The Diothas, or, A Far Look Ahead/Chapter 23
I sat down with Utis, but not with our usual company. The ladies and children had seceded to other tables. Their places were occupied by Hulmar, the two Siureds, who, as they often did, had escaped from the city for the day. Besides these, there were two zerdars on service in the village, and acquainted with Hulmar. On being in- troduced, I found that one of these gentlemen—for such they were, in the strictest sense of the word; though their duties were of somewhat humble character, according to present notions—came from Norway, the other from Central Asia. Yet in neither could I detect any thing in accent or manner to distinguish them from those born on the banks of the Hudson. They showed the same good-breeding, had manifestly enjoyed like educational advan- tages.
The scattering of families at these public dinners was, I saw, entirely a matter of choice. The ladies, having matters of mutual interest to discuss, were apt to congre- gate at tables by themselves. The men. partly for a like. reason, partly because, being this forsaken, they had no choice in the matter, were apt to get together too. There existed about the same freedom in selecting a table as, among us, in choosing the group to which to become attached in a drawing-room. It was, in fact, a social occasion, on which those who had not met during the week found opportunity for accomplishing in a pleasant manner much of what is accomplished among us by the dreary intermediance of formal calls.
The dinner, for such it was, went on much as at home. Every thing needful had been placed by careful and practised hands in the cebin: nothing was wanting to a complete meal. It was strange and interesting to see that vast hall filled with animated groups of diners, and not a waiter to be seen. Occasionally one of the children would flit across the scene, carrying a message or inquiry from one table to another.
Music, too, was there, but not that of man's devising. By means of a suitable arrangement of the telephonic apparatus, the roar of Niagara was brought to our ears, just so much subdued in tone as to serve as a background to the conversation. It was difficult for me, at times, not to imagine myself once more at the Clifton House. with the wind setting from the Falls. On other occasions I have heard, instead of the voice of the cataract, the ceaseless surge of the storm-vexed billows against some rocky coast, of Maine perhaps, Alaska, or Norway; or, again, the multitudinous voices of some distant tropical forest, awakening into life beneath the morning sun, would be heard blended into a musical murmur.
The conversation at our table was that of men who were fully conversant with, and had bestowed earnest thought upon, the topics discussed. For the first time in my experience, I listened to real conversation. Each contributed his part, listened with intelligent interest, or said what he had to say, with a complete freedom from that light of rational intercourse, the self-consciousness that seems ever on its guard.
I was satisfied to play the part of listener till a turn in the conversation led the younger Siured to refer to the ancient notation, in which he had become highly interested. There were still some difficulties, of which he hoped to obtain an explanation from me.
"You are exactly the person to help me, also," said Hulmar, when, at his request, the elder Siured had recounted to him the incident of the formula, which seemed to excite in him a lively interest.
He then explained to me, that it was exactly the difficulties he met with in tracing the early history of his favorite science that still delayed the completion of his forthcoming work.
"The material," said he, "for the later history of the science is superabundant and easily accessible. But that for its earlier stages, though probably abundant enough, is difficult of access, both from its existing in languages the knowledge of which is confined to a very few, and from its being overlaid by the ruins of so many successive systems, that to reach it is like digging to seek the relics of some long-buried city. We know the treasures are there, but know not where to seek."
The accuracy of this remark I had subsequently good cause to appreciate, when endeavoring to avoid losing myself amid the bewildering accumulations of the hundred million volumes of the Central Depository.
Hulmar was yet speaking when Ulmene approached our table, and produced from a small basket four small rosettes. Each rosette was of two colors. The red and blue she handed to Anvar Siured, whose countenance I could see light up as soon as he saw himself the destined recipient of this particular rosette. Why, I did not then know, but was soon to learn.
After each of the zerdars at table with us had received a rosette, I also became the recipient of a blue and white. Without knowing why,—for Utis had forgotten to tell me of this custom,—I imitated the others in fastening it to the breast of my tunic. I looked at Utis inquiringly. He only smiled,—an explanation of so universal a custom would have excited natural surprise,—but I gathered from his answering glance that I need merely imitate the others.
They at once rose, and proceeded down the hall as if each in quest of some one. Anvar alone knew whom he sought. He went straight to where Reva was sitting at table with some of the fair cousins to whom I had been presented that morning. I now noticed, for the first time, what Anvar had known since the moment of his arrival, that her colors were red and blue,—blue the border of her tunic, red the ribbon in her hair. When Anvar approached where she sat, and bowed silently before her, the sight gave me an inexpressible pang. It was some slight comfort to observe nothing in her reception of him that indicated any response to what I had seen flash up in the eyes of Anvar on receiving the rosette. She politely acknowledged his salutation, motioned him to an unoccupied seat, and went on quietly with what she had been saying.
Seeing that Ialma, who sat at a table near by, wore the colors of my rosette, I drew near, and made my bow.
She pointed to a seat beside her, saying, with a smile that set me quite at ease,—
"Ulmene has been very kind: I asked her to have you assigned to me as aid."
At this moment there was a general movement, and we rose with the rest.
"I have an easy department assigned to my share," said she, looking at a tablet she held in her hand; I meanwhile walking by her side, following the crowd. We descended to the spacious basement beneath the lininghall, whither the cebins had descended. Here, we men having hung our outer tunics on pegs, which left us in a sort of lawn-tennis suit, and the ladies having changed their outer tunics in an adjoining apartment, whence they emerged in sober working-slips with short sleeves, all set to work to clear away, much as at home.
To Ialma and me was brought the plate as soon as it was washed. This we packed by sets in proper receptacles and I, under her direction, raised the sometimes heavy cases, and placed them in numbered recesses on shelves. At first, having but little to do, I had time to single out the spot where Reva stood busily engaged with Anvar in putting away the crystal and porcelain as it was brought to them.
"They are a handsome couple," remarked Ialma, with a smile half mischievous, half demure, when she observed the attraction the aforesaid spot seemed to have for my eyes.
The correctness of the remark could not be denied, and I made some reply to that effect. I could not but acknowledge to myself, that rarely had I seen a figure more graceful and manly than Anvar's. The close-fitting undress-suit displayed to advantage his athletic form as he raised heavy loads with apparent case, and placed them on the shelves above. When Ialma perceived my state of mind, and divined the cause, with true womanly tact she strove to divert my thoughts by chatting gayly on other subjects.
"As you are under my orders for the afternoon," said she, during an interval of slackness. "I want you to take me over to Nuval. Semna Diotha-Nuval"—this I recognized as the full name of my maternal great-grandmother—"will expect you to-day."
I was somewhat surprised, but not at all displeased, at this announcement. Next to Reva, there was none whose society I would prefer to that of Ialma. There had sprung up between us as strong a liking as can exist without a trace of sentiment between two young persons of different sexes. I was surprised because the thing proposed seemed to me so contrary to the prevailing custom. But, so far, I had learned only the broad outlines, not the nice shadings, of social etiquette.
The reason for the prohibition of a viora's riding out with an unbetrothed man was not any unworthy suspicion, but the earnest wish to prevent rash or premature engagements. A matron could ride out with any one; a zerna, with any one not objected to by her relatives, or those of her betrothed, a mere hint in such a case being all-sufficient. A viora, again, could ride out with any married or betrothed man, unless forbidden to do so.
All infractions of the received rules of womanly propriety came under the cognizance of a special tribunal of matrons. By these the offender might either be privately admonished, or publicly rebuked before a full meeting of matrons, zeruan, and sometimes vioran. To such meetings no man was ever admitted, and the proceedings were as carefully guarded as those of freemasonry. All that Utis could tell me was, that a rebuke from the tribunal was greatly dreaded, and that it was severe, even against what we would regard as extremely trivial offences against decorum. As for those graver slips, that, even in these coarse days, sometimes cause the members of an honorable family to writhe in an agony of injured pride, they were never heard of. Whether they never occurred, or were effectually prevented from becoming known, I cannot say.
The almost absolute authority of a father over his offspring was regarded as the main safeguard of the social system. Till their marriage, the father had unquestioned power of life and death over his children. Till then he was held responsible for them: to him the community gave full power to train, to restrain, and to punish. If son or daughter died within the father's house, it was the business of no outsider to inquire why or how. A parent's natural affection was relied on to restrain undue severity.
Such power as this it would, no doubt, be unwise to intrust to all parents in the present day, seeing how many there are with no claim to that sacred name beyond the animal fact. Yet an occasional case of excessive severity would be preferable to the present decay of parental control,—a tendency promoted to the full extent of their power by certain Phrasolators whom an unfortunate chance has afforded opportunity to air their hobbies upon the judgment-seat. To these sapient Dogberrys, the mildest physical correction is an outrage, even when applied to check the downward course to a life in comparison with which the most cruel death would be mercy. But an ass will munch his thistle, no doubt, and a fool worship his phrase, till asses and fools have ceased to be.
It was a committee of matrons, that, on such occasions as this referred to, assigned to each zerua and viora her partner for the day. As regards the vioran, they usually had assigned to them a betrothed zerdar. Occasionally, however, as in the case of Anvar Siured, an eligible suitor would be so assigned, when the parents on both sides regarded a possible engagement as desirable. It was only to this extent that a maiden's choice was ever interfered with by her parents. If her partner for the day asked her to take an excursion in his curricle, she usually accepted, as an act of politeness, and dutiful acquiescence in what she understood to be the wish of her parents, and bound up her locks for the occasion. If the suitor, thus given an opportunity, was able to plead his cause with success, the maiden would, on their return, allow her locks to remain as when she rode away,—a sign that her temporary partner had become a suitor on probation. But most frequently she re-asserted her privilege as a viora, a matter on which the maidens were justly sensitive.