While the chiefs of the valley tribes of Indians were entertained in the
city, one from the Vermejo petitioned the prætor for permission to
settle with his tribe on the vega of the lake expanse of the Boetis
below the temple grove. This petition awakened a pleasing smile in the
expression of the prætor’s face, who, without consulting his associates,
requested his daughter to proffer his fealty to the united chiefs and
their tribes of the valleys, in behalf of the citizens of Heraclea, with
the hope that they would trustfully extend their permission for the
continued occupation of lands alienated by the cruel oppressions of
their ancestors of old Heraclea. When, with some difficulty, Correliana
was able to make them understand the nature of this request, they
pondered, and looked upon each other in bewildered silence. At length,
one of the oldest Betongese chiefs, “saw the approaching ends of the
long severed thread of unity that had caused the siege of hatred, and
the concession offered by the prætor for uniting it with the durable
bonds of privileged equality.” His explanation was received by his
compadric chiefs with smiling assent, assured that it was for mutual
behoofment. With united sanction, evidences of mutual understanding were
passed in tokens of goodwill, until the rays of the sun, in decline,
were cast aslant from the brink of the precipice of the falls, covering
with its bright canopy the shadows that enveloped the city beneath, then
in strengthened concord the pæan hymn of thanksgiving rose in unison
from every Heraclean threshold, and after it a responsive refrain
repeated in swelling harmony from group to group. Of its import M.
Hollydorf gave the following rendition,—
“Neighbors good-night, good-night;
A day of right,
Without a wrong,
Hallows our evening song.”
At an early hour of the day, succeeding the arrival of the Kyronese
detachment, Indian women brought fresh fish and fruits as presents, then
volunteered their service for clearing the houses, colonnades, and
patios of the accumulations consequent upon the sickness of the
Heracleans, and were made happy by the acceptance of their proffered
aid. Gradually the cheerless gloom which had held sway in the
depopulated portions of the city for ages, from the harassed anxiety of
its defenders, passed away under the active hands of the Kyronese and
their Indian aids. Fountains, whose conduits had become choked, were
opened and cleaned, causing the house gardens and latifundium to rejoice
in primal gladness from water distribution above and below the surface
of the ground. The loving sympathy of the Heracleans made manifest in
the tender care bestowed upon the reviving sick, brought forth the
latent gentleness of the corps, which had been suppressed from childhood
by the civilized decrees of fashionable folly and vanity, begot from the
precedental inoculation of habits and customs derived from the heroic
ages of classical brutality. Indeed the members of the corps were so
often moved to express genial emotions with glistening tears commingled
with smiles, they seemed to have developed a new inherent combination as
necessary for the joyful expression of happiness, as sun and showers for
the behests of fruitful vegetation. The padre, in his quaint emphatic
style, expressed the prevailing influence in an evening salutation
addressed to his compadre Dr. Baāhar after even song, in this wise:
“Well I declare, doctor, upon my soul, I have passed such a happy day in
useful labor that it seems as if I had just emerged from a life’s
nightmare of torpid inactivity. Really, upon my hopes of salvation, I
believe that I could live and thrive upon the joys of others, without
material food.”
But the doctor, who was impaling the insect game obtained from his day’s
hunting excursion, replied sneeringly. “So, so, h-m—I see, you are taken
in, with the others, by this humdrum life of these Heracleans, with
their puling, wishee-washy affectations of caring more for others than
they do for themselves. The long and short of the matter is, that you
are all subject to an unnatural influence, and if it is not thrown off
immediately, from whatever source derived, you will shortly forswear
manliness, and your hopes of heaven.”
This baited injunction caused the padre to exclaim, “My goodness
gracious, doctor, you frighten me! I hope you don’t truly think there’s
anything like magic or sorcery used upon us here? To be sure, now that I
remember, I have had strange thoughts, to which I have never been
accustomed to before! But they have been in motive pure, urging the
necessity of controlling the appetites and passions, if we would attain
the abiding confidence of a trustful affection, that outreaches self.
But then, as you know, the devil can preach, and practice too, if it so
minds him, self-condemnation?”
“Certes, the fact is,” replied the doctor, “you are subject to vagaries
when your stomach is empty, and require to feel the force of sound
German philosophy that urges substantial fullness as the source of
generous impressions, eloquence, and heroic deeds, and for exorcism
thorough fumigation with tobacco smoke.”
M. Hollydorf, from the intervention of multiplied causes, had
procrastinated the inauguration of his scientific explorations, until
compelled to enter upon the duties of his commission through fear that
inquiries would be instituted to learn the cause of his long silence.
Fully aware that the manifold attractions of Correliana had served to
abate his professional enthusiasm, and urgency of his desire to fulfill
the trust reposed in his discretion, he resolved to make a test of his
naturalistic occupation for the diversion of his thoughts from an object
of hopeless attainment. Notwithstanding his knowledge that her
affections were irrevocably fixed, he could not withhold the
manifestation of a hopeful desire in her presence, within the limits of
reverential respect. Correliana, on her part, seemed to fully understand
the import of his attentions, but was in no way embarrassed by their
indulgence, which with her frankness appeared inexplicable. When he
expressed his intention of commencing his microscopical field
investigations, she asked the privilege of assisting him when free from
the indispensable duties of the household; promising, if her request was
granted, to be diligent for advancement in scientific knowledge. She was
promptly accepted as a catechumenic aid, notwithstanding the promptings
of his judgment which suggested that with the ever present cause of his
disquietude, his remedy would prove of little avail for relief. But he
determined, with a lover’s infatuation, to converse with her as an
abstract divested of material embodiment.
On the first day of November, while engaged in preparing his instruments
after evening song, M. Hollydorf was surprised with a visit from the
prætor and family. Observing that the unusual hour caused fear that some
mishap had occurred, Correliana hastened to relieve the anticipation of
evil tidings by stating the object of the visit. “My father,” she said,
“has been delegated to proffer you the perpetual hospitality of
Heraclea. Not, however, with the design that you should hold it as an
acknowledgment of service rendered, but rather as the promptings of
affectionate esteem for your companionship. As you are aware, we have no
practical knowledge of the world beyond our city walls, and feel that in
winning from you a reciprocation of our affection, we shall be advised
of a course that will avail us as a protection against the grasping
cupidity you have described as the inherent motive power of
civilization. To be forced to adopt habits of corruption, in defiance of
local option, because your enlightened civilization holds that the power
to enforce their arbitrary despotisms with brute strength, aided by
destructive mechanical adjuncts, is right; would, with the introduction
of ‘luxurious’ poisons which frenzy and degrade the human instincts,
make us regret with anguish our liberation from the deadly intent of our
savage foes. For their speedy poison, with its putrefactive torments,
does not degrade the animus of goodness, but relieves it from material
bondage in purity for immortal association with those who have gone
before. We feel self-conscious that we are in intention pure and free
from cupidity, which assures us that we merit the affectionate interest
that you have bestowed for our liberation and welfare. This much we will
advance for initiation without infringing upon the more matured wisdom
in store for your direction. With the full development of our loving
resources, we feel confident in securing your permanent residence among
us, as advisors, in warding off those who would, for the gratification
of craving instinctive cupidity, sacrifice our well-assured happiness,
from which we realize in life a foretaste of immortality (_smiling_).
Fortunately, the sage suggestion which led Mr. Welson to confer the
honor of knighthood upon the savage for the indomitable bravery of his
instinctive propensity to inflict deadly wounds with his teeth, has
relieved us from anxiety from his kindred; and if we can persuade the
grand master ‘Lobscounster’ to take up his abode in our midst, his
influence may extend to the orders of civilization, for our protection
in the enjoyment of affectionate association. If he will but exert his
power to protect us from the forced invasions of trade, that would palm
upon our weakness noxious devices, which in naught would advantage the
invaders, but make us wretched beyond measure, he will insure our
eternal gratitude.”
Mr. Welson in response said,—The eminent Lobscounster, if insured from
increasing merit a continuance of Heraclean favor, he cannot be forced
from his allegiance, and in earnest of his intention thankfully accepted
the extended privilege of becoming their permanent guest. But would most
devoutly beg to decline acceptance of the cognomic title bestowed upon
him by the savage embogator; as to the English ear it was euphonious
with smack of a descent from an ancient sea cook, and in no way likely
to insure reverence among sea-faring men. Indeed, the individual
referred to would have strongly suspected collusive substitution if the
interpreter had been well versed in the aquatic lore of ocean English.
When the visitors were about leaving, M. Hollydorf announced his
intention of entering upon his microscopical investigations on the
morrow, reminding Correliana of her promise to render him assistance.
“With life and health I shall most assuredly be present,” replied
Correliana, “for I have a woman’s curiosity to test the wonderful
magnifying powers of your instruments, which so far exceed our untutored
conceptions of mechanical refinement. As we have some practical
knowledge derived from the observations of animalculan life, we hope
that our assistance in your department of science may eventuate in
relieving your anxiety, occasioned by the delay incurred from the aid
you have rendered our people.” With this enigmatical proposition,
bespoken with the earnest zest of sincerity peculiar to all her
variations, Correliana and her parents bade the members of the corps
good-night. Long after the departure of their visitors, the members of
the corps, puzzled and perplexed by Correliana’s seemingly frank
intention, commingled with implied reservations, and a knowledge of the
world incompatible with the complete isolation to which their people had
been subjected for ages, endeavored to unravel the clew to her powers of
premonition.
After listening in silence for a long time to the various suggestive
expositions of others, the padre suddenly exclaimed, “You may reason and
think what you please, but for my own part I know that I have not been
myself since _she_ first came on board of the _Tortuga_; and if
everything was fair and above board, as they would have us believe by
their words and actions, they would speak out at once, and not hold
anything back to make us feel doubtful of our souls’ safety. For by the
mouths of a cloud of witnesses, we know that the powers of darkness have
wrought from the beginning of the world their designs for the temptation
of souls, through the agency of woman’s allurements; and for myself I
can truly say, that I can’t avoid doing as _she_ wishes to have me
without a word of direction. Besides I am altogether too happy to have
it natural or lasting; and the method of educating their children
separate from each other, and away from the example of their parents, is
barbarous and unnatural.”
At the completion of this impulsive padric, Mr. Welson quietly
observed,—“If we are to judge from appearances, we could not question
the source of your improvement. But as appearances are deceptive, and
the evil-disposed seek solitude for indulgence, the cloud of a witness
rose from beneath the skirt of your coat, with the odor of tobacco from
your suddenly concealed pipe, to confirm your shame in the presence of
purity. If your soul has been tempted, it has been from gross indulgence
to purity.”
The padre abashed relapsed into silence. But Dr. Baāhar, who had for a
butterfly consideration furnished him with the means of indulgence,
undertook his vindication, which he commenced with the syllogistic
proposition: “We will certainly admit that your spasmodic sarcasms are
poetical refinements upon fact, but I contend that you are neither
scientific or logical in your deductions. If God created man with
reasoning instincts, they were undoubtedly intended for invention and
indulgence. Again, in depriving children of their natural protectors’
care and example, is in open controversion of Divine will. As for me, I
do not assume to be more wise in my day, than my ancestors were in
theirs. By the assumptions of your theory, founded upon the partial
knowledge of these egotistical Heracleans, who have been shut out from a
knowledge of the world from time immemorial, we should repudiate the
transmitted experience of our ancestors. I shall not be guilty of so
gross an act of ingratitude; my father the counselor, and his
progenitors, ate their saur-kraut and sausages, drank their beer, smoked
their pipes, and were excellent swordmen and genealogists, and I intend
to do honor to the habits they inculcated.”
Pettynose the buzz recorder of sound, and Lindenhoff the genealogical
curator of sound, with Viscouswitzs the photographic artist, sided with
Dr. Baāhar, the latter sensuously remarking: “The women may be accounted
puritanically beautiful, but they lack the bouquet of civilization, as
well as the natural flavor peculiar to the creole variations; and as to
pleasure, I could derive as much by an association with marble busts in
the atélier of a sculptor. There is an air of repulsiveness about them
that repels geniality, so that I never feel comfortable in their
presence, and but for the encampment of the Vermejo Indians on the lake,
I would, with the first opportunity, throw up my engagement and return
to the haunts of civilization; for of all things I abhor pedantry in men
and puritanism in women.”
“We are as yet novices in the ways of the Heracleans,” urged Mr. Dow,
“and but imperfectly understand their motives of action or system of
self government. To judge them from our partial impressions, which your
personal opinions bespeak, is proof positive that the cavils of surmise,
peculiar to individuals, originated the prejudices to which you have
given voice. To me the addenda to their morning salutation and evening
anthem of praise, as rendered by M. Hollydorf, bore advisory reference
to the source of their happiness.” M. Hollydorf fully endorsed Mr. Dow’s
views.