been able 70 suppress
Then 1t was seen that the women Of the
lower classes were the nrst to feel tho deadly
effects OF invading cold. and tho. day came
wnen it was recognized that amid the blind
aetS.s p sepis Sseems oss &h:s' no
ternity. which had 90 long been left TO
ln all the splendor Of their unblsmishsd
beauty. 1t was only when law was pessed
that the entire fortune Of the rspubl llc would be
given to the FIRST woman who would give birth
to child th0t they Understood the trr0pRrabl0