THE PLANET VENUS.SECOND STORY.
A gentleman and his wife were sitting in their study. He was reading; she was doing some fancy work. In a few moments their son came in, and seeing his father occupied, took a seat by the window to wait until his father was through.
These people were titled, or, rather, the father and mother were. The elderly gentleman was a lord and his wife a princess. They had both received their titles for their grand and faithful work in helping to restore order to the country in which they belonged. Their name was a combination of both their names, Just and Ring, consequently he was Lord Justring and she was Princess Justring. She could not raise him to her title, nor could he change hers, even had they desired it. Their two children were therefore known as the Justrings, they had received the title Honorable, and their parents wished them to gain greater titles which was the custom of the country. Their motto was: “The world is better for my living in it,” for when any one did a great self-sacrificing act, it always added to their title in some way.
In a few moments Lord Justring looked up to see what it was that his son wanted.
The young man approaching, said:
“The study of worlds may be a very interesting subject, but, father, I am positively sick of it. There is nothing in it to reward you for all your trouble, that Ican see. Take the planet Earth, for example. The missionaries have not made one beneficial change in the condition of the masses from what they were twenty-five years ago. The fact that we are able to hear as well as see them, I admit, is something to our credit, but what good is it to them? I thought after we had perfected those last instruments that we would be able to make them catch the ideas we are trying to convey to them.”
“Your life can only be perfected by the good you do for the more ignorant worlds. You must be patient; but why are you discouraged?”
“Because the ones I wish to reach and help don’t catch the messages. Instead of helping them I have found that we are actually helping the wealthy people to see their advantage, for they are the only ones who have been able to make use of the suggestions. This wealth, in turn, is being used to cement all the closer the bond of servitude and those who toil are in a worse plight today than in any time during the Earth’s history. Since I have taken up this work, I have no peace of mind and I cannot enjoy life.
“It is a fearful thing to see millions upon millions of people toiling to sustain life, even in times of peace, besides knowing that those who work the hardest have the least for their labor, while the cry of those who are starving because they have no work to do, is unbearable. Then the unnecessary wars all brought about to enrich those in power and keep the ignorant dependent.”
“Why, my son, that is the reason that we who live on the older planets form these societies to reach the younger ones; the planet Herschel has caught the messages sent to them. That should be encouraging.”
“Yes, it is, but only a few in comparison with the multitude of worlds after all.”
“Well, all have to make a beginning; then they can go on and perfect their system as we have done ours.”
At this point of the conversation a young lady entered the room. Her face showed a depth of thought unusual in one so young. She looked at them for a second to see if she would be interfering with the conversation, but as they seemed to be on the same subject she commenced:
“Father, is it necessary for me to continue my efforts to reach the planet Earth?”
“Why, my dear, surely you are not going to complain also. Your brother has just told me that he would like to give it up. It would grieve me sorely if either of you do.”
“Oh, brother, you don’t mean it? Men are so strong, they ought not to give in so soon.”
“It is all very well to say so, but I have not had any peace since I took it up, sister mine. I don’t understand why I should give up so much of my life to what seems such a hopeless task.”
“Well, children, sit down and tell me what you have accomplished.”
“Father,” the young lady replied, “I have accomplished nothing, absolutely nothing that I can see.”
“Well, tell me what you saw.”
“It is so discouraging that I hate to talk about it. The last time I used the instrument I could not only hear all they said, but see them. One of the first things that I saw made me so ill that I can hardly sleep. I saw a woman who lived in a city, in a part of the world they call America, burning her children to death. You knowI had asked to take that part of the world because I was told it was the home of freedom. I couldn’t see what the term ‘Freedom’ meant when little children could be left at the mercy of a lunatic. I tried to get away from the instrument, but I was fascinated. Then I directed the instrument to a home, not fifteen minutes’ walk away, and saw the other extreme. I saw women and girls dressed for a reception in beautiful gowns and quantities of jewels; they actually had on their persons enough wealth to support twenty such families for the rest of their lives.”
“Well, I should think that is all the more reason that you should persevere in trying to reach those and make them hear you.”
“Oh, well, father, I cannot talk any more about it today. It is too terrible.”
Lord Justring looked at his children for a few moments and then said:
“You must remember one thing, that you owe to many others besides your mother and I all the blessings you now enjoy. Had we become discouraged at seeing the terrible things all around us when we were at your age, you would not be enjoying all the recreation that you do now, the holidays or the advantages of travel that afford you so much pleasure. Forty years ago the government secured all the land and gave it back to the people, believing that everything created by nature belonged to all; but it did not give them a particular amount to live upon. Myself and others had to work very hard to convince the majority that it was the only just way to do. Now your income is so large that you will never use it all. I have never used all mine, nor do I need it. If you will read the history of the last fifty years you will see a wonderful difference in the lives of the people. They live longer because they have more time to take careof their bodies. They were not compelled to work so many hours, even forty years ago, as they had done in the ages past, but as I said before, there was no special income for all, as there is now.
“At that time we felt justified in setting a certain sum or value for every individual born in our district. Strange as it may seem, humanity was left until the last, all kinds of property were secured to us in this part of the country, but human beings had not had their right value set. We then enforced a law that every man, woman and child had a right to be fed, housed and clothed. An industrial army had been a fact before and the proceeds of their labor enabled the government to secure to all the people an income.
“You know that even yet those who will not work are locked up and deprived of the income they would have otherwise. When they have had enough of solitary confinement we try them again, but don’t allow them a choice of their occupation until they do the best in what we give them to do.
“The people ran riot on this planet, robbing each other as they now are doing on other worlds. History repeats itself over and over again in everything. Well, after the people had gone through the struggle of gaining so much, they were satisfied to let results remain as they were. The majority could not see the dangers ahead, but we who did were determined to settle matters once and forever. Some wanted money given to each individual instead of cards representing their wants.
“‘No,’ we said, ‘money was the enemy that had robbed labor at all times and now money must go.’
“We told them that without its use we had emptied the cities of its criminals; we had scattered the people into the country where all could have sunshine as well ashomes. If we still retained money it would only be a short time before a few people could corner the majority in the cities that we had built.
“Children, every advantage that the people possess, the working people had to fight for and they did it by determination and the exacting of their own rights. Even the public schools had to be fought for. The rich were determined that the ‘common people,’ as they always termed those who served them, should not have them. It would raise the taxes, they said, and why should they pay for other people’s children? Common children didn’t need an education. Then many of those ignorant dependents, like so many parrots said, ‘Oh, no, we did without an education, and so can our children.’ This was all before our time. Every generation has its new duties to perform. We received help from older worlds, just as you have been appointed to do our part to the planet Earth. If they had done as you children wish to do, we would have been just where the people upon that planet are now.”
“Well,” his daughter replied, “I will try it again.”
The son answered: “I will not be left out of the struggle now that I see my duty plainer.”
Their father thanked them and when they had left the room said to their mother:
“We must encourage them more, for it is a hardship to see suffering when you cannot relieve it.”
CHAPTER II.
Professor Longrin had been appointed to select the missionaries in the different worlds. Princess and Lord Justring were talking over their children’s discouragement with the professor, for they were feeling quite badly over their desire to give it up.
“The people of the Earth have my sympathy,” said the Princess, “and we must find some one who will be willing to devote their time to reaching them. Many public school children among the poor are so hungry that they cannot study in many of the large cities. Then you will hear a great cry go up, ‘A bank has failed for $400,000, or perhaps more, the savings of widows and orphans, all lost by speculating.’ The bank failure seems by far the most important to the inhabitants. Buildings are erected to keep and protect money in that cost more than would support all the poor little starving children in the world. Just consider all the labor that is thrown away in earning all those millions besides the amount stored in them. Then think of the temptation to rob by those in charge when money means so much to every one.”
Professor Longrin told Princess Justring that she could take up work with her children and possibly she could encourage them by her experience for a time at least.
In a few days she with her daughter called upon a young married friend who had twin babies, and while there one of the public officers called to present the young mother with her babies’ card entitling them to draw upon the government for their support. The quiet and matter-of-factway that the mother accepted it recalled to Miss Justring’s mind the difference between the mothers on the Planet Venus and those on the Planet Earth, so she said to the happy mother:
“You may be glad that you don’t live on the Planet Earth, with two babies at once to care for.”
“Why, I don’t see what difference it makes whether there is one or two, in fact it seems to me better for them because they will always be such companions and I think any mother would be glad.”
“Not all mothers,” replied the princess, “Gondell and her brother are studying the Planet Earth and are trying to civilize it.” “Oh,” continued Gondell, “children are born to some mothers there who have nothing to feed them or herself and the poor things die from neglect.” “Why,” exclaimed the young mother, “what are the people doing to allow such a thing? Why, I think we mothers are doing our part in life supplying the world with its men and women, without supporting them.” “Well,” replied Gondell, “little children are dependent upon their mothers and the majority of mothers on their husbands, their husbands in turn are dependent upon some one to employ them, who has money. In fact they are the worst kinds of slaves, for if the rich owned them, they would be sure of being fed, clothed and given a shelter.”
“But why should they be slaves,” replied the friend, “haven’t the people any intelligence?” “Oh, dear, yes,” Gondell says, “but they allowed the rich to control the medium of exchange, which is money, until they have gained control of nearly everything. Few people realize their position or know that it is money that compels them to pay a tax on everything they consume. They don’t even know that they are slaves. Mothers are of noaccount in comparison to men. Men are given pensions in the police force and other public positions, such as the army where they kill other men, but never to women or children. Women cannot even earn as much as men when they do the same kind of work.”
“Why, I think they are fools to marry and risk being mothers until they know how they are going to be protected, don’t you think so, Princess Justring?” “No, I don’t think they are fools, but I do think they are not as brave as they ought to be or they would set everything aside that interests them in life until they had secured to every child born, every woman and man an income to protect them for life.”
“It certainly is wrong to become mothers when they cannot protect helpless infants against poverty under every circumstance,” the young mother said.
“Money does not protect the rich either, for even the largest fortunes are lost in many cases. Under the present conditions no one is safe from poverty all their lives,” the Princess replied.
Looking lovingly at her infants the mother said, “Thank God, I don’t have to worry about them.”
“Come,” said the professor, the next time they were assembled, “I want you to see an ideal home in the country of America, among the working people. Look at that man, isn’t he a noble specimen of manhood, using all his energies to secure wealth to lavish upon his wife and children. See with what pride he gazes upon all their attainments. No exertion is considered where they are concerned, and the wife takes her share of responsibility in managing and controlling all within the home so that her husband may have all the rest and comfort possible after his hard work in the office. The children are their pride, nothingmust interfere with their attainments, while he works to supply the means, she works to fit them to be an honor to their name. All the united affection these two can lavish upon them, is considered only justice to the little ones they have been instrumental in bringing into the world. With what loving care the mother gets up in the night to carry the little one that is crying beyond the ear of the father, who has to work next day. See her as she rocks it in her arms, then walks the floors, anything to secure him the rest that he must have if he is going to continue the success that he has had in business. The next morning the children are sitting on each side of the breakfast table while he is at one end and his wife at the other. A merry conversation ensues about the childish pleasures and interests that each have in the other. The husband goes to his employment with that picture in his memory to encourage him and to hasten his home coming. And yet they are living in as great an uncertainty as the poorest in the land. That home may be wiped out and the wife and children become as desolate under existing customs as any others. While it lasts it is fine, but nothing is certain for anyone.”
The members of the class each took their turn in studying out the conditions, and after a while they became confident that something had happened to awaken or at least startle the inhabitants.
“Well, Princess Justring,” says the Professor, “we may be reaching them after all. Come to the observatory again tomorrow and we will see what is going on. Good-bye, my friends, for the present.”
Princess and Lord Justring with their children arrived the next day to find an unusual amount of excitement among the other members. Something had happened on a portion of the planet Earth called the United States of America. The money power was inan uproar. Some one in a position to know facts was telling the whole country how their money was being invested. This man was daring enough to denounce the whole system in sufficiently plain language that there could be no mistake. The people were excited. Those who had a few dollars in the banks to those who had invested their thousands in stocks of different kinds. The great men of finance were rushing to their telephones, commanding subordinates to appear before them, and the excitement was increasing. Was it some one of their associates that had fallen through to earth? Had the President of the country died, or what did it all mean? Something far worse than anything yet guessed. One of their own familiar spirits had dared to expose the tricks by which they had amassed their millions.
“Well, why all this excitement here on the planet Venus?” asks one of the members.
Professor Longrin answers: “After all the years that we have taken to perfect our instruments so we could reach the planets and suggest to them better management, giving them our experiences, helping them to originate telegraphs, telephones, everything we could imagine that would civilize them, when, lo and behold, the Great Ruler of the Universe chose a millionaire to expose the whole money scheme, chose one who obtained his money by the same methods that he now denounces. Nothing could be more convincing to the rest of the world that lets other people do their thinking for them, than this. I believe we can leave the results with those who are awakened on a part of the earth at least, and now friends we will direct our effort toward showing them the remedy. The remedy is to organize a society that will protect them from all dangers, poverty heading the list.”