The Diothas, or, A Far Look Ahead/Chapter 3
On descending to the level of the street, I found myself for the first time under the lowest arcade. Serving, as it did, for a substructure to the upper ones, it was built of corresponding strength in hewn granite. Though infinitely superior in grace and lightness, it reminded me of the somewhat similar structures found in certain of the streets of Berne.
Following my guide, I entered a vehicle standing near the curbstone on a sort of siding. The car was of light build and elegant appearance; the extensive use of aluminum and tinted ualin rendering it possible, in their construction, to combine great beauty of form with extraordinary lightness and strength. A separate seat was provided for each person, and every thing was scrupulously clean. Before stepping on the neat matting, I imitated my companion in carefully dusting my sandals upon the revolving brush provided for the purpose on the platform.
Perceiving neither horses nor any indication of the presence of steam, I asked what motive-power was employed. Steam, I learned, was seldom employed for any purpose. Electric motors of various kinds had been brought to a high degree of perfection, and were preferred for many reasons. Each of these cars, it seems, had its own motor. This was placed under the body of the car, between the wheels, and was so compact as to escape notice at a first glance.
"Electrical as well as chemical science," said my companion, "has made such progress since your period, that many things then regarded as difficult or impossible have become matters of every-day use. It requires, indeed, some effort on our part to conceive how the way to their discovery was so long missed. The great discovery of the principle that enables us to store a large amount of electric force in a small space was long missed by a hair'sbreadth, as it were. Yet this discovery brought about even greater changes in the social condition of mankind than did the improvement of the steam-engine. Electricity completed, in some cases, what steam had begun. Such, for example, was the gradual disuse of animal power, first for draught, at last for any purpose whatever. In other cases, electricity reversed the effect of steam. Such was the utter abolition of the factory system, with all its attendant evils."
We had been the first to enter the car, which, during the short time since our entrance, had been rapidly filling. Just before the car started, another passenger entered,— a lovely girl. I chanced to turn my eyes that way, as she momentarily paused in the doorway,—the pause of a dove about to alight; and my attention was irrevocably distracted from the concluding remarks of my companion. Many beautiful faces had come under my observation during our progress along the arcades: none, indeed, but beautiful faces were to be seen. But none had for me such an inexplicable attraction as that of the fair girl now appearing at the entrance.
It was not her mere beauty and grace; though she was surpassingly lovely, and in the first blush of youth. The arrangement of her beautiful hair, of a rich brown, as glossy, and seemingly as soft, as floss silk, indicated a maid still unbetrothed. With a graceful gesture of recognition she smilingly greeted my companion, took a seat beside him, and entered into an animated conversation. From this I gathered that she was a near neighbor of my friend's, and that she had been in the city on a shopping excursion. The result of her visit she carried in a small reticule, and, at my friend's request, produced the article for his inspection. When produced, it proved to be neither dry-goods, jewellery, nor even light literature. It was a piece of mechanism of high finish. In size and weight it might be compared with, say, a navy-revolver, though, of course, differing greatly, both in form and purpose, from that amiable instrument.
How tenderly she handled this strange-looking toy! With what admiration did she regard it, while, almost fondly, she turned it this way and that in her shapely hands! How her dark violet eyes sparkled, while, with youthful animation, she explained some peculiarity or advantage in the mechanism!
From what I could understand, it was some ingenious mechanical contrivance of improved construction, connected with some of the manifold applications of electricity. As for myself, my position did not differ greatly from that in which a fairly educated contemporary of Cicero would find himself while listening to, and trying to follow, a bright Vassar girl's explanation of the purpose and working of an improved telegraph instrument or photographic camera.
Some such ideas were passing through my mind; but, after all, they constituted only the sub-current of thought. My attention was mainly occupied in following the changes of expression on a lovely face, in listening to the varying tones of a melodious voice. As I said before, the face had, for some reason quite apart from its beauty, exercised a mysterious attraction on me, even before the owner began to speak. The sound of her voice completed the charm, producing in me a state of feeling in which predominated a sort of puzzled bewilderment. Why did that face at one moment vividly recall the expression of some one whose name ought to be familiar, yet could not be recalled? Suddenly, again, as in a flash, the expression would change to one quite different, though equally familiar. How was it that certain intonations of that voice seemed to waken some slumbering chords of memory, disconnected, however, and strangely baffling; as when, from some stray notes floating in the memory, we vainly endeavor to complete the melody of which they formed a part?
These pre-occupations so filled my mind, that I gave heed neither to our starting nor to our mode of progression. The account must, accordingly, be filled from my subsequent observations. First, the car began to move slowly along the siding, till, just as a train of cars had passed on the inner track, our car glided out on that same track, and, accelerating its speed, soon reached the hinder ear of the train before it. Beneath the platforms of the cars were powerful electro-magnets, which could be made to act, either as buffers or couplers. As soon as connection was formed, most of the passengers in our car rose, and passed into the forward cars; while others passed from those into the hind-car. As we approached the next station, this hind most car detached itself, lingered behind, and ran into the siding to discharge passengers; while, at the same time, a car that had been filling up at the station began. to move, and presently joined on to the train, as ours had done before. By this system of taking up and discharging passengers, the train once started from the terminus did not need to halt or slacken speed till it reached the end of its route.
Presently, as we drew near the upper terminus, and rose preparatory to leaving the ear, my friend, in a few courteous words, introduced me to the fair maiden that had so highly excited my interest. This introduction he had thus far omitted,—as it seemed to me,—that, being under no necessity of joining in the conversation, I might the more freely make my observations.
She was introduced under the name of Reva Diotha; I, as Ismar Thiusen. This name, which I did not recognize at the time as having any similitude to that I had hitherto borne, was really its legitimate descendant, according to the same law of phonetic change that had transformed my friend's name to Utis Estai. In accordance with the simple though courteous manners of the period, no prefixes or titles of any kind were in use, each person being addressed in society by his or her first name merely. The idea of showing respect to any one by means of an unmeaning prefix to his name would to them have seemed as ridiculous as does to us the Oriental custom of showing regard to a guest by cramming his month with some supposed dainty.
It may be as well to explain, in this connection, the peculiar system of family nomenclature I found to prevail. The family name, simple before marriage, became compound after. Thus, the parents of Reva, known as Niata Diotha and Hulmar Edial before their marriage, then assumed the names Niata Diotha-Edial and Hulmar Diotha-Edial respectively. Of this compound family name girls assumed only the part derived from their mother; boys, that derived from their father. Thus, Reva's legal name was Reva Diotha, and would remain so till marriage. Her brother's name, again, was Olav Edial.
One manifest result of this system of nomenclature was, that women preserved their distinctive family names from generation to generation, as only men do at present. A girl like Reva, indeed, was as proud to trace her lineage through a long line of Diothas as is any Guelph or Rolan to trace his to an ancestor dimly discernible in the twilight of history.
On being introduced to Reva as Ismar Thiusen, I could plainly perceive that the name was not that of a stranger, but seemingly of one well known by report, at least, though never before seen. She turned upon me, with a look of frank interest, those eyes to which the long, curling lashes lent an indescribable charm. If there was a trace of shyness, it was rather that of a high-bred lad, when presented to a personage of some interest, than the ordinary self-consciousness of a girl.
At the moment, however, there was no time for conversation. We had reached the end of the city route; and, amid the crowd of new impressions, I found ample occupation for eye and thought. Before us, across a broad, open space of smooth concrete, rose the grand terminus. Toward this converged, not only all the city railroads, but also roads from every part of the Northern Hemisphere. Behring's Strait, long since bridged over, no longer opposed an obstacle to the passage of the rolling car. Lines of road from every part of the American continent converged toward that bridge, and carried on communication between ancient and famous cities having, as yet, neither name nor existence. From the spot where I stood I could be carried, without a break, to any part of the New World or the Old.
The terminus of such a traffic was, as may be imagined, of immense extent, the concourse prodigious. When it is stated, that comparatively few people remained in that great and crowded city overnight, it may be inferred how great was the multitude. Yet there was no hurry, no confusion. Each knew where to go: every thing was provided for. The immense throng was as courteous and self-possessed as the guests at a select reception.
Within a few minutes we were again speeding on our way, over a track as greatly surpassing in smoothness those of the present as these do the roads of our forefathers. The carriages differed, in many respects, from those now in use. For one thing, they were much wider, reminding me somewhat of the saloon of a riverboat. Yet these enormous cars were not of such unwieldy weight as might have been inferred from their dimensions. Scientific construction and excellent material caused the metallic framework to be relatively light; while the upper portion was almost entirely constructed of ualin,—a material specially adapted for such purposes from its strength, lightness, and durability.
The wonderful smoothness of the motion was largely due to the peculiar construction and arrangement of the wheels. These ran four abreast, the inner pair on a track somewhat lower than the broad metallic plates on which the outer pair ran. Derailment was thus rendered impossible. Collision from behind was obviated by means of an automatic telegraph, which kept the engineer exactly informed of the distance ahead of the preceding train. Of other ingenious contrivances for the prevention of accident I will say nothing, lest I become tedious; nor will I mention the speed attained, lest I should be accused of exaggeration.