“If our search for my projectile proves successful, I can perhaps get sufficient mechanical assistance to return to my native home or establish communication between the earth and Mars. I think the projectile is not much out of repair. It worked splendidly until it entered the dense atmosphere near the earth’s surface. I wish that I would be able, in the future, to show you some of the social and industrial grandeur and harmony of my native world. I shall make every healthful effort that lies within my reach to return to my native home, and establish intercommunication between the earth and Mars. But if I do not succeed in that, I must be content with my lot on earth; perhaps I may be of some use to the earthly inhabitants, so that my journey may be of some value in that direction. “All we can do is to wait for further development. The Marsites have learned ages ago that we can not transcend the phenomena of nature. The burdens which our highest intelligence and our best healthful efforts can not throw off must be borne. I am sure that I appreciate your kind hospitality as much as this world can furnish at this age. Your kindness and the smiling faces with which I have been surrounded while I have been with you shall always be prominent in my mind, whether I shall have to end my days on earth, or, whether I shall be able, in the future, to return to my native world.” “I wish you nothing bad, Mr. Midith, but unless you are able to take all of us with you to Mars, I hope that you will not be able to return,” said Viola with a mischievous smile. “By your brilliant narrative of Mars, you have made our earth appear so cruel, rude and superstitious, and then you are going to leave us. No, we will never stand it!” “I am sure the prospect of my returning is not any too bright yet,” responded Mr. Midith. “Now, Mr. Midith, you have told us nothing about your schools. It seems to me that in order to produce such perfect men, women and children, you must have a faultless system of education,” observed Mrs. Uwins. “All your other institutions seem so much superior to ours, and your school system must certainly be more so than any other, for education, in its widest sense, constitutes the only difference between the savage and the cultivated person.” “We have no school system, neither public nor parochial, as you have, nor do we have a school-house, as you know a school-house. We believe that a school system like yours is unjust and despotic to those who are compelled to support it by compulsory taxation; and we further believe that it is very cruel and harmful to the pupils to compel them to attend any institution that they do not wish to. We believe that a system of education like yours does little or no good, but causes an immense amount of evil, which we will consider further on.