Chapter 7.
NEW FRIENDS.
"Having established his equality with class after class, of those with whom he would live well, he still finds certain others, before whom he cannot possess himself, because they have somewhat fairer, somewhat grander, somewhat purer, which extorts homage of him."--EMERSON.
It is scarcely egotistical for me to say that I was much sought after,not only by the citizens of Thursia, but by many distinguished peoplefrom other cities and countries. Among them were many men and women ofgreat scientific learning, who made me feel that I ought to haveprovided myself with a better equipment of knowledge relative to myown world, before taking my ambitious journey to Mars! They wereexceedingly polite, but I fear they were much disappointed in many ofmy hazy responses to their eager questionings. I learned by thisexperience the great value of exact information. In a country likeours, where so much, and so many sorts, of knowledge are in the air, aperson is apt, unless he is a student of some particular thing, to getlittle more than impressions.
There was I,--an average (let me hope!) American citizen,--at themercy of inquisitive experts in a hundred different arts and trades,concerning which, in the main, my ideas might be conservativelydescribed as "general." You may imagine how unsatisfactory this was topeople anxious to know about our progress in physics and chemistry,botany, and the great family of "ologies,"--or rather about ourprocesses in developing the principles of these great sciences.
With the astronomers and the electricians I got along all right; and Iwas also able to make myself interesting,--or so I fancied--indescribing our social life, our educational and politicalinstitutions, and our various forms of religion. Our modes of dresswere a matter of great curiosity to most of these people, and I wasoften asked to exhibit my terrestrial garments.
It was when the crowd of outside visitors was at its thickest that theCaskians arrived, and as their stay was brief, covering only two days,you may suppose that we did not advance far on the road to mutualacquaintance. But to tell the truth, there was not a moment'sstrangeness between us after we had once clasped hands and looked intoeach other's eyes. It might have been partly due to my ownpreparedness to meet them with confidence and trust; but more, Ithink, to their singular freedom from the conventional barriers withwhich we hedge round our selfness. Their souls spoke to mine, and mineanswered back, and the compact of friendship was sealed in a glance.
I cannot hope to give you a very clear idea of their perfectnaturalness, their perfect dignity, their kindliness, or theirdelightful gayety,--before which stiffness, formality, ceremony, wereborne down, dissolved as sunshine dissolves frost. No menstruum is sowonderful as the quality of merriment, take it on any plane of life;when it reaches the highest, and is subtilized by cultured and refinedintellects, it creates an atmosphere in which the most frigid autocratof society, and of learning, too, must thaw. The haughtiest damecannot keep her countenance in the face of this playful spirit toyingwith her frills. The veriest old dry-as-dust, hibernating in mouldyarchaeological chambers, cannot resist the blithesome thought whichdares to illumine his antique treasures with a touch of mirth.
I was struck by Clytia's beauty, which in some ways seemed finer thanElodia's. The two women were about the same height and figure. ButClytia's coloring was pure white and black, except for the healthycarmine of her lips, and occasional fluctuations of the rose tint inher cheeks.
I was present when they first met, in the drawing-room. Elodia rose toher full stature, armed cap-a-pie with her stateliest manner, but witha gracious sense of hospitality upon her. I marked with pleasure thatClytia did not rush upon her with any exuberance of gladness,--as somewomen would have done in a first meeting with their friend'ssister,--for that would have disgusted Elodia and driven her to stillhigher ground. How curious are our mental attitudes toward ourassociates, and how quickly adjusted! Here had I been in Elodia'shouse, enjoying her companionship--if not her friendship--for months;and yet, you see, I secretly did not wish any advantage to be on herside. It could not have been disloyalty, for the impulse was swift andinvoluntary. I would like to suppose that it sprang from myinstantaneous recognition of the higher nature; but it did not. It wasdue, no doubt, to a fear for the more timid one--as I fancied it tobe. I had a momentary sensation as of wanting to "back"Clytia,--knowing how formidable my proud hostess could be, and, Ifeared, would be,--but the beautiful Caskian did not need my support.She was not timid. I never saw anything finer than her manner; themost consummate woman of the world could not have met the situationwith more dignity and grace, and with not half so much simplicity. Herlimpid dark eyes met Elodia's blue-rayed ones, and the result wasmutual respect, with a slight giving on Elodia's part.
I felt that I had, for the first time in my life, seen a perfectwoman; a woman of such fine proportions, of such nice balance, thather noble virtues and high intelligence did not make her forget eventhe smallest amenities. She kept in hand every faculty of her triplebeing, so that she was able to use each in its turn and to give toeverything about her its due appreciation. She had, as Balzac says,the gift of admiration and of comprehension. That which her glancerested upon, that which her ear listened to, responded with all thatwas in them. I thought it a wonderful power that could so bring outthe innate beauties and values of even inanimate things. Elodia's eyesrested upon her, from time to time, with a keen and questioninginterest. I think that, among other things, she was surprised--as Iwas--at the elegance, the "style" even, of Clytia's dress.
Although there is very little fashion on that planet, as we know theword, there is a great deal of style. I had speedily mastered all itssubtle gradations, and could "place" a woman with considerablecertainty, by, let me say, her manner of wearing her clothes, if notthe clothes themselves. I have never studied woman's apparel indetail, it always seems as mysterious to me as woman herself does; butI have a good eye for effects in that line, as most men have, and Iknew that Clytia's costume was above criticism. She wore, just wherethey seemed to be needed,--as the keystone is needed in an arch,--afew fine gems. I could not conceive of her putting them on to arousethe envy of any other woman, or to enhance her personal charms in theeyes of a man. She dressed well, as another would sing well. Sight isthe sense we value most, but how often is it offended! You canestimate the quality of a woman by the shade of green she chooses forher gown. And there is poetry in the fit of a gown, as there is in thecolor of it. Clytia knew these things, these higher principles ofdress, as the nightingale knows its song,--through the effortlessworking of perfected faculties. But not she alone. My description ofher will answer for the others; the Caskians are a people, you see,who neglect nothing. We upon the Earth are in the habit of saying,with regretful cadence, Life is short. It is because our life is allout of proportion. We are trying to cheat time; we stuff too muchplunder into our bags, and discriminate against the best.
Clytia and Calypso and their friend Ariadne, a young girl, stayed withus throughout their visit; the others of their party were entertainedelsewhere. On each of the two evenings they were with us, Elodiainvited a considerable company of people,--not so many as to crowd therooms, nor so few as to make them seem empty. Those gatherings wereremarkable events, I imagine, in a good many lives.
They were in mine. At the close of each evening I retired to my roomin a state of high mental intoxication; my unaccustomed brain hadtaken too large a draught of intellectual champagne. And when I awokein the morning, it was with a sense of fatigue of mind, the same asone feels fatigue of body the day after extraordinary feats ofphysical exertion.
But not so the guests! who came down into the breakfast room asradiant as ever and in full possession of themselves. With themfatigue seemed impossible. We do not know--because we are so poorlytrained--the wonderful elasticity of a human being, in all his parts.We often see it exemplified in single faculties,--the voice of asinger, the legs of a runner, the brain of a lawyer, the spirit of areligionist. But, as I have said before, we are all out of proportion,and
any slight strain upon an unused faculty gives us the cramp. Thefact is, the most of us are cripples in some sense. We lack a moralleg, a spiritual arm; there are parts of us that are neglected,withered, paralyzed.
One thing in the Caskians which especially pleased me, and which I amsure made a strong--and favorable--impression upon Elodia, too, wasthat their conduct and conversation never lacked the vital humaninterest without which all philosophy is cold, and all religion isasceticism.
It appeared that these people had taken the long journey not only tomeet me, but that they might extend to me in person a cordialinvitation to visit their country. Severnius warmly urged me toaccept, assuring me, with unmistakable sincerity, that it would givehim pleasure to put his purse at my disposal for the expenses of thejourney,--I having brought up this point as a rather serious obstacle.As it would only add one more item to the great sum of my indebtednessto my friend, I took him at his word, and gave my promise to theCaskians to make the journey to Lunismar sometime in the near future.And with that they left us, and left behind them matter forconversation for many a day.