AMONG so many effective and artistic tales, it is difficult to give a preference to one over all the rest. Yet, certainly, even amid Verne's remarkable works, his "Off on a Comet" must be given high rank. Perhaps this story will be remembered when even "Round the World in Eighty Days" and "Michael Strogoff" have been obliterated by centuries of time. At least, of the many books since written upon the same theme as Verne's, no one has yet succeeded in equaling or even approaching it.

THE ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are historical,
and the episodes which are used to illustrate them are also historical. It
is not pretended that these laws and customs existed in England in the
sixth century; no, it is only pretended that inasmuch as they existed in
the English and other civilizations of far later times, it is safe to
consider that it is no libel upon the sixth century to suppose them to have
been in practice in that day also. One is quite justified in inferring that
whatever one of these laws or customs was lacking in that remote time, its
place was competently filled by a worse one.

I

a. Man the Machine. b. Personal Merit
 

[The Old Man and the Young Man had been conversing. The Old
Man had asserted that the human being is merely a machine, and
nothing more. The Young Man objected, and asked him to go into
particulars and furnish his reasons for his position.]

Old Man. What are the materials of which a steam-engine is made?

Young Man. Iron, steel, brass, white-metal, and so on.

O.M. Where are these found?

Y.M. In the rocks.

O.M. In a pure state?

Y.M. No--in ores.

O.M. Are the metals suddenly deposited in the ores?

Y.M. No--it is the patient work of countless ages.

O.M. You could make the engine out of the rocks themselves?

Y.M. Yes, a brittle one and not valuable.