"Thousands of years back, our ancestors inaugurated these exacting rules by strictly enforcing them first by educational methods. We learn them through our boards of education in childhood and later, through our boards of health, who enforce them by regular inspections of our homes, offices, and factories, and punishing us by demoting us a point or more, according to infractions. So now it has, as you said, become a natural habit with us." Then Xora said to me, "This experience today has no doubt been a very exciting adventure for you. You had better retire to your room for relaxation and meditation." I agreed that I was indeed astonished at what I had heard and seen of the ways and conditions of Martian life. She answered that this was only the beginning. "Grandfather wishes to see you again one day this week, and you will be amazed at what he has to show and tell you." "It is certainly wonderful, wonderful beyond conception," was all I could answer. From the bird's-eye and surface views I have seen of the city, I could judge that its planners certainly had done a good job in its layout. Let me say again, it was beautiful beyond comparison. It would take me too long to give an adequate description that would do it justice. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 15: _Brick & Clay Magazine_, Feb. 1947 issue, p. 29.] [Footnote 16: _Reno Evening Gazette_, Dec. 30, 1947.] [Footnote 17: Reprinted by special permission from the April _Ladies' Home Journal_, copyright 1947, The Curtis Publishing Co., p. 40 and p. 113.] CHAPTER IV _Old Age Dependents_ For more than a month the Lieutenant was absent from his parkway bench, but he corresponded with me from different cities. One day, after his return, I met him by appointment at the usual place. I found him dejected. Greeting me, he said, "I am sorry for this delay. I tried to persuade my local board to change my classification. I wanted to get back into the service, but they refused me. I went to Washington. There I am classified as harmless but incurably insane, and my request was refused. "Since then I have been traveling from city to city, observing our manner of living from a different perspective. Prior to my trip to Mars, my attitude toward the misery of life here was the same as that of all us Earth people, apathetic, or calloused, stone-hearted. I looked upon misery without pity, accepting it as a matter of course and feeling fortunate that I was better off. I am now intensely suffering an extreme living change contrast reaction, of our world against the one on Mars, and I can't adapt myself to our conditions. "I cannot help comparing our shameful existence here with the happy way of living on Mars. I am sad and miserable when I see and read here everywhere, every day, of the unhappy existence of our fellow man." Then he handed me his diary with the notes he had entered while roaming around in our eastern cities.