Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-09-04
The Last Day on Earth.

phases.
The primary age had occupied more
than 5000, 900; the secondary age
,. 800, 900 years; the tertiary age .5OO'OoO
wears; the primitive human age, the
time OF national divisions, of baroar-
ism and of militarism had filled about
300. 900 years, and the sixth age. that
of intellectual humanity, had relgned
for nearly 1000, 900 years.
During that long succession OF ages
the earth had grown larger and the
sun colder, and, in consequence, the
geographical aspect OF the globe had
metamorphosed itself; the water ot
the ocean had slowly penetrated
through the earthS crust; the sea was
contracted TO Il fourth Of its area in
the early human period; warm valleys
and equatorial regions alone were
habitable.
All the rest was frozen. From cen
turv TO century humanity had at
tanned forms of exquisite beauty aud
no longer worked materially.
\ network OF electricity covered the
globe, producing at will all that WAS.
1t was then united race, entirely
different from the rude and hetero-
g.neous races that had characterized
the first period
About the year 1900 600 after Jesus
Christ the last great focus OF human
civilization shone in the centre OF
equatorial Africa, in the brilliant city
OF Suntown, which had already sew
eral times been raised from its ashes
The sites where Paris, London, Wen
ma and New York had stood were
then buried beneath the ice.
The capital of this aristocratic re
public had attained the last limits OF
ton. Wives no longer became moth
ers except by accident; they no long
er desired the inconvenience OF mater
luxurious and voluptuous ciyiliLa-
nifty. and reigned in all the splendor
OF their unblemished beauty.
Life had been, il not dried mp at its
source, at least rendered irremediably
unfruitful. No young woman re-
manned; the soil, too, was sterlllzed,
and the generation saw the end ap-
preaching.
In this dilemma an aerial flotilla
was constructed, and all the strong
men started on voyage OF investiga-
tion Of the equatorial zone, TO see
whether any isolated human groups
still existed. The entire earth had al
most disappeared beneath snow and
ice, and already half the members oil
the expedition had died OF hunger
and cold, when the survivors discov-
cred human settlement onthe banks
OF an unfrozen river.
They were received as saviors by
men who believed themselves the on
" survivors Of terrestrial humanity,
looking on with despair at the last
days Of the world.
The river on whose banks they
were camped was the once famous
Amazon.
The last woman OF the community
was already dead, the wine and the
grain were extinct. and the men sub
sisted solely on fish
On hearing OF this the guests were in
despair; their country was still
wealthy, science rendered them inde-
pendent OF soil and natural tempera-
ture, and the leader OF the party ex
claimed:
I'VE came in search OF female as
sociates, and had we found but one
single wife all the riches OF our land
would have been hers.
Sometime before these events hap
pened in Africa and America the is
land Of Ceylon, now attached TO Asia,
was the last refuge OF the human In
Asia; and there in this former earth
ly paradise, not far from the equator,
at the foot OF Adams Peak, dwelt 12
women, some heiresses OF the last uD-
extinguished families.
The male sex had completely disap-
peared. The youngest OF the females
little Eva, was 3 years old. The de-
cline OF natural forces had brought
about decline OF human forces, and
with it the decline OF inventions and
usages which had formerly seemed 30
Indispensable.
Crossing the Pacific ocean our ad-
venturers observed that Ceylon was
freer from ice than other regions, and
approaching it they saw to their JOY
a group OF five women in mourning,
the then last survivors OF the race In
Asia. They alighted, told the object
OF their explorations and had Difficult
ty in convincing the fair Asiatics.
Their despair disappeared like
mist: and few hours after the ar
rival Of the eronauts the five nuns
/ had become the most elegant Of wo-
men. But Ceylon was more desolate
than Suntown; provisions were scarce
and the whole party, taking the wo-
men with them, returned TO their Al
rican home.
Arrived there, they found that the
friends and relatives they had left be-
hind were all dead or dying from an
epidemic; the cold, too, was increas-
ing; and, although they kept up fires
and shut of all communication with
the outer air, death was busy among
them, until, at the end OF few weeks,
all had passed away save only the
youngest woman, Eva, her lover One
gar, who saw without delusion the in
I avits hIa fate which awaited them