The Mute World.
I proceeded on my journey until I had reached Alcyone in the famous
constellation of Taurus. On one of the planets revolving around Alcyone,
I found a distinctive class of human beings faintly resembling creatures
that I had seen in several other constellations, but of which I have, as
yet, made no special mention.
Among these people no audible language is used as a means of
communication. One might think that high civilization would be
impossible without such a vehicle of thought. But on this Mute world
humanity has pushed far along in the great interstellar race for
supremacy.
A description of the physical features of these Muteites would not only
seem absurd, but would be distorting. Can you imagine a beautiful person
without ears and void of vocal sound, having a head totally out of
shape compared with ours, and with a bodily framework ridiculously new
to us? Such would be a brief word sketch of these far-away mortals of
unusual intelligence.
These people hold all their conversation by pure thought transmission.
The sense-perception is almost infinitely keen, and gestures play no
part in emphasizing thought. It is amazing to see with what facility
these beings express their ideas one to another.
In our life one may conceal his thoughts from the most searching human
eye, but this cannot be done on Mute. As a consequence each one can read
the character of his comrades, and the normal citizen well knows what
necessary allowance to make for the impure thoughts that flit through
the mind of his neighbor.
I studied, with absorbing interest, the many phases of this mental
telepathy, or mind talking, between two or more persons even though
widely separated. Imagine how glorious it must be to have real
fellowship with a friend whose face you cannot see and whose hand you
cannot touch.
There are limitations to this delightsome way of talking. A person can
hold conversation with only one absent friend at a time and then only
when each one concentrates his thoughts on the other. What wireless
telegraphy is to our world, this mental conversation is to the world of
Mute, and it is possible that we may reach a higher degree of
proficiency in this direction after we become still better acquainted
with the laws of the human mind.
When I think of the many unaccountable heart-thrills that send their
emotions of joy and hatred into our passing life, I am somewhat
persuaded that we speak this tongueless language more than we imagine.
Some day we may learn the secrets that are now so heavily veiled and
thereby put to naught the glory of our present modes of communication.
Until then we will plod along with the telegraph, telephone, wireless
telegraphy and our ever-changing knowledge of telepathic intercourse.
I will give the philosophy of this perfect means of expressing thought
as clearly as I can.
As sound waves are created in our atmosphere by actual vibration, so
are thought waves created on Mute by mental activity focused in any one
point of the brain. Our way of expressing thought by audible words is
not conceivable to these people. If one of their inhabitants were to
visit our Earth, he would be at a loss to account for our movements of
mouth and gestures of body when we are in the act of conversation.
The social life of Mute is marked with many peculiarities. Males and
females seldom ever associate together, and social purity sends its
sweet influences over the whole planet.
A science which is similar to Phrenology plays an important part in all
the social customs of this sphere. It decides the marital destiny of
each person, and no two are recommended to join in wedlock until they
have been pronounced physical and mental mates by the official
psychologists.
On this interesting world I found the most summary punishment for
adulterers and fornicators. When these crimes are clearly proven, the
guilty parties are put to death after a lingering sentence. This is a
most terrible punishment, but it has proven that, although a few must
suffer this penalty, the general good of the whole population is thereby
much increased.
I was much amazed at the construction and possibilities of the human
mind when I observed the manner in which certain suspected criminals
were examined in order to prove or disprove the crime of which they were
charged. The doors of the soul were unlocked and the past
thought-images, with their mental impressions, were thrown open to view.
How can a Muteite deny the crime which is photographed on the sensitive
living plates of his own mind! This reproducing can be effected only by
a very special process and is never done against a person's will unless
ordered by civil authority.
When I saw, on this world of Mute, the possibility of uncovering the
past records of the mind, it at once suggested to me the possible nature
of the final Judgment of our world when each one will stand face to face
with the record of his own deeds, brought before him vividly under the
light of eternity. In such an event who would think of showing a bold
front to deny the accuracy of such a direct reproduction of himself in
the flesh!
Possibly the human mind may be likened to a phonograph into which we can
speak while the cylinder of thought revolves; at any time afterward
every syllable may be reproduced accurately.
Another striking feature of these mortals is their lack of hypocrisy.
Only a small degree of it is found among all the inhabitants of this
peculiar planet. No doubt hypocrisy would be greatly lessened in our own
social life if we could no longer hide our real thoughts. In Mute it is
very unsafe to practice deception, for as soon as the deceived one
appears personally he can readily conjecture, by the mental state of the
deceiver, the nature of the thought that had transpired.
Can you realize what a refreshing moral atmosphere exists in a world
where conventional lying is almost unknown? In our life the daily sin of
the millions is the white, or the blue lie. Think of how many we tell in
our regular routine of life! We generally give false excuses instead of
the real ones. We very seldom blame ourselves for errors, but rather
think diligently to study out a way to shift responsibility. Nearly the
whole brood of our apologies is hatched from the serpent's egg, and then
we ignorantly or hypocritically manifest surprise that our own offspring
should develop an inclination to deceive or misrepresent!
Here I saw, in wide contrast to our own social order, the results
springing from sincerity that has thrived through a long line of
generations. Such blessings are as a breath of Heaven, rare and
beautiful.
One might think, when considering this strange manner of conversation,
that it would be difficult for the people to express their ideas
clearly. It is just the opposite from this, for it is almost impossible
for them to express themselves vaguely. They talk from the headquarters
of one mind directly to the headquarters of another, instead of through
a medium of cumbersome words which in our life are so often
misunderstood. Thus we must admit that we have a ten-fold greater
struggle than they to be perspicuous in language.
I was charmed at this most superior mode of conversation and saw in it
a higher glimpse of the Heaven language than in any other type that had
yet met my observation in all the worlds of space.
The Muteites are rapid thinkers, and although they have no sense of
hearing, yet they are ultra-sensitive to substantial emissions of
vibrating bodies. According to all I could see, these people were not
hampered by this lack of senses. They live as conveniently in their
flesh life as we do, and in their mind or spirit life they are much more
refined than we are.
Their earth is so different from ours in chemical combinations that the
soil is almost transparent and in general has the appearance of glass.
Their homes are built mostly under surface, owing to the terrific
cyclonic storms that follow one another in very uncertain succession.
The average length of life is two hundred of our years. They reach their
maximum energy of mind at about one hundred years, and among the
brighter of the inhabitants can be found a glorious order of intellect.
Some of these mental celebrities outshine the brightest creatures of
all the solar systems of that region of the heavens.
After some hesitancy, I yielded to a desire to appear in a visible form
before an assembled company of Muteite philosophers who were gathered in
one of the under-surface halls of architectural beauty for consultation.
As I entered the vast hall in my natural manner I attracted unusual
attention. It was amusing to see how all eyes were fastened upon me as I
calmly walked toward the front of the audience. Here I had one of the
hardest tasks of all my journey, to converse in a soundless language. I
lacked faith at first to make the attempt, but this delay was but for a
moment, for I first fixed my mind upon what I wished to communicate, and
instantly a dozen or more Muteites signified that they were in sensitive
touch with my thought.
I will give a small portion of the mental telepathic conversation
between myself and my auditors, although I must relate it as if words
were actually spoken, or it would be totally unintelligible to the
people of my own likeness.
"Let no one be alarmed," I hurriedly addressed them, as a thousand
giant forms were trembling at my appearance. "My mission is one of
peace. I have come to help rather than harm," I continued.
"From what section of our world have you come?" came a hundred thought
flashes in wild confusion.
"I am not from your world, but from another," I answered with closed
mouth as best I could.
Then I learned an important feature of this mind language. A hundred or
more interrogations came flying at me in thick confusion. At once the
chairman or leader of the meeting gave restrictive orders which actually
prohibited my audience from further communication with me, although I
might address them. The chairman bid me commune with him and he
thereafter acted as the spokesman of the whole assembly. It was no more
difficult for these philosophers to keep their minds closed to me than
it is for us to keep our mouths closed in an excitable meeting or
debate.
The chairman, looking with increasing curiosity at my strangely shaped
face and head, interrogated me thus:
"Are you an angel of light, or one of darkness?"
"I am neither."
"What then can you be?"
"I am a created being from a far-off region of space. I was born on a
world which revolves around a star untold millions of miles distant."
"If you are not a spirit, how could you have traveled such incredible
distances?"
"That is yet a mystery to me," I admitted. "The power of my flight is
much like the mode of your communication, for each is alike mysterious
to me."
By this time the excitement was intense. No one attempted to grasp me or
even approach toward me. I saw by the perplexing mental atmosphere of
the chairman that he was being besieged by a host of questions and
suggestions; so I relieved the situation by continuing my words:
"No one need consider my appearance as an evil omen. I am not empowered
to curse or bless your world except by what may flow from my immediate
conversation with you."
In these sentences I thoughtlessly gestured with my arms; this set my
audience wild with mingled merriment and curiosity.
"Are all as small as you whence you came?" queried the chairman.
"They are all after my pattern with some variations."
"Pray, tell me, what are those gummy flabs at the sides of your head?"
"Those are my ears," I said with grinning face. "They grew there for a
purpose."
"And what can that purpose be?" further questioned the puzzled chairman.
"They are for the purpose of hearing," I quickly replied.
Then followed a curious scientific dialogue in which I endeavored to
explain the sense of hearing. From this I described the manner of
conversation in our world, and showed what an important part hearing
played. But all this was beyond the comprehension of my auditors.
After a lengthy and most interesting discussion upon the philosophy of
sound, the next point of interest centered on my mouth and vocal
organs. It was pleasing to consider these subjects because my listeners
were such eager questioners and surprised hearers. No wonder that they
were unable to grasp such a crude system of conversation as ours!
Then the chairman verily begged me to explain the mystery of my mission
and of my unprecedented itinerary. How could I have fully satisfied his
mind, even if I had endeavored to do so!
After all this came the most pleasing communion thus far of all my
journey. I learned much by the interchange of ideas. Nature's vast book
opened to me some new and charming pages.
Toward the close of my stay the affinity between us grew to a marked
degree. Although we were widely apart in physical aspect, yet we were
supping from the same bowl of affection and, with this happy turn, we
talked of our permanent companionship.
"But I cannot abide with you," I reluctantly answered.
"Ah, torment us not with such a thought," affectingly pressed the
chairman.
"I have other worlds to visit, and must hasten away. Touch me not," I
cried as the chairman unconsciously moved toward me in an urgent appeal.
"How soon shall we see you again?"
"No more forever, unless you see me in that widest expanse of life which
in our world we call Heaven. There the pure of all worlds will gather
and commingle in delightsome fellowship forever."
I was then urged beyond all etiquette to tarry a short period and visit
certain parts of their world. But I informed them that I had seen more
of their world than they imagined, and that the object of my visit had
been reached.