English
"Obravenewworlds,Thathavesuchpeopleinthem!"
Itwasthelastdaybutoneofthe1999thyearofourera,andthefirstdayoftheLongVacation.
HavingamusedmyselftillalatehourwithmyfavouriterecreationofGemoetry,Ihadretiredtorestwithanunsolvedprobleminmymind.InthenightIhadadream.
IsawbeforemeavastmultitudeofsmallStraightLines(whichInaturallyassumedtobeWomen)interspersedwithotherBeingsstillsmallerandofthenatureoflustrouspoints—allmovingtoandfroinoneandthesameStraightLine,and,asnearlyasIcouldjudge,withthesamevelocity.
Anoiseofconfused,multitudinouschirpingortwitteringissuedfromthematintervalsaslongastheyweremoving;butsometimestheyceasedfrommotion,andthenallwassilence.
ApproachingoneofthelargestofwhatIthoughttobeWomen,Iaccostedher,butreceivednoanswer.
Asecondandthirdappealonmypartwereequallyineffectual.
Losingpatienceatwhatappearedtomeintolerablerudeness,Ibroughtmymouthtoapositionfullinfrontofhermouthsoastointercepthermotion,andloudlyrepeatedmyquestion,"Woman,whatsignifiesthisconcourse,andthisstrangeandconfusedchirping,andthismonotonousmotiontoandfroinoneandthesameStraightLine?"
"IamnoWoman,"repliedthesmallLine:"IamtheMonarchoftheworld.
Butthou,whenceintrudestthouintomyrealmofLineland?"
Receivingthisabruptreply,IbeggedpardonifIhadinanywaystartledormolestedhisRoyalHighness;anddescribingmyselfasastrangerIbesoughttheKingtogivemesomeaccountofhisdominions.
ButIhadthegreatestpossibledifficultyinobtaininganyinformationonpointsthatreallyinterestedme;fortheMonarchcouldnotrefrainfromconstantlyassumingthatwhateverwasfamiliartohimmustalsobeknowntomeandthatIwassimulatingignoranceinjest.
However,bypreservingquestionsIelicitedthefollowingfacts:ItseemedthatthispoorignorantMonarch—ashecalledhimself—waspersuadedthattheStraightLinewhichhecalledhisKingdom,andinwhichhepassedhisexistence,constitutedthewholeoftheworld,andindeedthewholeofSpace.
Notbeingableeithertomoveortosee,saveinhisStraightLine,hehadnoconceptionofanythingoutofit.
ThoughhehadheardmyvoicewhenIfirstaddressedhim,thesoundshadcometohiminamannersocontrarytohisexperiencethathehadmadenoanswer,"seeingnoman,"asheexpressedit,"andhearingavoiceasitwerefrommyownintestines."
UntilthemomentwhenIplacedmymouthinhisWorld,hehadneitherseenme,norheardanythingexceptconfusedsoundsbeatingagainst,whatIcalledhisside,butwhathecalledhisinsideorstomach;norhadheevennowtheleastconceptionoftheregionfromwhichIhadcome.
OutsidehisWorld,orLine,allwasablanktohim;nay,notevenablank,forablankimpliesSpace;say,rather,allwasnon-existent.
Hissubjects—ofwhomthesmallLinesweremenandthePointsWomen—wereallalikeconfinedinmotionandeyesighttothatsingleStraightLine,whichwastheirWorld.
ItneedscarcelybeaddedthatthewholeoftheirhorizonwaslimitedtoaPoint;norcouldanyoneeverseeanythingbutaPoint.
Man,woman,child,thing—eachasaPointtotheeyeofaLinelander.
Onlybythesoundofthevoicecouldsexoragebedistinguished.
Moreover,aseachindividualoccupiedthewholeofthenarrowpath,sotospeak,whichconstitutedhisUniverse,andnoonecouldmovetotherightorlefttomakewayforpassersby,itfollowedthatnoLinlandercouldeverpassanother.Onceneighbours,alwaysneighbours.
Neighbourhoodwiththemwaslikemarriagewithus.
Neighboursremainedneighbourstilldeathdidthempart.
Suchalife,withallvisionlimitedtoaPoint,andallmotiontoaStraightLine,seemedtomeinexpressiblydreary;andIwassurprisedtonotethatvivacityandcheerfulnessoftheKing.
Wonderingwhetheritwaspossible,amidcircumstancessounfavourabletodomesticrelations,toenjoythepleasuresofconjugalunion,IhestitatedforsometimetoquestionhisRoyalHighnessonsodelicateasubject;butatlastIplungedintoitbyabruptlyinquiringastothehealthofhisfamily.
"Mywivesandchildren,"hereplied,"arewellandhappy."
Staggeredatthisanswer—forintheimmediateproximityoftheManarch(asIhadnotedinmydreambeforIenteredLineland)therewerenonebutMen—Iventuredtoreply,"Pardonme,butIcannotimaginehowyourRoyalHighnesscanatanytimeeitherseorapproachtheirMajesties,whenthereatleasthalfadozeninterveningindividuals,whomyoucanneitherseethrough,norpassby?
IsitpossiblethatinLinelandproximityisnotnecessaryformarriageandforthegenerationofchildren?"
"Howcanyouasksoabsurdaquestion?"repliedtheMonarch.
"Ifitwereindeedasyousuggest,theUniversewouldsoonbedepopulated.
No,no;neighbourhoodisneedlessfortheunionofhearts;andthebirthofchildrenistooimportantamattertohavebeenallowedtodependuponsuchanaccidentasproximity.Youcannotbeignorantofthis.
Yetsinceyouarepleasedtoaffectignorance,IwillinstructyouasifyouweretheveriestbabyinLineland.
Know,then,thatmarriagesareconsummatedbymeansofthefacultyofsoundandthesenseofhearing.
"YouareofcourseawarethateveryManhastwomouthsorvoices--aswellastwoeyes—abassatoneandatenorattheotherofhisextremities.
Ishouldnotmentionthis,butthatIhavebeenunabletodistinguishyourtenorinthecourseofourconversation."
IrepliedthatIhadbutonevoice,andthatIhadnotbeenawarethathisRoyalHighnesshadtwo.
"Thatconfirmsbyimpression,"saidtheKing,"thatyouarenotaMan,butafeminineMonstrositywithabassvoice,andanutterlyuneducatedear.Buttocontinue.
"NaturehavingherselfordainedthateveryManshouldwedtwowives—""Whytwo?"
askedI."Youcarryyouraffectedsimplicitytoofar,"hecried.
"HowcantherebeacompletelyharmoniousunionwithoutthecombinationoftheFourinOne,viz.
theBassandTenoroftheManandtheSopranoandContraltoofthetwoWomen?"
"Butsupposing,"saidI,"thatamanshouldpreferonewifeorthree?"
"Itisimpossible,"hesaid;"itisasinconceivableasthattwoandoneshouldmakefive,orthatthehumaneyeshouldseeaStraightLine."
Iwouldhaveinterruptedhim;butheproceededasfollows:
"OnceinthemiddleofeachweekaLawofNaturecompelsuustomovetoandfrowitharhythmicmotionofmorethanusualviolence,whichcontinuesforthetimeyouwouldtaketocountahundredandone.
Inthemidstofthischoraldance,atthefifty-firstpulsation,theinhabitantsoftheUniversepauseinfullcareer,andeachindividualsendsforthhisrichest,fullest,sweeteststrain.
Itisinthisdecisivemomentthatallourmarriagesaremade.
SoexquisiteistheadaptationofBassandTreble,ofTenortoContralto,thatoftentimestheLovedOnes,thoughtwentythousandleaguesaway,recognizeatoncetheresponsivenoteoftheirdestinedLover;and,penetratingthepaltryobstaclesofdistance,Loveunitesthethree.
ThemarriageinthatinstanceconsummatedresultsinathreefoldMaleandFemaleoffspringwhichtakesitsplaceinLineland."
"What!Alwaysthreefold?"saidI."Mustonewifethenalwayshavetwins?"
"Bass-voiceMonstrosity!yes,"repliedtheKing.
"HowelsecouldthebalanceoftheSexesbemaintained,iftwogirlswerenotbornforeveryboy?
WouldyouignoretheveryAlphabetofNature?"
Heceased,speechlessforfury;andsometimeelapsedbeforeIcouldinducehimtoresumehisnarrative.
"Youwillnot,ofcourse,supposethateverybacheloramongusfindshismatesatthefirstwooinginthisuniversalMarriageChorus.
Onthecongtrary,theprocessisbymostofusmanytimesrepeated.
Fewaretheheartswhosehappylotisatoncetorecognizeineachother'svoicethepartnerintendedforthembyProvidence,andtoflyintoareciprocalandperfectlyharmoniousembrace.
Withmostofusthecourtshipisoflongduration.
TheWooer'svoicesmayperhapsaccordwithoneofthefuturewives,butnotwithboth;ornot,atfirst,witheither;ortheSopranoandContraltomaynotquiteharmonize.
InsuchcasesNaturehasprovidedthateveryweeklyChorusshallbringthethreeLoversintocloserharmony.
Eachtrialofvoice,eachfreshdiscoveryofdiscord,almostimperceptiblyinducesthelessperfecttomodifyhisorhervocalutterancesoastoapproximatetothemoreperfect.
Andaftermanytrialsandmanyapproximations,theresultisatlastachieved.
Therecomesadayatlastwhen,whilethewontedMarriageChorusgoesforthfromuniversalLineland,thethreefar-offLoverssuddenlyfindthemselvesinexactharmony,and,befortheyareaware,theweddedTripletisraptvocallyintoaduplicateembrace;andNaturerejoicesoveronemoremarriageandoverthreemorebirths."
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