Машина времени
Chapter 4
Weimproveourfavouriteplantsandanimals—andhowfewtheyare—graduallybyselectivebreeding; nowanewandbetterpeach,nowaseedlessgrape,nowasweeterandlargerflower,nowamoreconvenientbreedofcattle. Weimprovethemgradually,becauseouridealsarevagueandtentative,andourknowledgeisverylimited; becauseNature,too,isshyandslowinourclumsyhands. Somedayallthiswillbebetterorganized,andstillbetter. Thatisthedriftofthecurrentinspiteoftheeddies. Thewholeworldwillbeintelligent,educated,andco-operating; thingswillmovefasterandfastertowardsthesubjugationofNature. Intheend,wiselyandcarefullyweshallreadjustthebalanceofanimalandvegetablemetosuitourhumanneeds.
‘Thisadjustment,Isay,musthavebeendone,anddonewell;doneindeedforallTime,inthespaceofTimeacrosswhichmymachinehadleaped. Theairwasfreefromgnats,theearthfromweedsorfungi; everywherewerefruitsandsweetanddelightfulflowers; brilliantbutterfliesflewhitherandthither. Theidealofpreventivemedicinewasattained. Diseaseshadbeenstampedout. Isawnoevidenceofanycontagiousdiseasesduringallmystay. AndIshallhavetotellyoulaterthateventheprocessesofputrefactionanddecayhadbeenprofoundlyaffectedbythesechanges.
‘Socialtriumphs,too,hadbeeneffected. Isawmankindhousedinsplendidshelters,gloriouslyclothed,andasyetIhadfoundthemengagedinnotoil. Therewerenosignsofstruggle,neithersocialnoreconomicalstruggle. Theshop,theadvertisement,traffic,allthatcommercewhichconstitutesthebodyofourworld,wasgone. ItwasnaturalonthatgoldeneveningthatIshouldjumpattheideaofasocialparadise. Thedifficultyofincreasingpopulationhadbeenmet,Iguessed,andpopulationhadceasedtoincrease.
