“’They built this City of Light from phosphorescent stone quarried from the Mountains of Tiniti.  Formerly the spirits came helter skelter to Mars all over its surface and went wandering about, helped to reincarnation by the various villagers or citizens.  The great new improvement in the last half century has been the creation of the receiving station at the Hill of the Phosphori, the building of the Chorus Halls, and the establishment of the City of Light.  Light draws the spirits, and though spirits reach other points of Mars, the centralization of Light here, draws most of them to this side.  The Martians are not immortal.  They vanish in time.

“’As reincarnated all spirit becomes young but nourishment has undergone a change.  The physiological process is singular.  I need not dwell upon it.  Evaporation replaces defecation.  Love enters the Martian world, but it has lost much of the earthly passion.  The physiological effects are also different.  There are no children here.

“’We live in the tropical regions mostly of Mars, and the polar and north temperate zones are empty.  The natural Martian races are found more plentifully there.  They are strong and small and work under the supervision of the supernaturals.  They are like the earthlings and eat meat.  Our food is bread and fruit.  Our language does not lend itself to composition; it only sings.  Literature, as we knew it on earth, does not exist here.  The natural Martians have tales and stories and plays and some books.  These things no longer interest the supernaturals.  Our life is quite simple, almost expressionless, except for the power of our music.  The souls from different parts of the earth recognize each other and converse in human language, but, unless practiced, it is forgotten and our euphonies take its place.  I have used my earth language with a friend and still speak English well.

“’We have art here, but it is almost wholly sculpture and architecture and design.  Color, except in glass, does not greatly please the Martians and there are few painters.  They survive from other worlds, but cannot secure pigments, and draw only in black and white for the most part.  They are cartoonists, as we would say, on the earth.  But we grow fruits and flowers, the former in varieties and richness unknown upon the earth and the latter in delicate tints with blues and yellows, the only primary strong tints the Martians admire.

“’Mechanical invention is discouraged, except as it assists astronomy.  Astronomy is the great profession.  Cars, railroads and conveyances, as you say on earth, do not exist.  We walk or sail and float upon our canals.  Our industry is agriculture and building.  Architecture is studied and advanced beyond all you have ever known on the earth.  Mars is filled with beautiful cities.  Its whole government consists in a council at the City of Scandor, from which representatives issue to its various departments.  One is here in the City