Life — September 30, 1909 — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SEEING THINGS Rip Van Winkle: 1 swear, Lt Before and After “ZR. HUDSON?” “At your service, sir.”” The questioner was a tall and dignified Iroquois chief. He stood on the bank * of the Hudson River, just below its junc- ture with the Harlem. He indicated that his visitor should be seated My tribe, as you may have heard, is not noted for its loquacity,”” he said. “I am the single exception to the rule. You have come, as I understand, to discover this region and pave the way?” Yes, sir.” “ Do you realize what you are doing “Tam no prophet.” The Indian chief swung his graceful arm half way around the horizon “I am," he replied, “‘and I should like, with your kind permission, to make prediction. In the course of time this island, that you see stretching toward the south, will be swarming with inhabit- ants. All these trees will be supplanted by vast structures, and on the ground will be miles of stone flooring. Millions of beings will make their way back and NEVER TOUCH ANOTHER DROP forth, hurrying with all their strength. Terrible engines, freighted with these beings, will this land and on both sides vast bridges will span these Underneath there will be long subterranean tubes."” The Indian paused, while his keen eye glowed with fire. “1 see it all,” traverse bodies of water. he said, “as in a vision.” “ And you?" said Henry Hudson “T shall go—I and my people. We shall be no more upon the face of the earth.” “And these people that are to come— will they be happy or miserable?” The Indian paused before replying. Then he said slowly : “One-fifth of them will be wretched beings, struggling to keep themselves barely alive, with no hope and no pleas- ure in life. Disease and want will har- ass them constantly. Two-fifths will be slightly better off, but these will be con- stantly haunted by the fear of poverty, and in the midst of luxury, which they constantly see before them, will be un- able to do anything more than barely to 435 maintain themselves, One-fifth of the remainder will be ad venturers, trading on the turn , rushing hither and her like madmen, up to-day, down to-morrow, gamblers with every form of chance, sating themselves with fiery liquids, and shricking with the laughter of desperation and open defi decency. The remain ing fifth will possess the land, ance All the others will be working for them their wants, fyin catering 10 all their fieet- ing vanit Hiv their intelligences, ad their comfort.”” inistering to nd will this fifth be happy?” “ The: superiority over others and the multiple satisfactions of all the material things to be They will have ant of leisure, the cultivation of some intellect. But they will not be so happy as you and I have been, because their imaginations will be dwarfed, while their capacity for pleasure tormented with the th be missing somethi will possess power, a certain a beauty and of will be constantly ht that they may that, for the ment, they may have made a wrong choice.’ Hudson did not to his companion. For si oments reply. Th tur You're a liar!’ he said simply “Tf Lam, you will know it in due time. If Iam not, I will meet you on this spot when all is fulfilled and make you at those words.”” “When shall we meet? ”’ “On the 25th of September, 1909."" “I'll be here’? CANDIED EXPRESSIONS comicbooks.com