Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/284

 now, in fact, quite easily overtake a comparatively slow-coach speed of that kind; but then, cui bono? as we were fain to complain; for after our new electro-light projection had overtaken some far-back light-wave projection, carrying away into far space the aspect of our earth, say a thousand or a hundred thousand years back, we were confessedly powerless to do anything whatever with the curious and most interesting picture thus overtaken. In short, we had no knowledge as to how such aspect or image was to be brought back into our vision and possession. And thus matters continued in suspense until that grand further discovery of the Duplication of the cross, by which we were enabled to bring back our world of the far past, to communicate with other worlds outside, and to enter that "Higher Life," which, as we are presently, as well as most pleasantly, to record, pervades the surrounding universe, as the result and reward of all this advanced knowledge.

But the protracted interval, until we had attained to this the second grand era, was filled up, none the less, by a wonderful activity, alike of business and of science progress. It would, perhaps, ill become me to dilate, in any vainglorious spirit, upon the prosperous innings which the new food-producing ways gave to that great provision trade which my ancestors had handed down to my family, and of which, as I am justly proud to think, I am myself now one of the conspicuous heads in the world. Of course all the laboratorial attainments of the present day were not jumped into at once, when, some nine centuries ago, the cross-electric power fell to man's disposal. He had to grow by