I thought it a good opportunity for finding out something about the religion of this people, and I began by asking: "Are there any divisions in your Church,--different denominations, I mean?" He seemed unable to comprehend me, and I was obliged to enter into an explanation, which I made as simple as possible, of course, relative to the curse of Adam and the plan of redemption. In order that he might understand the importance attaching to our creeds, I told him of the fierce, sanguinary struggles of past ages, and the grave controversies of modern times, pertaining to certain dogmas and tenets,--as to whether they were essential, or non-essential to salvation. "Salvation from what?" he asked. "Why, from sin." "But how? We know only one way to be saved from sin." "And what is that?" I inquired. "Not to sin." "But that is impossible!" I rejoined, feeling that he was trifling with the subject. Though that was unlike him. "Yes, it is impossible," he replied, gravely. "God did not make us perfect. He left us something to do for ourselves." "That is heretical," said I. "Don't you believe in the Fall of Man?" "No, I think I believe in the Rise of Man," he answered, smiling. "O, I keep forgetting," I exclaimed, "that I am on another planet!" "And that this planet has different relations with God from what your planet has?" returned he. "I cannot think so, sir; it is altogether a new idea to me, and--pardon me!--an illogical one. We belong to the same system, and why should not the people of Mars have the sentence for sin revoked, as well as the people of Earth? Why should not we have been provided with an intercessor? But tell me, is it really so?--do you upon the Earth not suffer the consequences of your acts?" "Why, certainly we do," said I; "while we live. The plan of salvation has reference to the life after death." He dropped his eyes to the ground. "You believe in that life, do you not?" I asked. "Believe in it!"--he looked up, amazed. "All life is eternal; as long as God lives, we shall live." A little later he said: "You spoke of the fall of man,--what did you mean?" "That Man was created a perfect being, but through sin became imperfect, so that God could not take him back to Himself,--save by redemption." "And God sent His Only Son to the Earth, you say, to redeem your race from the consequences of their own acts?" "So we believe," said I. After another brief silence, he remarked: "Man did not begin his life upon this planet in perfection." At this moment we passed a beautiful garden, in which there was an infinite profusion of flowers in infinite variety.