CHAPTER V.
The Preceptress of the National College appointed her daughter Wanna asa guide and instructor to me. I formed a deep and strong attachment forher, which, it pains me to remember, was the cause of her unhappy fate.In stature she was above the medium height, with a form of the fairestearthly loveliness and exquisite grace. Her eyes were so deep a blue,that at first I mistook them for brown. Her hair was the color of a ripechestnut frosted with gold, and in length and abundance would cover herlike a garment. She was vivacious and fond of athletic sports. Herstrength amazed me. Those beautiful hands, with their tapering fingers,had a grip like a vise. They had discovered, in this wonderful land,that a body possessing perfectly developed muscles must, by the laws ofnature, be symmetrical and graceful. They rode a great deal on small,two-wheeled vehicles, which they propelled themselves. They gave me oneon which I accompanied Wauna to all of the places of interest in theCapital city and vicinity.
I must mention that Wauna's voice was exceedingly musical, even in thatland of sweet voices, but she did not excel as a singer.
The infant schools interested me more than all the magnificence andgrandeur of the college buildings. The quaint courtesy, gentle mannersand affectionate demeanor of the little ones toward one another, was asurprise to me. I had visited infant schools of my own and othercountries, where I had witnessed the display of human nature,unrestrained by mature discretion and policy. Fights, quarrels, kicks,screams, the unlawful seizure of toys and trinkets, and othermisdemeanors, were generally the principal exhibits. But here it was alldifferent. I thought, as I looked at them, that should a philanthropistfrom the outside world have chanced unknowingly upon the playground of aMizora infant school, he would have believed himself in a company oflittle angels.
At first, a kindness so universal impressed me as studied; a species ofrefined courtesy in which the children were drilled. But time andobservation proved to me that it was the natural impulse of the heart,an inherited trait of moral culture. In _my_ world, kindness andaffection were family possessions, extended occasionally toacquaintances. Beyond this was courtesy only for the great busy bustlingmass of humanity called--"the world."
It must not be understood that there was no variety of character inMizora. Just as marked a difference was to be found there as elsewhere;but it was elevated and ennobled. Its evil tendencies had beeneliminated. There were many causes that had made this possible. Thefirst, and probably the most influential, was the extreme cheapness ofliving. Food and fuel were items of so small consequence, that povertyhad become unknown. Added to this, and to me by far the most vitalreason, was their system of free education. In contemplating the stateof enlightenment to which Mizora had attained, I became an enthusiastupon the subject of education, and resolved, should I ever again reachthe upper world, to devote all my energies and ability to convincing thegovernments of its importance. I believe it is the duty of everygovernment to make its schools and colleges, and everything appertainingto education--FREE. To be always starved for knowledge is a more pitifulcraving than to hunger for bread. One dwarfs the body; the other themind.
The utmost care was bestowed upon the training and education of thechildren. There was nothing that I met with in that beautiful and happycountry I longed more to bring with me to the inhabitants of my world,than their manner of rearing children. The most scrupulous attention waspaid to their diet and exercise, both mental and physical. The resultwas plump limbs, healthy, happy faces and joyous spirits. In all thefifteen years that I spent in Mizora, I never saw a tear of sorrow fallfrom children's eyes. Admirable sanitary regulations exist in all thecities and villages of the land, which insures them pure air. I maystate here that every private-house looks as carefully to the conditionof its atmosphere, as we do to the material neatness of ours.
The only intense feeling that I could discover among these people wasthe love between parent and child. I visited the theater where thetragedy of the play was the destruction of a daughter by shipwreck inview of the distracted mother. The scenery was managed with wonderfulrealism. The thunder of the surf as it beat upon the shore, thefrightful carnival of wind and waves that no human power could still,and the agony of the mother watching the vessel break to pieces upon therock and her child sink into the boiling water to rise no more, wasthrilling beyond my power to describe. I lost control of my feelings.The audience wept and applauded; and when the curtain fell, I couldscarcely believe it had only been a play. The love of Mizora women fortheir children is strong and deep. They consider the care of them asacred duty, fraught with the noblest results of life. A daughter ofscholarly attainments and noble character is a credit to her mother.That selfish mother who looks upon her children as so many afflictionsis unknown to Mizora. If a mother should ever feel her children asburdens upon her, she would never give it expression, as any derelictionof duty would be severely rebuked by the whole community, if notpunished by banishment. Corporal punishment was unknown.
I received an invitation from a lady prominent in literature and scienceto make her a visit. I accepted with gratification, as it would affordme the opportunity I coveted to become acquainted with the domestic lifeof Mizora, and perhaps penetrate its greatest mystery, for I mustconfess that the singular dearth of anything and everything resemblingMan, never ceased to prey upon my curiosity.
The lady was the editor and proprietor of the largest and most widelyknown scientific and literary magazine in the country. She was themother of eight children, and possessed one of the largest fortunes andmost magnificent residences in the country.
The house stood on an elevation, and was a magnificent structure of greygranite, with polished cornices. The porch floors were of cloudedmarble. The pillars supporting its roof were round shafts of the samematerial, with vines of ivy, grape and rose winding about them, carvedand colored into perfect representations of the natural shrubs.
The drawing-room, which was vast and imposing in size and appearance,had a floor of pure white marble. The mantels and window-sills were ofwhite onyx, with delicate vinings of pink and green. The floor wasstrewn with richly colored mats and rugs. Luxurious sofas and chairscomprised the only furniture. Each corner contained a piece of finestatuary. From the centre of the ceiling depended a large gold basin ofbeautiful design and workmanship, in which played a miniature fountainof perfumed water that filled the air with a delicate fragrance. Thewalls were divided into panels of polished and unpolished granite. Onthe unpolished panels hung paintings of scenery. The dull, gray color ofthe walls brought out in sharp and tasteful relief the few costly andelegant adornments of the room: a placid landscape with mountains dimlyoutlining the distance. A water scene with a boat idly drifting,occupied by a solitary figure watching the play of variegated lightsupon the tranquil waters. Then came a wild and rugged mountain scenewith precipices and a foaming torrent. Then a concert of birds amusinglytreated.
The onyx marble mantel-piece contained but a single ornament--anorchestra. A coral vase contained a large and perfect tiger lily, madeof gold. Each stamen supported a tiny figure carved out of ivory,holding a musical instrument. When they played, each figure appearedinstinct with life, like the mythical fairies of my childhood; and themusic was so sweet, yet faint, that I readily imagined the charmed ringand tiny dancers keeping time to its rhythm.
The drawing-room presented a vista of arches draped in curtains of arare texture, though I afterward learned they were spun glass. The onethat draped the entrance to the conservatory looked like sea foam withthe faint blush of day shining through it. The conservatory was in theshape of a half sphere, and entirely of glass. From its dome, more thana hundred feet above our heads, hung a globe of white fire that gaveforth a soft clear light. Terminating, as it did, the long vista ofarches with their transparent hangings of cobweb texture, it presented apicture of magnificence and beauty indescribably.
The other apartments displayed the same taste and luxury. Thesitting-room contained an instrument resembling a grand piano.
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p; The grounds surrounding this elegant home were adorned with natural andartificial beauties, Grottoes, fountains, lakes, cascades, terraces offlowers, statuary, arbors and foliage in endless variety, that renderedit a miniature paradise. In these grounds, darting in and out among theavenues, playing hide-and-seek behind the statuary, or otherwise amusingthemselves, I met eight lovely children, ranging from infancy to youngmaidenhood. The glowing cheeks and eyes, and supple limbs spoke ofperfect health and happiness. When they saw their mother coming, theyran to meet her, the oldest carrying the two-year old baby. The statelywoman greeted each with a loving kiss. She showed in loving glance andaction how dear they all were to her. For the time being she unbent,and became a child herself in the interest she took in their prattle andmirth. A true mother and happy children.
I discovered that each department of this handsome home was under thecare of a professional artist. I remarked to my hostess that I hadsupposed her home was the expression of her own taste.
"So it is," she replied; "but it requires an equally well educated tasteto carry out my designs. The arrangement and ornamentation of my groundswere suggested by me, and planned and executed by my landscape artist."
After supper we repaired to the general sitting-room. The eldestdaughter had been deeply absorbed in a book before we came in. Sheclosed and left it upon a table. I watched for an opportunity tocarelessly pick it up and examine it. It was a novel I felt sure, forshe appeared to resign it reluctantly out of courtesy to her guest. Imight, from it, gather some clue to the mystery of the male sex. I tookup the book and opened it. It was The Conservation of Force and ThePhenomena of Nature. I laid it down with a sigh of discomfiture.
The next evening, my hostess gave a small entertainment, and what was myamazement, not to say offense, to perceive the cook, the chamber-maid,and in fact all the servants in the establishment, enter and join in theconversation and amusement. The cook was asked to sing, for, with theexception of myself--and I tried to conceal it--no one appeared to takeumbrage at her presence. She sat down to the piano and sang a prettyballad in a charming manner. Her voice was cultivated and musical, asare all the voices in Mizora, but it was lacking in the qualities thatmake a great singer, yet it had a plaintive sweetness that was veryattractive.
I was dumbfounded at her presumption. In my country such a thing isunknown as a servant entertaining guests in such a capacity, andespecially among people of my rank and position in the world.
I repelled some advances she made me with a hauteur and coldness that itmortified me afterward to remember. Instead of being _my_ inferior, Iwas her's, and she knew it; but neither by look, tone nor action did shebetray her consciousness of it. I had to acknowledge that her hands weremore delicately modeled than mine, and her bearing had a dignity andelegance that might have been envied by the most aristocratic dame of myown land. Knowing that the Mizora people were peculiar in their socialideas, I essayed to repress my indignation at the time, but later Iunburdened myself to Wauna who, with her usual sweetness andgentleness, explained to me that her occupation was a mere matter ofchoice with her.
"She is one of the most distinguished chemists of this nation. Shesolved the problem of making bread out of limestone of a much finerquality than had been in use before."
"Don't tell me that you gave me a stone when I asked for bread!" Iexclaimed.
"We have not done that," replied Wauna; "but we have given you what youtook for bread, but which is manufactured out of limestone and therefuse of the marble quarries."
I looked at her in such inane astonishment that she hastened to add:
"I will take you to one of the large factories some day. They are alwaysin the mountains where the stone is abundant. You can there see loavesby the thousands packed in great glass tanks for shipment to thedifferent markets. And they do not cost the manufacturer above onecentime per hundred."
"And what royalty does the discoverer get for this wonder of chemistry?"
"None. Whenever anything of that kind is discovered in our country, itis purchased outright by the government, and then made public for thebenefit of all. The competition among manufacturers consists in the careand exactness with which they combine the necessary elements. There isquite a difference in the taste and quality of our bread as it comesfrom different factories."
"Why doesn't such a talented person quit working in another woman'skitchen and keep herself like a lady?" I inquired, all the prejudice ofindolent wealth against labor coming up in my thoughts.
"She has a taste for that kind of work," replied Wauna, "instead of formaking dresses, or carving gems, or painting. She often says she couldnot make a straight line if she tried, yet she can put together withsuch nicety and chemical skill the elements that form an omelette or acustard, that she has become famous. She teaches all who desire tolearn, but none seem to equal her. She was born with a genius forcooking and nothing else. Haven't you seen her with a long glass tubetesting the vessels of vegetables and fruit that were cooking?"
"Yes," I answered. "It was from that that I supposed her occupationmenial."
"Visitors from other cities," continued Wauna, "nearly always inquirefor her first."
Perceiving the mistake that I had made, I ventured an apology for mybehavior toward her, and Wauna replied, with a frankness that nearlycrushed me:
"We all noticed it, but do not fear a retaliation," she added sweetly."We know that you are from a civilization that we look back upon as oneof barbarism."
I acknowledged that if any superciliousness existed in Mizora while Iwas there, I must have had it.
The guests departed without refreshments having been served. I explainedthe custom of entertainment in my country, which elicited expressions ofastonishment. It would be insulting to offer refreshments of any kind toa guest between the regular hours for dining, as it would imply a desireon your part to impair their health. Such was the explanation of what inmy country would be deemed a gross neglect of duty. Their custom wasprobably the result of two causes: an enlightened knowledge of the lawsof health, and the extreme cheapness of all luxuries of the table whichthe skill of the chemist had made available to every class of people inthe land.
The word "servant" did not exist in the language of Mizora; neither hadthey an equivalent for it in the sense in which we understand and usethe word. I could not tell a servant--for I must use the word to beunderstood--from a professor in the National College. They were allhighly-educated, refined, lady-like and lovely. Their occupations werealways matters of choice, for, as there was nothing in them to detractfrom their social position, they selected the one they knew they had theability to fill. Hence those positions _we_ are accustomed to regard asmenial, were there filled by ladies of the highest culture andrefinement; consequently the domestic duties of a Mizora household movedto their accomplishment with the ease and regularity of fine machinery.
It was long before I could comprehend the dignity they attached to thehumblest vocations. They had one proverb that embraced it all: "Labor isthe necessity of life." I studied this peculiar phase of Mizora life,and at last comprehended that in this very law of social equality laythe foundation of their superiority. Their admirable system of adaptingthe mind to the vocation in which it was most capable of excelling, andendowing that with dignity and respect, and, at the same time,compelling the highest mental culture possible, had produced a nationin the enjoyment of universal refinement, and a higher order ofintelligence than any yet known to the outside world.
The standard of an ordinary education was to me astonishingly high. Thereason for it was easily understood when informed that the onlyaristocracy of the country was that of intellect. Scholars, artists,scientists, literateurs, all those excelling in intellectual gifts orattainments, were alone regarded as superiors by the masses.
In all the houses that I had visited I had never seen a portrait hung ina room thrown open to visitors. On inquiry, I was informed that it was alack of taste to make a portrait conspicuous.
"Yo
u meet faces at all times," said my informant, "but you cannot at alltimes have a variety of scenery before you. How monotonous it would bewith a drawing-room full of women, and the walls filled with theirpainted representatives. We never do it."
"Then where do you keep your family portraits?"
"Ours is in a gallery upstairs."
I requested to be shown this, and was conducted to a very long apartmenton the third floor, devoted exclusively to relics and portraits offamily ancestry. There were over three thousand portraits of blondwomen, which my hostess' daughter informed me represented hergrandmothers for ages back. Not one word did she say about hergrandfathers.
I may mention here that no word existed in their dictionaries that wasequivalent to the word "man." I had made myself acquainted with thisfact as soon as I had acquired sufficient knowledge of their language.My astonishment at it cannot be described. It was a mystery that becamemore and more perplexing. Never in the closest intimacy that I couldsecure could I obtain the slightest clue, the least suggestion relatingto the presence of man. My friend's infant, scarcely two years old,prattled of everything but a father.
I cannot explain a certain impressive dignity about the women of Mizorathat, in spite of their amiability and winning gentleness, forbade aclose questioning into private affairs. My hostess never spoke of herbusiness. It would have been a breach of etiquette to have questionedher about it. I could not bring myself to intrude the question of themarked absence of men, when not the slightest allusion was ever made tothem by any citizen.
So time passed on, confirming my high opinion of them, and yet I knewand felt and believed that some strange and incomprehensible mysterysurrounded them, and when I had abandoned all hope of a solution to it,it solved itself in the most unexpected and yet natural manner, and Iwas more astonished at the solution than I was at the mystery.