a mortal antipathy-第18部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


was　just　on　the　edge　of　an　abyss；　ready　to　fall　over。



What　strange　early　impression　was　it　which　led　a　certain　lady　always

to　shriek　aloud　if　she　ventured　to　enter　a　church；　as　it　is　recorded？

The　old　and　simple　way　of　accounting　for　it　would　be　the　scriptural

one；　that　it　was　an　unclean　spirit　who　dwelt　in　her；　and　who；　when

she　entered　the　holy　place　and　brought　her　spiritual　tenant　into　the

presence　of　the　sacred　symbols；　〃cried　with　a　loud　voice；　and　came

out　of〃　her。　　A　very　singular　case；　the　doctor　himself　had　recorded；

and　which　the　reader　may　accept　as　authentic；　is　the　following：　At

the　head　of　the　doctor's　front　stairs　stood；　and　still　stands；　a　tall

clock；　of　early　date　and　stately　presence。　　A　middle…aged　visitor；

noticing　it　as　he　entered　the　front　door；　remarked　that　he　should

feel　a　great　unwillingness　to　pass　that　clock。　　He　could　not　go　near

one　of　those　tall　timepieces　without　a　profound　agitation；　which　he

dreaded　to　undergo。　　This　very　singular　idiosyncrasy　he　attributed　to

a　fright　when　he　was　an　infant　in　the　arms　of　his　nurse。



She　was　standing　near　one　of　those　tall　clocks；　when　the　cord　which

supported　one　of　its　heavy　leaden　weights　broke；　and　the　weight　came

crashing　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　case。　　Some　effect　must　have　been

produced　upon　the　pulpy　nerve　centres　from　which　they　never

recovered。　　Why　should　not　this　happen；　when　we　know　that　a　sudden

mental　shock　may　be　the　cause　of　insanity？　　The　doctor　remembered　the

verse　of　〃The　Ancient　Mariner：〃



　　　　〃I　moved　my　lips；　the　pilot　shrieked

　　　　　And　fell　down　in　a　fit；

　　　　　The　holy　hermit　raised　his　eyes

　　　　　And　prayed　where　he　did　sit。

　　　　　I　took　the　oars；　the　pilot's　boy；

　　　　　Who　now　doth　crazy　go；

　　　　　Laughed　loud　and　long；　and　all　the　while

　　　　　His　eyes　went　to　and　fro。〃



This　is　only　poetry；　it　is　true；　but　the　poet　borrowed　the

description　from　nature；　and　the　records　of　our　asylums　could　furnish

many　cases　where　insanity　was　caused　by　a　sudden　fright。



More　than　this；　hardly　a　year　passes　that　we　do　not　read　of　some

person；　a　child　commonly；　killed　outright　by　terror；scared　to

death；　literally。　　Sad　cases　they　often　are；　in　which；　nothing　but　a

surprise　being　intended；　the　shock　has　instantly　arrested　the

movements　on　which　life　depends。　　If　a　mere　instantaneous　impression

can　produce　effects　like　these；　such　an　impression　might　of　course　be

followed　by　consequences　less　fatal　or　formidable；　but　yet　serious　in

their　nature。　　If　here　and　there　a　person　is　killed；　as　if　by

lightning；　by　a　sudden　startling　sight　or　sound；　there　must　be　more

numerous　cases　in　which　a　terrible　shock　is　produced　by　similar

apparently　insignificant　causes；a　shock　which　falls　short　of

overthrowing　the　reason　and　does　not　destroy　life；　yet　leaves　a

lasting　effect　upon　the　subject　of　it。



This　point；　then；　was　settled　in　the　mind　of　Dr。　Butts；　namely；　that；

as　a　violent　emotion　caused　by　a　sudden　shock　can　kill　or　craze　a

human　being；　there　is　no　perversion　of　the　faculties；　no　prejudice；

no　change　of　taste　or　temper；　no　eccentricity；　no　antipathy；　which

such　a　cause　may　not　rationally　account　for。　　He　would　not　be

surprised；　he　said　to　himself；　to　find　that　some　early　alarm；　like

that　which　was　experienced　by　Peter　the　Great　or　that　which　happened

to　Pascal；　had　broken　some　spring　in　this　young　man's　nature；　or　so

changed　its　mode　of　action　as　to　account　for　the　exceptional

remoteness　of　his　way　of　life。　　But　how　could　any　conceivable

antipathy　be　so　comprehensive　as　to　keep　a　young　man　aloof　from　all

the　world；　and　make　a　hermit　of　him？　　He　did　not　hate　the　human　race；

that　was　clear　enough。　　He　treated　Paolo　with　great　kindness；　and　the

Italian　was　evidently　much　attached　to　him。　　He　had　talked　naturally

and　pleasantly　with　the　young　man　he　had　helped　out　of　his　dangerous

situation　when　his　boat　was　upset。　　Dr。　Butts　heard　that　he　had　once

made　a　short　visit　to　this　young　man；　at　his　rooms　in　the　University。

It　was　not　misanthropy；　therefore；　which　kept　him　solitary。　　What

could　be　broad　enough　to　cover　the　facts　of　the　case？　　Nothing　that

the　doctor　could　think　of；　unless　it　were　some　color；　the　sight　of

which　acted　on　him　as　it　did　on　the　individual　before　mentioned；　who

could　not　look　at　anything　red　without　fainting。　　Suppose　this　were　a

case　of　the　same　antipathy。　　How　very　careful　it　would　make　the

subject　of　it　as　to　where　he　went　and　with　whom　he　consorted！　　Time

and　patience　would　be　pretty　sure　to　bring　out　new　developments；　and

physicians；　of　all　men　in　the　world；　know　how　to　wait　as　well　as　how

to　labor。



Such　were　some　of　the　crude　facts　as　Dr。　Butts　found　them　in　books　or

gathered　them　from　his　own　experience。　　He　soon　discovered　that　the

story　had　got　about　the　village　that　Maurice　Kirkwood　was　the　victim

of　an　〃antipathy；〃　whatever　that　word　might　mean　in　the　vocabulary　of

the　people　of　the　place。　　If　he　suspected　the　channel　through　which

it　had　reached　the　little　community；　and；　spreading　from　that　centre；

the　country　round；　he　did　not　see　fit　to　make　out　of　his　suspicions　a

domestic　casus　belli。　　Paolo　might　have　mentioned　it　to　others　as

well　as　to　himself。　　Maurice　might　have　told　some　friend；　who　had

divulged　it。　　But　to　accuse　Mrs。　Butts；　good　Mrs。　Butts；　of　petit

treason　in　telling　one　of　her　husband's　professional　secrets　was　too

serious　a　matter　to　be　thought　of。　　He　would　be　a　little　more

careful；　he　promised　himself；　the　next　time；　at　any　rate；　for　he　had

to　concede；　in　spite　of　every　wish　to　be　charitable　in　his　judgment；

that　it　was　among　the　possibilities　that　the　worthy　lady　had

forgotten　the　rule　that　a　doctor's　patients　must　put　their　tongues

out；　and　a　doctor's　wife　must　keep　her　tongue　in。









VIII



THE　PANSOPHIAN　SOCIETY。



The　Secretary　of　this　association　was　getting　somewhat　tired　of　the

office；　and　the　office　was　getting　somewhat　tired　of　him。　　It

occurred　to　the　members　of　the　Society　that　a　little　fresh　blood

infused　into　it　might　stir　up　the　general　vitality　of　the

organization。　　The　woman　suffragists　saw　no　reason　why　the　place　of

Secretary　need　as　a　matter　of　course　be　filled　by　a　person　of　the

male　sex。　　They　agitated；　they　made　domiciliary　visits；　they　wrote

notes　to　influential　citizens；　and　finally　announced　as　their

candidate　the　young　lady　who　had　won　and　worn　the　school　name　of　〃The

Terror；〃　who　was　elected。　　She　was　just　the　person　for　the　place：

wide　awake；　with　all　her　wits　about　her；　full　of　every　kind　of

knowledge；　and；　above　all；　strong　on　points　of　order　and　details　of

management；　so　that　she　could　prompt　the　presiding　officer；　to　do

which　is　often　the　most　essential　duty　of　a　Secretary。　　The

President；　the　worthy　rector；　was　good　at　plain　sailing　in　the　track

of　the　common　moralities　and　proprieties；　but　was　liable　to　get

muddled　if　anything　came　up　requiring　swift　decision　and　off…hand

speech。　　The　Terror　had　schooled　herself　in　the　debating　societies　of

the　Institute；　and　would　set　up　the　President；　when　he　was　floored　by

an　awkward　question；　as　easily　as　if　he　were　a　ninepin　which　had　been

bowled　over。



It　has　been　already　mentioned　that　the　Pansophian　Society　received

communications　from　time　to　time　from　writers　outside　of　its　own

organization。　　Of　late　these　had　been　becoming　more　frequent。　　Many

of　them　were　sent　in　anonymously；　and　as　there　were　numerous　visitors

to　the　village；　and　two　institutions　not　far　removed　from　it；　both

full　of　ambitious　and　intelligent　young　persons；　it　was　often

impossible　to　trace　the　papers　to　their　authors。　　The　new　Secretary

was　alive　with　curiosity；　and　as　sagacious　a　little　body　as　one　might

find　if　in　want　of　a　detective。　　She　could　make　a　pretty　shrewd　guess

whether　a　paper　was　written　by　a　young　or　old　person；　by　one　of　her

own　sex　or　the　other；　by　an　experienced　hand　or　a　novice。



Among　the　anonymous　papers　she　received　was　one　which　exercised　her

curiosity　to　an　extraordinary　degree。　　She　felt　a　strong　suspicion

that　〃the　Sachem；〃　as　the　boat…crews　used　to　call　him；　〃the　Recluse；〃

〃the　Night…Hawk；〃　〃the　Sphinx；〃　as　others　named　him；　must　be　the

author　of　it。　　It　appeared　to　her　the　production　of　a　young　person　of

a　reflective；　poetical　turn　of　mind。　　It　was　not　a　woman's　way　of

writing；　at　least；　so　thought　the　Secretary。　　The　writer　had

travelled　much；　had　resided　in　Italy；　among　other　places。　　But　so　had

many　of　the　summer　visitors　and　residents　of　Arrowhead　Village。　　The

handwriting　was　not　decisive；　it　had　some　points　of　resemblance　with

the　pencilled　orders　for　books　which　Maurice　sent　to　the　Library；　but

there　were　certain　differences；　intentional　or　accidental；　which

weakened　this　evidence。　　There　was　an　undertone　in　the　essay　which

was　in　keeping　with　the　mode　of　life　of　the　solitary　stranger。　　It

might　be　disappointment；　melancholy；　or　only　the　dreamy　sadness　of　a

young　person　who　sees　the　future　h