CHAPTER XX.

THE JOURNEY TO JUPITER

There was no great preparation among the whilom dwellers on the planet Mars for their exodus to the planet Jupiter, and the long journey was to be taken without any formality.

Professor Samuel F. B. Morse early indicated his willingness to join the moving multitude and his decision was hailed with delight. Professor Morse was in close conversation with Fred Moxon for several hours prior to the departure.

Mr. Moxon had disclosed to Professor Morse his _modus operandi_ of communication with Mother Earth and similar methods were arranged to obtain signals from Jupiter after the arrival of the newcomers on the planet.

It was an unknown and untried field which they were to invade, but, realizing that God was present everywhere, there was no fear in the spirit of the vast throng.

Goodbyes were heard on every side, but there was no sorrow expressed and nothing occurred to mar the serenity and tranquillity of either the travelers or those who remained. It was akin to the experience of passing through the belief of death on earth, for there was no coming back, but onward, upward to God’s immortal realm.

The firmament of the planet Mars was interestedly but not anxiously scanned all day for some intelligence from the exodus party, and toward evening of the same day they were rewarded by a flash on the sky, written by wireless pen in the unmistakable chirography of Fred B. Moxon. The message read as follows:

“Greetings from New Providence, Jupiter. God hath wrought wonders and wonderful are His works. We arrived in high spirits, happy, and will give more particulars later.

“Signed, S. F. B. Morse.”

The message occasioned much joy and satisfaction and further news was looked for.

A few hours later the wireless wand began moving again, inditing a long message from Professor Morse as follows:

“Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! We have just had a visit from Adam and Eve. We have also met Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon, and this evening we are to have a gathering of the entire family now residing on the planet Jupiter.

“I find the Bible is historically correct as regards the names and doings of the incidents recorded, and everything is very interesting and absorbing to us. We have learned much already, but there is still a great deal more to learn and to prove.”

A cry of joy went up from the readers of the message from Professor Morse, many remembering how his first message, “What hath God wrought?” had broken the fetters of time and annihilated space, and now comes a second message to break the shackles of human belief.

All day and evening messages were exchanged between the planets Mars and Jupiter, nothing undergoing censorship.

“Bogy” got in the first deadhead message to the Earth. It was addressed to John B. Taltavall, publisher Telegraph and Telephone Age, and announced his safe arrival on the planet Jupiter. He did not neglect sending “73” to all of his friends on Earth.

_Adam Sends “73” to His Posterity_

Adam sent a message to his children, grandchildren _ad infinitum_. He was at a loss what to say to the posterity on Earth, as his legacy to them was a chapter of misery, but “Bogy,” with his usual effrontery and nonchalance, remarked, “Why Grandpa Adam, just do as I did--send them all your ‘73’”--which was done amid wild applause.

Noah, who was the first shipbuilder we know anything about, was greatly interested in listening to Homer Hallock relate of the era of shipbuilding on Earth.

Methusaleh smiled a trifle loftily when Jerry Newton told about the Texas woman who still lives at 130 years. “She is not my class at all,” ejaculated Methusaleh; “she belongs to Esau and Jacob and the younger generation.”

Intense interest was manifested when Adam took the floor during the evening for a little talk.

The newcomers are objects of much interest to the old sojourners on Jupiter, there having been no accessions from the Earth or Mars for as much as a thousand years, as nearly as anyone could reckon time, there being no established manner of computing the years.

Mark Twain, America’s great humorist, was with the new arrivals from Mars and, true to his colors, facetiously asked Nero if he would not play the Sailors’ Hornpipe on his fiddle, so all could have a dance, and wonderful to relate, Nero produced the instrument and graciously played the piece.

The last seen of Twain was down at the levee, where he found Samson, the strong man, to whom he related the doings of the latter day gladiators.

Later in the day Professor Morse read a communication from Mother Earth filled with good news from the great war, and there was much rejoicing, even Nebuchadnezzar and Confucius, China’s greatest philosopher, showing their interest.

Franklin L. Pope discovered that the telephone was known and worked by the denizens of Jupiter in prehistoric days and it was developed by Charles A. Tinker that the quadruplex was worked more than ten thousand years ago. These facts, however, should not take any lustre from the endearing names of Morse, Edison, Vail and others, who rediscovered both of these wonderful accessories to human convenience and gave them to the world.

More of these wonderful doings will be told in subsequent editions of this book.

Finis.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Text in italics is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.

Archaic spelling which may have been in use at the time of publication has been retained.