w she liked
him, but to see how he liked her. He liked her and they went to
keeping house. Before she was made there was really nothing to do;
there was no news, no politics, no religion, not even civil service
reform. And as the devil had not yet put in an appearance, there was no
chance to conciliate him. They started in the housekeeping business,
and they were told they could do anything they liked except eat an
apple. Of course they ate it. I would have done it myself I know. I
am satisfied I would have had an apple off that tree, if I had been
there, in fifteen minutes. They were caught at it, and they were
turned out, and there was an extra police force put on to keep them
from coming in again. And then measles, and whooping-cough, mumps,
etc., started in the race of man, roses began to have thorns and snakes
began to have teeth, and people began to fight about religion and
politics, and they have been fighting and scratching each other's eyes
out from that day to this.

I read in another book an account of the same transaction. They tell
us the Supreme Brahma made up his mind to make a man, a woman, and a
world; and that he put this man and woman in the island of Ceylon.
According to the description, it was the most beautiful isle that ever
existed; it beggared the description of a Chicago land agent
completely. It was delightful; the branches of the trees were so
arranged that when the wind swept through them they seemed like a
thousand aeolian harps, and the man was named Adami, and the Woman's
name was Heva. This book was written about three or four thousand
years before the other one, and all the commentators in this country
agree that the story that was written first was copied from the one
that was written last. I hope you will not let a matter of three or
four thousand years interfere with your ideas on the subject. The
Supreme Brahma said: "Let them have a period of courtship, because it
is my desire that true love always should precede marriage"--and that
was so much better than lugging her up to him and saying, "Do you like
her?" that upon my word I said when I read it, "If either one of these
stories turn out to be true, I hope it will be this one."

They had a courtship in the starlight and moonlight, and perfume-laden
air, with the nightingale singing his song of joy, and they got in
love. There was nobody to bother them, no prospective fathers or
mothers-in-law, no gossiping neighbors