Машина времени
Chapter 4
Ihavealreadyspokenofthegreatpalacesdottedaboutamongthevariegatedgreenery,someinruinsandsomestilloccupied. Hereandthereroseawhiteorsilveryfigureinthewastegardenoftheearth,hereandtherecamethesharpverticallineofsomecupolaorobelisk. Therewerenohedges,nosignsofproprietaryrights,noevidencesofagriculture;thewholeearthhadbecomeagarden.
‘Sowatching,IbegantoputmyinterpretationuponthethingsIhadseen,andasitshapeditselftomethatevening,myinterpretationwassomethinginthisway. (AfterwardsIfoundIhadgotonlyahalf-truth—oronlyaglimpseofonefacetofthetruth.)
‘ItseemedtomethatIhadhappeneduponhumanityuponthewane. Theruddysunsetsetmethinkingofthesunsetofmankind. ForthefirsttimeIbegantorealizeanoddconsequenceofthesocialeffortinwhichweareatpresentengaged. Andyet,cometothink,itisalogicalconsequenceenough. Strengthistheoutcomeofneed; securitysetsapremiumonfeebleness. Theworkofamelioratingtheconditionsoflife—thetruecivilizingprocessthatmakeslifemoreandmoresecure—hadgonesteadilyontoaclimax. OnetriumphofaunitedhumanityoverNaturehadfollowedanother. Thingsthatarenowmeredreamshadbecomeprojectsdeliberatelyputinhandandcarriedforward. AndtheharvestwaswhatIsaw!
‘Afterall,thesanitationandtheagricultureofto-dayarestillintherudimentarystage. Thescienceofourtimehasattackedbutalittledepartmentofthefieldofhumandisease,butevenso,itspreadsitsoperationsverysteadilyandpersistently. Ouragricultureandhorticulturedestroyaweedjusthereandthereandcultivateperhapsascoreorsoofwholesomeplants,leavingthegreaternumbertofightoutabalanceastheycan.
