Gloriana; or, the revolution of 1900Dixie, Florence, Lady
General
Gloriana; or, the revolution of 1900
Dixie, Florence, Lady
Speculative fiction; Utopias -- Fiction; Women's rights -- Fiction
The interior of this vast structure is wonderful to look upon. The floor
or centre is raised, and constructed so as to move on a pivot slowly
round. It consists of an immense ring, the middle of which presents the
appearance of a giant circus. On the right, or side facing the great
entrance, is a monster swimming bath, and exactly opposite, or on the
other side of the circus, is a huge platform. Suspended in mid air, a
very network of trapezes and other gymnastic appliances hang, while
stretched tightly beneath them is a monster net. Around the arena, with
a low palisade separating it from the same, is a broad circular
horse-ride, and raised slightly above this, running all round in a
similar manner, a roomy promenade. Then come tier above tier, tier above
tier of seats, amidst which here and there boxes are placed
promiscuously, while dotted about all over these countless and seemingly
never-ending stories, are cosy platforms enthroned in a wealth of green,
where abundance of refreshments are obtainable.
The seats come to an end at last, and are replaced by six broad
balconies running entirely round the building, and built one above the
other; opening on to these balconies are what appear to the spectator in
the arena as thousands of pigeon-holes. In reality they are doors,
communicating each one with a tiny but compact room, in which stands a
bed, two chairs, a washhand-stand, a small dressing table, and a writing
table. It is stated that in all, opening off from these balconies, are
ten thousand rooms. These rooms have been included in the building to
accommodate women students from all parts of the world, who may wish to
take part in the physical drill or educational advantages afforded by
this great central institute for the training of womankind. Attached to
the Hall of Liberty are large lecture-rooms, studying-rooms, and
reading-rooms, and in connection with these a monster library. Outside
the building are the stables, one of the wonders of London, the grooms
being entirely composed of girls and women; and clustering round the
mother structure like a miniature town, are the pretty cottages and
dwellings of the immense staff of instructors, teachers, and lecturers
connected with the institution. It is a wonderful structure, and its
erection is a triumph, the magnitude of which can hardly be measured,
for Hector D’Estrange. It was he who conceived it, it was he who
submitted it to the approval of his countrymen, and it was he who
commanded the expenditure of the voluminous subscriptions, which in
answer to his appeal poured in from all quarters of the globe. No less
marvellous was the rapidity with which it arose, thousands of workmen
having been employed in its construction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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