a mortal antipathy-第20章

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sense；　seemingly　by　direct　agency　on　certain　nerve　centres。　　But

there　is　another　series　of　cases　in　which　the　imagination　plays　a

larger　part　in　the　phenomena。　　Two　notable　examples　are　afforded　in

the　lives　of　two　very　distinguished　personages。



Peter　the　Great　was　frightened；　when　an　infant；　by　falling　from　a

bridge　into　the　water。　　Long　afterward；　when　he　had　reached　manhood；

this　hardy　and　resolute　man　was　so　affected　by　the　sound　of　wheels

rattling　over　a　bridge　that　he　had　to　discipline　himself　by　listening

to　the　sound；　in　spite　of　his　dread　of　it；　in　order　to　overcome　his

antipathy。　　The　story　told　by　Abbe　Boileau　of　Pascal　is　very　similar

to　that　related　of　Peter。　　As　he　was　driving　in　his　coach　and　four

over　the　bridge　at　Neuilly；　his　horses　took　fright　and　ran　away；　and

the　leaders　broke　from　their　harness　and　sprang　into　the　river；

leaving　the　wheel…horses　and　the　carriage　on　the　bridge。　　Ever　after

this　fright　it　is　said　that　Pascal　had　the　terrifying　sense　that　he

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　he