Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/167

 essential part of the scene, his seconds thousands, or his minutes millions of years. In the astronomic development, the vast nebular mass was dealt with, and its transformations followed into a central luminary with all his planetary surrounding. The most interesting and exciting drama was wont to be the geologico-biologic progress of the earth, culminating in the appearance of man upon the scene. The audience were wont to be artistically wound up to the highest pitch of expectation as the climax approached when the noble or ignoble savage, but yet unmistakably a man, first leaps upon the stage from his tree, his cave, or his wigwam. But the edge of romance was afterwards sadly turned when the "missing links," one after the other, were restored: and when at length, a beetle-browed, prognathous, long-armed, dubiously footed, and black and hairy ancestor scowled antipathy and defiance at his hardly recognizable descendants. The true, says science, is happily often, but not always, the beautiful.

Ere the nineteenth century had closed, it witnessed the successful inauguration of a cheap, convenient, and promptly ready mode of living, suited to the narrow circumstances and small means of great numbers of the people, and not less promotive of social enjoyments. This was the hotel system of living, and particularly in the extension of its adapta-