Year: 1876

After reading the letter with which


the last chapter closed, Miss Cushing
drew long sigh of relief, but not O


satisfaction. She was relieved to know
that he was alive and somewhere in ths
world. In tho world, and alas! in the
Earth also. But he had asked her te
come to him instead of holding out the
least hope of his ever returning to her
and he had asked in very improper
way. 1t was the object of his letter, he
said, and yet he had not thought of il


till after the letter was begun. And
why did he want her to come? Glorious
opportunities, indeed But he ought tc
know her better than to think her ready
for these adventures, and seek her for


tune in any such way as that Did he
wish her to come at all? Would he no,
be surprised to see her? Did he wish
to see her? All these questions passed
upon her mind, and already she was
! preparing mentally an answer to the
letter. She would begin it, Respected
Sir, and it should be very cool docu.
ment throughout. She would let him
know that she had no desire whatever
to see either himself or the dark and
nasty world which she had heard that
they had discovered. She would tell
him that his experience IN finding new
and pleasant friends was matched by
her own; that it seemed to her that each
succeeding college class broughta more
pleasant set of young men than any be-
fore it. She would solemnly declare it
as her opinion, that our minds were
providentially self-adjusting, SO that
present friends always fully made up
for the loss of those absent. She would
send a great deal of love to Arthur-but
no! that would not do, for then he
would be asking her in quite different
fashion to take up her residence in the
new world. No doubt he would do SO
anyhow. There was his letter unread,
and she had serious thoughts of return
ing it unopened. But 1t might contain
something about Inman. That she
must see at any rate. She made no
pretense to herself of feeling as coolly
upon the subject Of his welfare and
whereabouts as she had been planning
to write. She opened the letter glanced
at its closely written pages and said,
"my oh, what letter!' and proceeded
to read. And this is what she read
the parts omitted relate to what has al
ready been told in this narration:


CITY OF HoLTECsHINDA,


INSIDE WORLD, January II, 1877.


My DEAR Miss CUSHING: If this letter
reaches you, all Boston will be ablaze with
excitement concerning our great discovery


before you break the seal; SO l need not say
that we have accomplished our object. Hav-
ing written your name and begun this letter
must first of all say, Having discovered a
world, lay it at your fect!" Figuratively
speaking lay it at your feet; literally it is at
your feet and am at your feet. Never love
before placed himself SO far below his miss
tress in order to win her, and never lover
loved as do. You Feed not think of Leans
der or Parseus, or any of those old fellows
that swan seas or slew monsters, to win or
rescue their beloved, have cared as much as
any of them, have loved more, and have
succeeded in doing more. Yet would not
boast; l have been fortunate, that is all, l
really have done little. For more than a
year have done what could. l hope to
live fifty years, and all my life is at your SER
| vice. Shall sail to the moon; shall l brin.
you star 4? Do not laugh at me, l am per-
fcctly aware of the bOmbastic style in which
am writing and yet there is meaning there
| is truth, in my very extravaganza, for my
! love for you cannot be exaggerated. and my
fortune has been great, bring gift worthy


of even you. Having freed my mind thus
far, in the very beginning, must tell you the
story of this new world. No newspaper for
| the next three months will have SO full an


account of our journey and our discoveries


as this lovers letter will give you. We had
many adventures and pretty hard times,


especially in the polar regions, upon our in
| ward voyage. How often thought of you
as we sailed along the coast of Maine Not
that you were ever out of my thoughts, but |
soon had SO much else to think of.
And SO we were safely domiciled at last in
this city of Hotecshinda as We call it.
hardly know whether We ought to call it a
city or town, for certainly it has no city
government, such us outside cities have, and
yet it is almost us large as Boston, so far as
people and houses are concerned. And it is
all SO very, very strange. When have done
my poor best ut describing and you have
stretched your imagination to the utmost,
you will not have perfect mental picture of
it. Everything is built of stone, for wood is
scarce and exceedingly precious. No trees
such as we are used to, or would call trees at
all, grow in the inside world. The fuel is
coal which is abundant and of the best
quality. But you have little idea of the mum.
Der of things which we are used to seeing,
| made of wood, that here arc make of some
| other material. Tables, chairs, beds, nay
you see nothing of the kind, you can hardly
| imagine that you are in house. where pe0-
pie live at all, everything is so different. Let
| me tell you about the house lnman and


live in. which is fair specimen of the
| dwellings in this city. As you approach the


house you see no roof, but simply high


stone, wall with many irregular projections


and angles and many large windows, both


above and below. The entrance is large


arched way provided with ponderous iron
gates, which rusty with age, arc seldom or


never closed. From this passage way which


must be twenty feet wide, arched doors open


to the different rooms of the basement of the


building. This is naturally used for house.


hold stores, fuel etc, and will not describe


it. One side of this passage is occupied by a


stone stairway to the story above. Here we


have the same spacious entry. but the stone
| floor is richly carpctcd and the whole long


room furnished with books, pictures, chande.


liers, ornaments of many curious kinds, but


not q table nor chair! And yet here arc
most inviting seats. First q seat nearly three
feet wide, extending along the wall on either
side, built up from the floor of solid masonry,
! but 80 cushioned above as to be both beauti-
full and comfortable. Then under each
chandelier is a solid block Of marble that
answers for table, and beside each one, GER
tain other curiously fashioned and superbly
cushioned blocks of stone, which though