With the Eyes Shut , livre ebook

The Floating Press - Edward Bellamy

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16 pages

English

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Though originally published in the late nineteenth century, this remarkably prescient tale from famed author Edward Bellamy will resonate with today's readers. A man taking a long journey by train finds himself overcome by motion sickness and thus unable to pass the time by reading. Fortuitously, a salesman hawking futuristic listening gadgets comes along, allowing the nauseous passenger to listen to a book. Though he is initially impressed with the ingenuity of the technology, he soon discovers that it comes with unforeseen consequences.

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Short story

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Publié par	The Floating Press
Date de parution	01 juin 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781776537679
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0034€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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WITH THE EYES SHUT
* * *
EDWARD BELLAMY

*
With the Eyes Shut First published in 1898 Epub ISBN 978-1-77653-767-9 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77653-768-6 © 2014 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
With the Eyes Shut
*
Railroad rides are naturally tiresome to persons who cannot read on thecars, and, being one of those unfortunates, I resigned myself, on takingmy seat in the train, to several hours of tedium, alleviated only bysuch cat-naps as I might achieve. Partly on account of my infirmity,though more on account of a taste for rural quiet and retirement, myrailroad journeys are few and far between. Strange as the statement mayseem in days like these, it had actually been five years since I hadbeen on an express train of a trunk line. Now, as every one knows, theimprovements in the conveniences of the best equipped trains have inthat period been very great, and for a considerable time I found myselfamply entertained in taking note first of one ingenious device and thenof another, and wondering what would come next. At the end of the firsthour, however, I was pleased to find that I was growing comfortablydrowsy, and proceeded to compose myself for a nap, which I hoped mightlast to my destination.
Presently I was touched on the shoulder, and a train boy asked me if Iwould not like something to read. I replied, rather petulantly, that Icould not read on the cars, and only wanted to be let alone.
"Beg pardon, sir," the train boy replied, "but I 'll give you a bookyou can read with your eyes shut. Guess you have n't taken this linelately," he added, as I looked up offended at what seemed impertinence."We 've been furnishing the new-fashioned phonographed books andmagazines on this train for six months now, and passengers have got sothey won't have anything else."
Probably this piece of information ought to have astonished me more thanit did, but I had read enough about the wonders of the phonograph tobe prepared in a vague sort of way for almost anything which might berelated of it, and for the rest, after the air-brakes, the steam heat,the electric lights and annunciators, the vestibuled cars, and otherdelightful novelties I had just been admiring, almost anything seemedlikely in the way of railway conveniences. Accordingly, when the boyproceeded to rattle off a list of the latest novels, I stopped him withthe name of one which I had heard favorable mention of, and told him Iwould try that.
He was good enough to commend my choice. "That's a good one," he said."It's all the rage. Half the train's on it this trip. Where 'll youbegin?"
"Where? Why, at the beginning. Where else?" I replied.
"All right. Did n't know but you might have partly read it. Put you onat any chapter or page, you know. Put you on at first chapter with nextbatch in five minutes, soon as the batch that's on now gets through."
He unlocked a little box at the side of my seat, collected the price ofthree hours' reading at five cents an hour, and went on down theaisle. Presently I heard the tinkle of a bell from the box which he hadunlocked. Following the example of others around me, I took from it asort of two-pronged fork with the tines spread in the similitude of achicken's wishbone. This contrivance, which was attached to the side ofthe car by a cord, I proceeded to apply to my ears, as I saw the othersdoing.
For the next three hours I scarcely altered my position, so completelywas I enthralled by my novel experience. Few persons can fail to havemade the observation that if the tones of the human voice did not havea charm for us in themselves apart fr