When you come to figures in their application to time most of us get quite lost. We call this year 1896--that is 1896 years since the birth of Christ. In the history of the world that is only an instant, and yet it seems so far distant as to be somewhat out of our comprehension. But what is the mental process which can span the period between to-day and the time when the pyramids were built--say 3000 years before the birth of Christ. Perhaps one way of comprehending it is to divide every 100 years by three, because 33-1/3 years may about present a generation.
Suppose we take the conquest of England by William of Normandy, and his coronation at Westminster, in 1066. That was 830 years ago. In the eight centuries there would be about three generations for each 100 years, and that would make twenty-five generations and twenty-nine years over. Let us say the event took place twenty-five generations ago--it is curious dividing time in that way--how much nearer William the Conqueror seems to be to us. There is only one trouble about this method; it is the sense of humiliation it causes, because twenty-five or thirty generations ago our forefathers must have been rather savage people. At the same time we have the consolation of knowing that we have improved since then. Why, Christopher Columbus found America only twelve generations back--and there are many people alive who have seen five generations, counting themselves. It does not do, however, to go too far back, say to the forefather who was alive when the pyramid was reared. I do not understand 1964 generations ago.
MY DEAR JACK,--I tell you this London's a great place, and the more you see of it the more you want to see. There's only one thing that's disappointed me about it and that's Dukes and things like that. I thought Dukes went around in funny clothes with coroners on their heads and red velvet robes stirring up the dust on the sidewalks behind 'em but it ain't so. I've only seen one feller that looked real noble and he was standing on the back of a carriage on the place where American hackmen put trunks. I thought I'd spotted an Earl anyhow, but Pop said you could tell from his stockin's that he was only a Flunkey, and when I asked him if Flunkies were greater than Barons he said he guessed they were--anyhow they made other people sort of dwindle in their presence which Barons couldn't generally do. He wore red plush knee breeches, and to make him look older they'd put plaster all over his head. It's queer having a man like that getting a hitch behind on carriages and I asked Pop what they did it for and he said the Coachmen were always dropping their aitches and the Flunkey was put there so's he could get off easily and pick 'em up.