to a great pile of stones. Some pieces of the wall were still standing, and showed that the building had been highly decorated with carved stone-work; but the details of the carving had been worn away by the rubbings of time. I clambered to the top of the wall, and lying down on the grass-grown parapet, began to ponder as to where I was, what city this could have been—what had caused such devastation—why it was now deserted? How could I get information? I had all my life made a hobby of antiquarian research, but had never read or heard of such modern-looking antiquities as I now saw before me. Could it be that I had got into another planet whose inhabitants had anticipated all our civilization by thousands of years, but who through luxurious living, and over-quickened intellect, had so reduced their bodily strength, that they gradually died out, leaving all in the possession of wild animals; or could it be that I had died thousands of years ago, and that I had just been born again, and now saw my
