Nequa; or, The Problem of the Ages

by Alcanoan O. Grigsby; Mary P. Lowe

"I believe you are right," said Battell, "but this does not explain to me why women should lead in such a hazardous business as this in which Polaris and Dione are engaged."

"It is because they desire to do so," said MacNair. "Polaris is a sincere lover of humanity. She is a true womanly woman, and as such takes pleasure in rendering assistance to all who are afflicted or distressed. Besides, she is by education, inclination and long experience, an expert in aerial navigation, and holds her position as head of the Life Saving Service by virtue of her superior qualities."

"But," said Battell, "as head of a department, she might send her subordinates and not take the hardest work on herself. It seems to me, that she personally superintends everything, doing as much work as a half dozen others ought to do."

"Polaris always leads," said MacNair. "Besides, in your case there were especial reasons why she should personally lead the search. You were exposed to peculiar dangers, and it was uncertain whether you had been carried into the Oscan or Umbrian oceans, by the ocean currents. So, to guard against possible failure, she did not trust entirely to the patrols, but continued to circumnavigate the concave herself.

"But few persons could have kept up the incessant activity and watchfulness that she and Dione have done ever since they captured your dispatches. They were determined that you should not be carried into the stormy waters of the south if persistent vigilance could prevent it."

"Well, thank God, they were successful!" said Battell. "If we should live a thousand years we could not pay them for their efforts in our behalf."

"No thanks are required," again interrupted Iola. "Polaris has only done her duty, and as to pay, she could hardly comprehend what you mean by it. She doubtless felt that she was amply rewarded for all her efforts when she succeeded in finding you. Success, in a praiseworthy undertaking, is the only reward that any man or woman can afford to work for. She has found you and therefore has her reward, while we can enjoy the pleasure of providing you with the comforts of a home and freedom from anxiety, toil and danger. You will only get what our common mother nature has prepared alike for all her children, while we have been especially benefited by the opportunity it has given us of helping a brother in distress. If there is any difference, we have more reasons to be thankful than you have, as we take pleasure in contributing to the happiness of others. It is in very truth 'more blessed to give than to receive.'"

"I am not an enthusiast," responded Battell, "but I am frank to admit that I am carried away by the transcendent character of the sentiments you express, in regard to our duties toward each other. But it seems to me, that your grand ideal as to what human character ought to be, is so far above our fallen human nature, that it can never be realized in this life. Such a character was Jesus, the Savior of mankind as painted by our religious teachers. But this character is so very much above the human plane of development, that it would be regarded as sacrilegious for anyone to attempt to be as pure, as noble and as holy as he is said to have been."

"The great mass of our people," said Iola, "would not understand your allusion to fallen human nature, and the Savior of mankind, but I have read a number of your religious books, and from comparisons with our own ancient history, have concluded that the Fall of Man and his Redemption through the Cross are allegories which were intended to teach a wonderful truth. But, be this as it may, the character of Jesus, I regard as the only truly human character that I have met with in the few outer world books that we have. The wonder is, that this magnificent character has not been incorporated into all of his professed followers. After two thousand years of preaching and discipline, it is strange that you have not developed many of these characters; even surpassing his exalted standard, especially as he told his disciples that they might do greater things than he did."