Part 5 (2/2)
This was an exceedingly foolish remark for me to make, for it resulted in the doctor's almost betraying his condition to our friends.
Of course Thorwald was interested in what I said, and eagerly inquired:
”So you found no inhabitants in the moon?”
”Just one,” spoke up the doctor quickly.
”What! you found one and left him there?”
”It was a woman,” said the doctor.
This talk had been so rapid that I had not had a chance to interfere, but I saw that I must stop it now for the doctor's sake. When I could see him alone I could tell him his memory was playing him a trick and he must avoid that subject. So, before Thorwald could speak again, I said:
”Let me suggest, Thorwald, that we let the moon rest till we have heard more of Mars, which I am sure is of greater importance. We have told you many things in regard to our planet, and are willing to answer all the questions you may please to ask from time to time, but now we would like to listen a while.”
”Yes,” said the doctor, ”we started on this expedition to add to our scientific knowledge, and we seem in a fair way to accomplish our purpose; so that, if you will find a way to send us back to the earth some time, I think our friends will admit that we have been successful.
But first we want to learn all we can about this wonderful world. How long has your race existed? Our astronomers tell us Mars is too old to be inhabited, and, considering some of my own recent experiences in finding my science unreliable, it rather consoles me to discover that they are mistaken.”
”They are right,” Thorwald answered, ”in believing that Mars is very old, and so our race is nearing its maturity. It is impossible to judge accurately of the age of the planet itself, but we know it is exceedingly old from the evidences of changes that have taken place on its surface. Neither can we tell when our race was born, though we have legends and traditions dating back fifty thousand years, and authentic history for nearly half that time.”
The doctor and myself now began to realize that we had indeed something to learn from these people, and I remarked:
”These figures astonish us, Thorwald, and you can hardly understand how interested we are. But please continue. From what little I have seen I should think you are much farther advanced in everyway than the inhabitants of the earth.”
”We believe,” replied the Martian, ”that our planet is much older than the earth, and if we are right in that it is but natural that our civilization should be older also. If the tendency of mind is toward perfection, if in your experience you have found that, in the main, men look upward more than downward, what would you expect to find in a world so beautiful as this and where life has existed so long? From what we know of our own history and from what we have learned of the worlds around us, we believe the life-bearing period of Mars has long since pa.s.sed its middle point, and that both our planet and our race have pa.s.sed through convulsions and changes to which other worlds, perhaps the earth, are now subjected.”
This appeared so reasonable that I said to him:
”We must believe that Mars is an afternoon planet. And now we want to hear whatever you may choose to tell us about your civilization.”
”That is a broad subject,” replied Thorwald, ”but it is something I like to talk about. If I judge rightly of what you have already told me of the earth and its people, I think we were in just about your situation ages ago and that we have merely matured. That is, the causes now at work on the earth are having in us their legitimate effect. These processes are slow but sure. To the Infinite time is of no more importance in itself than is size.
”I know of no better topic to begin with,” continued Thorwald, ”than the matter of government. You wondered at the peculiar discipline on board this s.h.i.+p. It is but a type of what you will find on land. We have no government in its strict sense, for there is no one that needs governing. We have organization for mutual help in many ways, but no rulers nor legislators. The only government is that of the family. Here character is formed so that when the children go forth into the world no one desires to wrong his neighbor. We know from our histories of all the struggles our ancestors pa.s.sed through before the days of universal peace and brotherhood. Now we go and come as we please, with no fear of harm. We are all one nation because all national boundaries have been obliterated, and we have a common language. There are no laws of compulsion or restraint, for all do by instinct what is best for themselves and their neighbors.”
”Oh, happy Mars!” here broke in the usually prosaic doctor. ”That sounds like a story. And yet what is it,” he continued, addressing me, ”but the effect of perfect obedience to our golden rule? If men should really learn to do to others as they would have others do to them, what a transformation it would accomplish.”
”So that is what you call the golden rule, is it?” asked Thorwald. ”And are you all trying to live by it?”
”Well,” I replied, ”that is what many of us profess to be doing, but I must say we fall far, very far short of the mark. I do not know a single inhabitant of the earth, with the possible exception of my companion here, who fully obeys that command.”
The doctor's smile was not lost on Thorwald, who replied:
”It was rather too bad of you to bring so far away from the earth the only good man the planet contained; but I am glad to know the golden rule, as you may well call it, has been given to men. We have had the same here, and, oh! if I could make you realize something of the struggle our race has had in working it into life and practice, you would gain some hope for the people of the earth. I mean, the result of this struggle would give you hope, for I am not ashamed to say that we are now living up to the full requirements of this law, and if you should spend the remainder of your lives with us I am sure you would not find my statement untrue. It is only by actually loving our neighbors as ourselves that we are able to live as we do. The law of love has replaced the law of force. It is well for you to understand this at the beginning, for it is the secret of our wonderful success in all the higher forms of civilization.”
”It must have helped you greatly,” said I, ”in the matter of which you have just been speaking, that of government.”
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