a journey in other worlds-第41节

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brought　freedom；　my　work　in　the　flesh　was　ended；　I　was　indeed
alive。
　　　
〃'O　Death；　where　is　thy　sting？　　O　Grave；　where　is　thy　victory？'　
In　my　dying　moments　I　had　forgotten　what　I　had　so　often
preached'Thou　fool；　that　which　thou　sowest　is　not　quickened
except　it　die。'　　In　a　moment　my　life　lay　before　me　like　a　valley
or　an　open　page。　　All　along　its　paths　and　waysides　I　saw　the
little　seeds　of　word　and　deed　that　I　had　sown　extending　and
bearing　fruit　forever　for　good　or　evil。　　I　then　saw　things　as
they　were；　and　realized　the　faultiness　of　my　former　conclusions；
based　as　they　had　been　on　the　incomplete　knowledge　obtained
through　embryonic　senses。　　I　also　saw　the　Divine　purpose　in　life
as　the　design　in　a　piece　of　tapestry；　whereas　before　I　had　seen
but　the　wrong　side。　　It　is　not　till　we　have　lost　the　life　in　the
flesh　that　we　realize　its　dignity　and　value；　for　every　hour　gives
us　opportunities　of　helping　or　elevating　some　human　being　it
may　be　ourselvesof　doing　something　in　His　service。
　　　
〃Now　that　time　is　past；　the　books　are　closed；　and　we　can　do
nothing　further　ourselves　to　alter　our　status　for　eternity；
however　much　we　may　wish　to。　　It　is　on　this　account；　and　not
merely　to　save　you　from　death；　which　in　itself　is　nothing；　that　I
now　tell　you　to　run　to　the　Callisto；　seal　the　doors　hermetically；
and　come　not　forth　till　a　sudden　rush　of　air　that　you　will　see　on
the　trees　has　passed。　　A　gust　in　which　even　birds　drop　dead；　if
they　are　unable　to　escape；　will　be　here　when　you　reach　safety。　
Do　not　delay　to　take　this　food；　and　eat　none　of　it　when　you
return；　for　it　will　be　filled　with　poisonous　germs。〃

〃How　can　we　find　you？　〃　asked　Ayrault；　grasping　his　hand。　　〃You
must　not　leave　us　till　we　know　how　we　can　see　you　again。〃

〃Think　hard　and　steadfastly　of　me；　you　three；〃　replied　the
spirit；　〃if　you　want　me；　and　I　shall　feel　your　thought〃；　saying
which；　he　vanished　before　their　eyes；　and　the　three　friends　ran
to　the　Callisto。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　III。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DOUBTS　AND　PHILOSOPHY。

On　reaching　it；　they　climbed　the　ladder　leading　to　the
second…story　opening；　and　entering　through　this；　they　closed　the
door；　screwing　it　tightly　in　place。　　　　

〃Now；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃we　can　see　what　changes；　if　any；　this
wonderful　gust　will　effect。〃
　　　
〃He　made　no　strictures　on　our　senses；　such　as　they　are；〃　said
Bearwarden；　〃but　implied　that　evolution　would　be　carried　much
further　in　us；　from　which　I　suppose　we　may　infer　that　it　has　not
yet　gone　far。　　I　wish　we　had　recorked　those　brandy　peaches；　for
now　they　will　be　filled　with　poisonous　germs。　　I　wonder　if　our
shady　friend　could　not　tell　us　of　an　antiseptic　with　which　they
might　be　treated？〃
　　　
〃Those　fellows；〃　thought　Ayrault；　who　had　climbed　to　the　dome；
from　which　he　had　an　extended　view；　〃would　jeer　at　an　angel；
while　the　deference　they　showed　the　spirit　seems；　as　usual；　to
have　been　merely　superficial。〃
　　　
〃Let　us　note；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　the　spirit　thermometer
outside　has　fallen　several　degrees　since　we　entered；　though；　from
the　time　taken；　I　should　not　say　that　the　sudden　change　would　be
one　of　temperature。〃
　　　
Just　then　they　saw　a　number　of　birds；　which　had　been　resting　in　a
clump　of　trees；　take　flight　suddenly；　but　they　fell　to　the　ground
before　they　had　risen　far；　and　were　dashed　to　pieces。　　In　another
moment　the　trees　began　to　bend　and　sway　before　the　storm；　and　as
they　gazed；　the　colour　of　the　leaves　turned　from　green　and　purple
to　orange　and　red。　　The　wind　blew　off　many　of　these；　and　they
were　carried　along　by　the　gusts；　or　fluttered　to　the　ground；
which　was　soon　strewed　with　them。　　It　was　a　typical　autumnal
scene。　　Presently　the　wind　shifted；　and　this　was　followed　by　a
cold　shower　of　rain。
　　　
〃I　think　the　worst　is　over；〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃The　Sailor's
Guide　says：

　　　　　　　　　　　'When　the　rain's　before　the　wind；
　　　　　　　　　　　　Halliards；　sheets；　and　braces　mind；
　　　　　　　　　　　　When　the　wind's　before　the　rain；
　　　　　　　　　　　　Soon　you　can　make　sail　again。'

Doubtless　that　will　hold　good　here。〃

This　proved　to　be　correct；　and；　after　a　repetition　of　the
precautions　they　had　taken　on　their　arrival　on　the　planet　in
regard　to　the　inhalability　of　the　air；　they　again　sallied　forth。　
They　left　their　magazine　shot…guns；　taking　instead　the
double…barrelled　kind；　on　account　of　the　rapidity　with　which　this
enabled　them　to　fire　the　second　barrel　after　the　first；　and　threw
away　the　water　that　had　collected　in　the　bucket；　out　of　respect
to　the　spirit's　warning。　　They　noticed　a　pungent　odour；　and
decided　to　remain　on　high　ground；　since　they　had　observed　that
the　birds；　in　their　effort　to　escape；　had　flown　almost　vertically
into　the　air。　　On　reaching　the　grove　in　which　they　had　seen　the
storm；　they　found　their　table　and　everything　on　it　exactly　as
they　had　left　it。　　Bearwarden　threw　out　the　brandy　peaches　on　the
ground；　exclaiming　that　it　was　a　shame　to　lose　such　good
preserves；　and　they　proceeded　on　their　walk。　　They　passed
hundreds　of　dead　birds；　and　on　reaching　the　edge　of　the　toadstool
valley　were　not　a　little　surprised　to　find　that　every　toadstool
had　disappeared。
　　　
〃I　wonder；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃if　there　can　be　any　connection
between　the　phenomenon　of　the　disappearance　of　those　toadstools
and　the　death　of　the　birds？　　We　could　easily　discover　it　if　they
had　eaten　them；　or　if　in　any　other　way　the　plants　could　have
entered　their　bodies；　but　I　see　no　way　in　which　that　can　have
happened。〃

Resolving　to　investigate　carefully　any　other　fungi　they　might
see；　they　resumed　their　march。　　The　cold；　distant…looking　sun；
apparently　about　the　size　of　an　orange；　was　near　the　horizon。　
Saturn's　rotation　on　its　axis　occupying　only　ten　hours　and
fourteen　minutes；　being　but　a　few　minutes　longer　than　Jupiter's；
they　knew　it　would　soon　be　night。　　Finding　a　place　on　a　range　of
hills　sheltered　by　rocks　and　a　clump　of　trees　of　the　evergreen
species；　they　arranged　themselves　as　comfortably　as　possible；　ate
some　of　the　sandwiches　they　had　brought；　lighted　their　pipes；　and
watched　the　dying　day。　　Here　were　no　fire…flies　to　light　the
darkening　minutes；　nor　singing　flowers　to　lull　them　to　sleep　with
their　song　but　six　of　the　eight　moons；　each　at　a　different　phase；
and　with　varied　brightness；　bathed　the　landscape　in　their　pale；
cold　rays；　while　far　above　them；　like　a　huge　rainbow；　stretched
the　great　rings　in　effulgent　sheets；　reaching　thousands　of　miles
into　space；　and　flooded　everything　with　their　silvery　light。
　　　
〃How　poor　a　place　compared　with　this；〃　they　thought　to
themselves；　〃is　our　world！〃　and　Ayrault　wished　that　his　soul　was
already　free；　while　the　dead　leaves　rustling　in　the　gentle
breeze；　and　the　nightwinds；　sighing　among　the　trees；　seemed　to
echo　his　thought。　　Far　above　their　heads；　and　in　the　vastness　of
space；　the　well…known　stars　and　constellations；　notwithstanding
the　enormous　distance　they　had　now　come；　looked　absolutely
unchanged；　and　seemed　to　them　emblematic　of　tranquillity　and
eternal　repose。　　The　days　were　changed　by　their　shortness；　and　by
the　apparent　loss　of　power　in　the　sun；　and　the　nights；　as　if　in
compensation；　were　magnificently　illuminated　by　the　numerous
moons　and　splendid　rings；　though　neither　rings　nor　satellites
shone　with　as　strong　a　light　as　the　terrestrial　moon。　　But　in
nothing　outside　of　the　solar　system　was　there　any　change；　and
could　AEneas's　Palinurus；　or　one　of　Philip　of　Macedon's
shepherds；　be　brought　to　life　here；　he　would　see　exactly　the　same
stars　in　the　same　positions；　and；　did　he　not　know　of　his　own
death　or　of　the　lapse　of　time；　he　might　suppose；　so　far　as　the
heavens　were　affected；　that　he　had　but　fallen　asleep；　or　had　just
closed　his　eyes。
　　　
〃I　have　always　regretted；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　I　was　not　born　a
thousand　years　later。〃
　　　
〃Were　it　not；〃　added　Ayrault；　〃that　our　earth　is　the　vestibule　to
space；　and　for　the　opportunities　it　opens；　I　should　rather　never
have　lived；　for　life　in　itself　is　unsatisfying。〃
　　　
〃You　fellows　are　too　indefinite　and　abstract　for　me；〃　said
Bearwarden。　　〃I　like　something　tangible　and　concrete。　　The
utilitarianism　of　the　twentieth　century；　by　which　I　live；
paradoxical　though　it　may　seem；　would　be　out　of　place　in　space；
unless　we　can　colonize　the　other　planets；　and　improve　their
arrangements　and　axes。〃
　　　
Mixed　with　Ayrault's　philosophical　and　metaphysical　thoughts　were
the　memories　of　his　sweetheart　at　Vassar；　and　he　longed；　more
than　his　companions；　for　the　spirit's　return；　that　he　might　ask
him　if　perchance　he　could　tell　him　aught　of　her；　and　whether　her
thoughts　were　then　of　him。
　　　
Finally；　worn　out　by　the　fatigue　and　excitement　of　the　day；　they
set　the　protection…wires；　more　from　force　of　habit　than　because
they　feared　molestation　and；　rolling　themselves　in　their
blanketsfor　the　night　was　coldwere　soon　fast　asleep；
Ayrault's　last　thought　having　been　of　his　fiancee；　Cortlandt's　of
the　question　he　wished　to　ask　the　spirit；　and　Bearwarden's　of　the
progress　of　his　Company　in　the　work　of　straightening　the
terrestrial　axis。　　Thus　they　slept　seven　hundred　and　ninety
million　miles　beyond　their　earth's　orbit；　and　more　than　eight
hundred　million　from　the　pl