pathology of lying-第49章

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r　account　of　it　contradicted　that　of　her　father。

As　we　afterwards　learned　from　the　church　people；　it　is　undoubtedly　a　fact　that　her　notions　of　self…accusation　came　from　a　Sunday　School　session　in　which　her　teacher　repeated　what　had　been　talked　about　in　the　revival　meeting　concerning　the　scarlet　woman。　　A　day　or　two　afterward　the　girl　told　that　she　herself　was　‘‘a　scarlet　woman。''　　She　told　it　first　to　the　teacher；　was　then　taken　to　the　pastor；　when　she　reiterated　the　story；　and　the　police　authorities　were　called　in。　　Of　course　her　story　implied　lack　of　home　guardianship　and　consequently　the　whole　affair　was　handled　for　some　days　by　the　police　alone；　after　the　girl　had　given　a　very　detailed　description　of　her　immoral　life。　　By　the　time　we　saw　the　father　it　had　been　ascertained　that　this　girl　had　never　been　away　from　home　a　single　night　in　her　life　and　probably　had　never　been　in　the　least　immoral　sexually。

It　is　necessary　to　have　knowledge　of　the　heredity　and　environmental　background　to　understand　this　case。　　Almost　nothing　is　known　of　the　maternal　family。　　After　losing　his　first　wife；　the　father　was　twice　remarried；　and　even　the　third　wife　has　divorced　him。　　He　had　a　brother　who；　after　going　insane　and　killing　two　laborers；　committed　suicide。　　His　grandmother；　and　probably　also　a　cousin；　were　insane。　　Two　of　his　sisters　were　of　a　nervous　and　hysterical　type　and　said　to　have　attacks　of　aphonia。　　A　child　by　his　second　wife　is　epileptic。　　This　man　gives　us　a　long　account　of　his　own　defective　heredity　and　of　his　own　physical　ailments。　　He　does　not　recognize　the　fact；　however；　that　he　also　is　mentally　below　par。　　We　have　seen　him　on　numerous　occasions　and　known　of　his　great　activity　in　the　courts；　and　have　attempted　to　size　him　up。　　He　is　undoubtedly　a　constitutional　inferior；　in　poor　general　physical　condition　and　subject　to　episodic　mental　states。　　One　would　be　inclined　to　call　him　a　semi…responsible　individual　with　mild　delusions；　defective　reasoning　ability；　great　energy　in　self…assertion；　and　of　combative　disposition。　　This　latter　shows　itself　in　his　voluble　emphasis　on　the　alleged　ill　treatment　of　himself　and　family；　even　by　his　wives。　　He　is　never　physically　violent。　　On　account　of　false　accusations；　whether　delusional　or　not；　he　got　at　least　one　pastor　into　a　peck　of　trouble；　and；　strangely　enough；　his　wives　have　been　involved　in　some　other　church　embroilments　when　his　own　character　was　called　severely　into　question。　　On　one　occasion　we　were　interested　to　enumerate　an　astonishing　list　of　people　and　organizations　which；　he　stated；　had　treated　him　and　his　family　unfairly。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　during　the　last　two　or　three　years　he　must　largely　have　lived　in　the　courts　to　carry　on　his　transactions　there。　　His　concern　for　his　daughter　seemed　genuine　and　her　delinquency　led　him　to　seek　the　law　more　than　ever。　　Some　of　the　good　people　who　have　become　interested　in　his　affairs　tell　us　that　his　is　the　strangest　story　they　have　ever　heard。　　His　veracity　is　often　in　question。　　On　more　than　one　occasion　with　us　he　has　dwelled　on　his　nervous　states；　and　on　the　fact　that　he　is　subject　to　times　of　mental　confusion；　but　he　defends　his　own　judgment　and　actions　on　all　occasions　with　great　vigor。

This　most　erratic　father　has　nearly　always　sided　with　Annie　and　offered　excuses　for　her　under　all　circumstances。　　However；　she　has　stated　that　he　was　most　difficult　to　live　with　on　account　of　his　quarreling　at　home　and　general　bad　management　of　the　household。　　We　know　that　at　times　he　has　been　a　seeker　of　newspaper　notoriety。　　From　his　conversations　with　us　and　with　others　we　know　that　his　mind　dwells　much　on　sex　affairs　and　these　things　are　frequently　discussed　in　the　home。　　There　has　been　much　turmoil　and　quarreling　in　the　family　circle；　at　least　with　the　last　two　wives。　　On　several　occasions　the　family　have　had　to　appeal　for　aid　from　the　charities　because　none　of　them　succeeded　in　making　a　living。　　Annie　alleged　she　was　taught　shop…lifting　by　the　second　wifewe　regard　this　as　being　possibly　true　on　account　of　the　woman's　general　reputation；　the　fact　that　they　were　desperately　poor；　and　that　she　drank　at　times。

The　father　has　the　ability　to　make　a　very　good　presentation　of　himself；　to　use　the　best　of　language　and　he　has　had　musical　training　enough　to　be　able　to　give　lessons。　　Annie　herself　has　taken　many　lessons　in　music。

The　after…history　of　this　case　is　instructive。　　Almost　none　of　our　suggestions　were　taken　when　our　first　diagnosis　was　made。　　Two　years　after　we　first　saw　Annie　she　was　placed　in　an　institution　for　delinquents；　then　having　run　away　from　home；　‘‘picked　up''　a　man　on　the　street　and　stayed　all　night　in　a　hotel　with　him。　　At　the　institution　the　girl　became　very　nervous　and　behaved　badly　and　the　authorities　decided　it　was　a　poor　place　for　her。　　The　father；　who　at　first　wanted　her　placed　there；　very　soon　decided　that　she　should　be　removed。　　It　is　very　likely　his　attitude　had　something　to　do　with　her　behavior　there。

About　this　time　Annie　worked　in　a　millinery　shop　where　she　proved　herself　quick　and　skilful。　　There　she　told　stories　again　defaming　herself。　　She　said　she　had　had　a　baby　and　went　into　complete　details；　such　as　giving　the　name　of　the　nurse　who　had　taken　care　of　her；　and　so　on。　　On　account　of　this　she　was　discharged。　　Later　she　told　us　she　related　these　stories　to　get　even　with　her　father；　for　if　there　was　ever　a　hell　on　earth　it　was　living　with　him。

About　three　years　after　our　first　study　of　Annie；　the　father　himself　brought　a　complaint　against　her　of　untruthfulness　and　general　unreliability。　　This　was　at　one　of　the　times　when　he　was　complaining　bitterly　of　other　people。　　It　seems　he　had　lately　tried　to　restrain　her　from　leaving　the　house　and　she　had　cut　his　head　open　with　an　umbrella。　　It　was　evident　she　had　started　downhill　again；　and　she　was　placed　in　a　Rescue　Home。　　She　now　repeatedly　told　people　she　was　pregnant　and　made　charges　against　some　man；　but　these　soon　fell　through　because　a　little　detective　work　showed　she　was　corresponding　with　a　boy　and　had　very　likely　been　immoral　with　him　and　others。　　She　was　then　making　an　attempt　to　lead　a　dual　life；　maintaining　she　wanted　to　save　some　of　the　unfortunates　with　whom　she　was　placed；　while　at　the　same　time　entering　into　various　escapades　with　them　and　others。　　At　this　period　a　suicidal　attempt　was　reported；　but　we　never　had　satisfactory　proof　of　the　genuineness　of　this。　　Annie　was　now　regarded　as　being　excessively　delinquent。

A　few　months　afterwards；　when　the　young　woman　was　in　one　of　her　better　moods　and　wished　to　do　well；　we　made　a　few　vocational　tests　on　her。　　We　found　her　quite　unfit　for　the　position　of　telephone　operator　which　had　been　suggested　for　her。　　Psychomotor　control　appeared　then　decidedly　defective。　　However；　there　was　great　improvement　on　work　done　on　intellectual　tests　two　or　three　years　previously。　　Although　she　had　developed　physically　（she　now　was　a　particularly　good　looking　young　woman）　we　felt　she　was　quite　unfit　for　work　which　demanded　steady　effort。　　One　trouble　all　along　was　the　fact　that　she　did　not　wear　her　glasses。　　We　advised　then；　as　we　had　advised　at　first；　a　quiet　country　life　for　Annie　and　the　other　members　of　the　family。　　The　constant　stimulus　of　city　conditions　was　too　much　for　them。

Again　our　advice　was　not　taken　and　some　months　later　the　father　came　to　us　with　the　story　of　extreme　poverty；　some　recent　attacks　of　unconsciousness　on　his　part；　separation　from　his　third　wife；　and　the　information　that　Annie　was　about　to　become　a　chorus　girl。

Even　a　final　consideration　of　the　general　diagnosis　in　this　case　which　has　been　so　long　observed　by　us　does　not　seem　to　justify　our　including　it　among　our　border…line　mental　types。　　Application　of　the　term　constitutional　inferiority　seems　a　priori　warranted　by　the　family　history　and　yet　we　have　no　proof　that　her　physical　and　mental　conditions　as　enumerated　above　are　not　the　result　of　her　many　early　illnesses　and　the　excessively　erratic　environmental　conditions；　rather　than　of　causes　which　existed　at　birth。

On　account　of　the　peculiar　inhibitory　phases　which　arose　nearly　always　during　observation；　we　never　relied　merely　on　the　results　of　laboratory　tests　for　our　judgment；　and　her　succe