Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-09
SHE TRIED TO RISE AND FELL BACK.

delayed its coming, the sterilised soil being
henceforvard incapable Of feeding its chill
dren. But they were deluding themselves
with the thought that perhaps by some ins
genious proceeding 1t would become possible
TO put off the fatal period, to gain timej and
who knows. they said, If the climate may
not improve and the sun smile on the un-
fortunate planet.
But recriminations, regrets, sorrows, re-
proaches, accusations, despair-all were now
superfuous. Life had been, If not dried up
at its source, at least rendered irremediably
unfruitful. A special congress of the last
surviving members OF the Medical Academy
produced no satisfactory result. They dis
puted violently, each member being accused
by his neighbor Of having lent himself to the
spreading of that insane fashion; they near
ly came to blows. As the issue Of the meet
ing the President OF the academy and the
chief Of the protectors were even compelled
to quench their mutual anger by duel
with swords, and more than q year was
spent In physiological and political discus
sions without result.
But a youth, the last of that race, young
Omegar, born In the lower ranks OF society,
came with his mother, already advanced in
age and rare survivor of the mothers, and
before the assembled representatives recalled
the improvidence of the governors, stigma
tized the public immortality, pointed out to
them the general folly of which the human
race was the victim and demanded that the
last constructed electric aerostat made in the
Government workshops should be put at his
disposal. He engaged to conduct an expe-
dition over the whole of the equatorial zone
which still remained habitabie and to see
whether any human groups still existed on
any spot.
The proposition was received with en-
thusiasm, a real aerial hotilla was con-
strueted and all the strong men few away
to discover the land OF increase.
IL
Alasl the entire earth had disappeared
beneath snow and ice. Eyerywhers the
desert, everywhere solitude, everywhere
silence. Snow followed snow, hoar
frost followed hoar frost An
immense shroud covered the continent
and the seas. Sometimes a solitary peak
rose above the frozen ocean; sometimes .
dismantled ruin, spire, a tower marked
the site of a vanished city. Even tombs and
graveyards were no longer to be perceived;
ruins themselves were destroyed. Every
where nothingness. ice, silence. Days fol-
lowed days, and every night the red disk Of
bne sun SET Denlnu bne Wnlle ptaln, WHICH
slowly, at each twilight, took the violet tints
OF death.
Already half the members of the expedi-
tfon had died of hunger and cold, when tho
hotilla thought they saw from their airy
heights an immense ruined city near an un-
frozen river They steered toward the un-
known city, and thought themselves dream
ing when they discovered on the banks Of
the river group of men walking. Acry Of
happiness and wonder sounded from every
breast, and in an instant all the skiffs were
tied up by the river banks.
They were received as unexpected sayiors
By men who had long believed themselves 10
be the only survivors OF terrestrial human
ity, looking on with despair at the last days
of The world. At the head of the group stood
an old man enveloped in reindeer skink OF
commanding stature, his hollow black eyes
shaded by bushy white eyebrows, with Q
long beard as white as snow, and his skull
as yellow as antique ivory-it was felt that
he was one Of those energetic characters VINO
have endured all the trials of life without
yielding. but ghose hearts have bidden fare
well to every hope. However, his counte-
nance lit up with joy at the arrival Of the
newcomers. His sons and their companions
threw themselves into the arms Of the aerial
travellers.
They made large fires and seated thsm-
sslyss ct modest meal, composed prinoi