Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-05-06
CENTURIES TO COME.

LtQded
scene-Mary's garden.
Time-A summer evening In the year 2297
Anne (enterng) Good EVENING"
Mayo, how kind OF youl ] can't shake
L.nds, as you see. They kissl I've been
working in the garden since n, 6. else
! should have walked over 10 b.. ,uu.
Anne-You should have found me busy
too. Finished making my prcs.fv,s Rich
ard was out this evening. so naked over
for company.
Mary Then You viii stay and sup with
meg
Anne-Please, lf ] don't hinder YOU
Mary-No, indeed. ! have done with
work for to-day. | must tell Joan. Calls
Within; Joanl Joanl Annie suowdon
win stay and sup with us. Put an extra
portion Of bread aud soup. dear, and will
cut more lcttuces. Ito Anne) And now
come down the gurden with me. ! must
tell you Of a curious find that ! made this
morning My mind is full Of Il.
Anne-A iindg Whati Don't keep me
In suspense.
Mary-Well, am going TO show you. l
was wedding IN these beds before break
fast, and wanted another tool from that
old Toulouse yondcr. ! went in and be-
gan searching for il, when my foot struck
sharply against something projecting little
way out Of the ground. II hurt my foot
so much that looked to see what il could
be- II seemed to be a piece Of some metal
or other, and the knock from my sandal
had made it shine. found the tool had
come for, and made few dents m the
ground round about the mysterious object.
More metal. Of a circular shape, came to
view. ! became intensely mystiied and ex-
cited, and dug away with all my strength.
Anne-Which is not trlling. Go on.
MAXWELL, an hour later, had laid
bare the greater part. of-what do you
/ thinly
! Anne-O, what?
Mary-Of an old wheel, rusted and broken
and bent, but undoubtedly the wheel Of
a real old bicycle, perhaps the very one
used by my own ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
mother in the machinery age.
Anne-How wonderful Let me see it.,
quick
They 60 into the shed. Explanations.
Examinations Raptures)
Mary las they emerge again)-What shall
do with itg
Anne-lt must 60 to the British museum,
Of course
Mary--I had thought Of that. DO you
know that there are only two others IN
England, and only one complete?
Anne-l have never seen one.
Mary Cpausng to cut the lettuccs) I've
been reading about them in my old history
hook-the one mother taught me from. II
says there, too, that in that nineteenth
century Ito which bicycles belonged, yoJ
know nearly every woman possessed one
and used it constantly.
Anne-Good heavenG Show me that
passage after we have supped But don
tempt me to stay too late. ] must get hacl
before dark or ] shall lose my way an'
Richard his wits.
Mary-That reminds ire Of another thin
! that / read about in the same book Ihcs
roads, it seems, were once lighted up b.
some wonderful means, and the whole couu
try-side was thckly covered with houses
T. They formed what was called town O
D city" and the people all lived hcrdcd "a
!, gether like sheep in q pen.
e Anne-Ghastyl But so wonderful Ie
me more (She sits on the grass unde
!. an apple trce) And may worki
Mary rely; and | win fetch my sew
j ing to bear you company, and viii was
J. this soil from my hands at the same time
z (Arne begins on her work. Man gc-
o into the house, which contains on'y th
? necessaries Of daily life fashioned wit
e beauty and solidly, and whence she pre-
emily energies carrying her needlework an
lie a small box
a Annc-All that ncedlework?
n Mary-No Not in this box. As we az
on the subject Of curiositics, thought so
d would like to see these-soRe very, ver
"a old and valuable photographs.
r Anne-Where did you GET them from?
Mary-They have been ia the family Il
81 centuries-kept in an old chest. My fath'
left shem 70 me Look al this
Anne-Maryl What on Garth isit!
] Maya woman dressed for a party,
e. or Social gathering as it was called.
Anne-But she's only half dressed! An
re the childl Poor, little, distorted monkel
is Mary-Yes. And here's a prince-ti
son OF king There used to be many, o
~ very much like that, ! believe.
Anne-What a costumcl And such
curious facet What shall ! call it!-so
o. 50 impertinent
Maya prince was thought to be a so
n Of deity, and worshiped accordingly. Here
another woman.
OF Anne How she looks, poor thing
he suppose she had sinned in some wayY
Mary-Why?
he Anne-To have her waist strapped in ~
n. that. 0 dearl How sad
he Mary-No. They all wore that band
those days. It was thought TO look well.
te Anue-AIercyl
he Mary (replacing them)-Do you know
At sometimes try to imagine what we shou
all have come to by now II the Great II
n, action Of the twentieth century had nev
IA come about-if simplicity had really
ev come lost art, as was once supposed, al
III the terrible stress Of the nineteenth CO
", tury had not ended by meeting lis o'
nj extreme?
ms Anne-I'm afraid I've never thong
about IL.
d. Mhry-I suppose we should have deg
up Grated more and more hopelessy until
60 had got past saving, aud were only Ut
sw be extinguishcd We should have te
rs graphed, and railwayod, and bcyclcd, q
nd generally exhausted ourselves into insan
in some form or other.
ow Anne-What a picturol
Mary-Some historians hold that VIC ha
to thank what was termed the ''lov
classes" for our salvation. They say Il
If the incompetency Of the seris-l m,
I servants-had not driven the upper class