“From what I have just said you must not infer that we always or even generally find the greatest amusement in walking instead of riding. Our granite boulevards are nearly always lined with vehicles, bicycles, electric carriages, etc.; some of these carriages are so delicate that they carry only one person, while others carry from two to forty persons. On these various vehicles, excursion parties travel for long distances. If we want to go faster we go on the motor; if still faster, we take our fast trains, which have on board all the comforts and conveniences that the mechanical genius of man has been able to apply and utilize.

“I must not here forget to tell you about the sports and amusements we have in our splendid parks. Here men, women and children sport and amuse themselves in countless ways. Some are sitting in the shade on our commodious park settees; some are admiring flowers and plants; some promenade; some study; some play. Numerous grounds for the playing of different games are permanently laid out in these parks, and skillful players, men and women, dressed in fine costumes for the occasion, are engaged in playing these games. Besides these grounds for particular games, a countless variety of machinery and apparatus for sportive plays and amusements are always found on our green, odoriferous parks; and during our pleasure excursions as we go from community to community, we continually meet a still greater variety of playgrounds, apparatus and amusements.

“Nearly every person also annually visits a number of Fanos and the indescribable Modano, the capitol of Mars. In these magnificent structures, of which I have told you, is a never-ceasing exhibit of all the Marsian artistic, scientific and industrial labors, both ancient and modern. It is a perpetual ‘World’s Fair,’ always ready to accommodate every visitor in the grandest style. It is not like your ‘World’s Fair,’ the buildings of which are temporarily constructed, and which are in session only a few months, and during that time the crowd is so large, the resting conveniences so few and poor that a spectator soon becomes too fatigued to enjoy the sights; but we must not forget here that the Marsian conveniences at the Modano were once no better, and, probably, your posterity will even do better than we are doing at present on Mars.

“Then we have our natural scenery to visit. Our extensive natural parks in the mountainous region of Mars. These natural parks are alive with docile birds and beasts; they contain mountains and valleys, streams and fountains, rugged cliffs and beautiful clear lakes, volcanoes and snow-capped mountain peaks; to the tops of some of these mountain peaks we have built motor-lines, so that, in a few minutes, we can ascend to the world of perpetual snow and ice.”

“But do you not sometimes during your visits to the mountain peaks get snowbound?” asked Mrs. Uwins.

“Oh, no,” said Air. Midith with a smile. “We never get snowbound. All our granite walks, boulevards, motor-lines and railroads never have any snow and ice on them. They are all so made that the granite floor can be heated by electric currents, so that the snow and ice, which, during a snowstorm, falls and drifts onto it, is immediately melted. This is the way we keep our walks and roads open on Mars. It is a convenient and effective way of shoveling snow.

“From the foregoing hints and suggestions, you can readily see that the greater portion of our time is taken for sports and amusements, and that we find them everywhere, from the private apartment to the colossal Modano and the lofty snow-capped mountain.”