The herald., 1898-04-10

l
ment OF observa+ on. Poets and liter
rary men had their heads bulging
with the imaginative faculties. The
heads of inventors were developed into
a still different shape.
"And So" said Alma, translating FOR
us the words of a professor in the I'M
perial university of Mars, from whom
we derived the greater part of our in
formation on this subject, "the Mar
tian boys do not study a subject; they
do not have to learn it, but, when their
brains have been sufficiently developed
in the proper direction. they compre-
hend it instantly. by a kind of divine
instinct"
But among the women of Mars we
saw none of these curious and to our
eyes monstrous, differences of develop
ment. While the men received, in ad-
dition to their special education, a
broad. general culture also, with the
women there was no special education.
1t was all general in it's character, yet
thorough enough in that way. The
consequence was that only female
brains upon Mars were entirely well
balanced. This was the reason why
we invariably found the Martian
women to be remarkably charming
creatures. with none of those physical
eXaggerations and uncouth develop
ments which distigured their mascu-
line companions.
One word of explanation may be
needed concerning the failure of the
Martians, with all their marvellous
powers to invent electrical ships like
those of Mr.. Edison and engines of de-
struction comparable with our disinte-
orators. This failure was simply due
to the fact that on Mars there did not
exist the peculiar metals by the COM
bination of which Mr.. Edison had been
able to effect his wonders. The theory
involved in our inventions was perfect
ly understood by them, and had they
possessed the --leans, doubtless they
would have been able to carry it into
practice even more effectively than we
had done.
After two or three days all the pre-
parations having been completed. the
signal was given for our departure.
The men of science were still unwilling
to leave this TRANCE world, but Mr..
Edison decided that we could linger
no longer.
palace, and the signal was given to rise
slowly to a considerable height before
imparting a great velocity to the
electrical ships. AS we slowly rose we
saw the immense crowd of giants be-
meath us. with upturned faces, watch
ing our departure. The Martian mon
arch and all his suite had come out
upon the terrace of the palace to look
hn ci nn1 70 i,,a,
speed was given and in a short time we
were beyond the Martian atmosphere,
and once more rapidly speeding
through the boundless ocean of ether
toward the earth.
When at length we once more saw
our native planet, with its we'll re-
membered features of land and sea,
rolling beneath our eyes, the feeling of
JOY that came over us transcribed all
powers of expression.
In order that all the nations which
had united in sending out the expedi-
tion should have visual evidence of it's
triumphant return, it was decided to
make the entire circuit of the earth
before seeking our starting point and
disembarking. Brief accounts in all
known languages, telling the story of
what we had done We're accordingly
prepared, and then we dropped down
through the air u-til again we saw the
well-loved blue dome above our heads,
and found ourselves suspended directly
above the white-topped cone of Fusi-
yama, the sacred mountain of Japan.
Shifting our place toward the north
efst, we hung above the city of Tokoi
Hand dropped down into the crowds
THAT had assembled to watch us, the
prepared accounts of our journey,
which, the moment they had been read
and comprehended led to such an out
burst of rejoicing as it would be quite
impossible to describe.
We shifted our course slightly
toward the south as the great planet
rolled underneath us and at length saw
the gigantic Himalaya Mountains lift
ing their white peaks far below our
feet. Then came the mighty Hindoo
koosh, and as we sailed above these
mountains, the Heidelberg professor
pointed out to Alma The Valley of CASH
mere from which her ancestors had
been carried off SO many thousands of
years ago. From Asia, crossing the
Caspian Sea, we passed over Russia,
visiting in turn Moscow and st,
Petersburg
Still the great globe rolled steadily
beneath, and still we kept the sun with
us. Now Germany appeared and now
Italy, and then France, and England,
as we shifted our position first north
then south, in order to give all the
world an opportunity to see that its
warriors had returned victorious from
their far cnnnupcf nd n oh
try, as it passed beneath our feet, we
left some of the comrades who had
shared our perils and our adventures.
AT length the Atlantic had rolled
away under us and we saw the spires
of the new New York.
The news of our coming had been
flashed ahead from Europe, and our
countrymen We're prepared to welcome
us. We had originally started, it will
be remembered, at midnight, and now
again as we approached the new cap
ital of the world the curtain of night
was just beginning to be drawn over
it. But our signal lights We're abaze,
and through these they We're aware of
our approach.
Again the air was filed with burst
ing rockets and shaken with the roar
of cannon, and with volleying cheers,
poured from millions of thrOats, as
we came to rest directly above the
city.
Three days after the landing of the
fleet, and when the first enthusiasm of
our reception had little passed, I re-
ceived a beautifully engraved card in
viting me to be present in Trinity
Church at the wedding of Alma and