a mortal antipathy-第38部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



presence　of　budding　or　blooming　womanhood；　sometimes　as　if　it　〃were

ready　to　crack〃　with　its　own　excess　of　strain？　　What　if　instead　of

throbbing　it　should　falter；　flutter；　and　stop　as　if　never　to　beat

again？　　You；　young　woman；　who　with　ready　belief　and　tender　sympathy

will　look　upon　these　pages；　if　they　are　ever　spread　before　you；　know

what　it　is　when　your　breast　heaves　with　uncontrollable　emotion　and

the　grip　of　the　bodice　seems　unendurable　as　the　embrace　of　the　iron

virgin　of　the　Inquisition。　　Think　what　it　would　be　if　the　grasp　were

tightened　so　that　no　breath　of　air　could　enter　your　panting　chest！



Does　your　heart　beat　in　the　same　way；　young　man；　when　your　honored

friend；　a　venerable　matron　of　seventy　years；　greets　you　with　her

kindly　smile　as　it　does　in　the　presence　of　youthful　loveliness？　　When

a　pretty　child　brings　you　her　doll　and　looks　into　your　eyes　with

artless　grace　and　trustful　simplicity；　does　your　pulse　quicken；　do

you　tremble；　does　life　palpitate　through　your　whole　being；　as　when

the　maiden　of　seventeen　meets　your　enamored　sight　in　the　glow　of　her

rosebud　beauty？　　Wonder　not；　then；　if　the　period　of　mystic　attraction

for　you　should　be　that　of　agitation；　terror；　danger；　to　one　in　whom

the　natural　current　of　the　instincts　has　had　its　course　changed　as

that　of　a　stream　is　changed　by　a　convulsion　of　nature；　so　that　the

impression　which　is　new　life　to　you　is　death　to　him。



I　am　now　twenty…five　years　old。　　I　have　reached　the　time　of　life

which　I　have　dreamed；　nay　even　ventured　to　hope；　might　be　the　limit

of　the　sentence　which　was　pronounced　upon　me　in　my　infancy。　　I　can

assign　no　good　reason　for　this　anticipation。　　But　in　writing　this

paper　I　feel　as　if　I　were　preparing　to　begin　a　renewed　existence。

There　is　nothing　for　me　to　be　ashamed　of　in　the　story　I　have　told。

There　is　no　man　living　who　would　not　have　yielded　to　the　sense　of

instantly　impending　death　which　seized　upon　me　under　the　conditions　I

have　mentioned。　　Martyrs　have　gone　singing　to　their　flaming　shrouds；

but　never　a　man　could　hold　his　breath　long　enough　to　kill　himself；　he

must　have　rope　or　water；　or　some　mechanical　help；　or　nature　will　make

him　draw　in　a　breath　of　air；　and　would　make　him　do　so　though　he　knew

the　salvation　of　the　human　race　would　be　forfeited　by　that　one　gasp。



This　paper　may　never　reach　the　eye　of　any　one　afflicted　in　the　same

way　that　I　have　been。　　It　probably　never　will；　but　for　all　that；

there　are　many　shy　natures　which　will　recognize　tendencies　in

themselves　in　the　direction　of　my　unhappy　susceptibility。　　Others；　to

whom　such　weakness　seems　inconceivable；　will　find　their　scepticism

shaken；　if　not　removed；　by　the　calm；　judicial　statement　of　the　Report

drawn　up　for　the　Royal　Academy。　　It　will　make　little　difference　to　me

whether　my　story　is　accepted　unhesitatingly　or　looked　upon　as　largely

a　product　of　the　imagination。　　I　am　but　a　bird　of　passage　that　lights

on　the　boughs　of　different　nationalities。　　I　belong　to　no　flock；　my

home　may　be　among　the　palms　of　Syria；　the　olives　of　Italy；　the　oaks

of　England；　the　elms　that　shadow　the　Hudson　or　the　Connecticut；　I

build　no　nest；　to…day　I　am　here；　to…morrow　on　the　wing。



If　I　quit　my　native　land　before　the　trees　have　dropped　their　leaves　I

shall　place　this　manuscript　in　the　safe　hands　of　one　whom　I　feel　sure

that　I　can　trust；　to　do　with　it　as　he　shall　see　fit。　　If　it　is　only

curious　and　has　no　bearing　on　human　welfare；　he　may　think　it　well　to

let　it　remain　unread　until　I　shall　have　passed　away。　　If　in　his

judgment　it　throws　any　light　on　one　of　the　deeper　mysteries　of　our

nature；the　repulsions　which　play　such　a　formidable　part　in　social

life；　and　which　must　be　recognized　as　the　correlatives　of　the

affinities　that　distribute　the　individuals　governed　by　them　in　the

face　of　impediments　which　seem　to　be　impossibilities；then　it　may　be

freely　given　to　the　world。



But　if　I　am　here　when　the　leaves　are　all　fallen；　the　programme　of　my

life　will　have　changed；　and　this　story　of　the　dead　past　will　be

illuminated　by　the　light　of　a　living　present　which　will　irradiate　all

its　saddening　features。　　Who　would　not　pray　that　my　last　gleam　of

light　and　hope　may　be　that　of　dawn　and　not　of　departing　day？



The　reader　who　finds　it　hard　to　accept　the　reality　of　a　story　so　far

from　the　common　range　of　experience　is　once　more　requested　to　suspend

his　judgment　until　he　has　read　the　paper　which　will　next　be　offered

for　his　consideration。





THE　REPORT　OF　THE　BIOLOGICAL　COMMITTEE。



Perhaps　it　is　too　much　to　expect　a　reader　who　wishes　to　be

entertained；　excited；　amused；　and　does　not　want　to　work　his　passage

through　pages　which　he　cannot　understand　without　some　effort　of　his

own；　to　read　the　paper　which　follows　and　Dr。　Butts's　reflections　upon

it。　　If　he　has　no　curiosity　in　the　direction　of　these　chapters；　he

can　afford　to　leave　them　to　such　as　relish　a　slight　flavor　of

science。　　But　if　he　does　so　leave　them　he　will　very　probably　remain

sceptical　as　to　the　truth　of　the　story　to　which　they　are　meant　to

furnish　him　with　a　key。



Of　course　the　case　of　Maurice　Kirkwood　is　a　remarkable　and

exceptional　one；　and　it　is　hardly　probable　that　any　reader's

experience　will　furnish　him　with　its　parallel。　　But　let　him　look　back

over　all　his　acquaintances；　if　he　has　reached　middle　life；　and　see　if

he　cannot　recall　more　than　one　who；　for　some　reason　or　other；　shunned

the　society　of　young　women；　as　if　they　had　a　deadly　fear　of　their

company。　　If　he　remembers　any　such；　he　can　understand　the　simple

statements　and　natural　reflections　which　are　laid　before　him。



One　of　the　most　singular　facts　connected　with　the　history　of　Maurice

Kirkwood　was　the　philosophical　equanimity　with　which　he　submitted　to

the　fate　which　had　fallen　upon　him。　　He　did　not　choose　to　be　pumped

by　the　Interviewer；　who　would　show　him　up　in　the　sensational　columns

of　his　prying　newspaper。　　He　lived　chiefly　by　himself；　as　the　easiest

mode　of　avoiding　those　meetings　to　which　he　would　be　exposed　in

almost　every　society　into　which　he　might　venture。　　But　he　had　learned

to　look　upon　himself　very　much　as　he　would　upon　an　intimate　not

himself；upon　a　different　personality。　　A　young　man　will　naturally

enough　be　ashamed　of　his　shyness。　　It　is　something　which　others

believe；　and　perhaps　he　himself　thinks；　he　might　overcome。　　But　in

the　case　of　Maurice　Kirkwood　there　was　no　room　for　doubt　as　to　the

reality　and　gravity　of　the　long　enduring　effects　of　his　first

convulsive　terror。　　He　had　accepted　the　fact　as　he　would　have

accepted　the　calamity　of　losing　his　sight　or　his　hearing。　　When　he

was　questioned　by　the　experts　to　whom　his　case　was　submitted；　he　told

them　all　that　he　knew　about　it　almost　without　a　sign　of　emotion。

Nature　was　so　peremptory　with　him；saying　in　language　that　had　no

double　meaning：　〃If　you　violate　the　condition　on　which　you　hold　my

gift　of　existence　I　slay　you　on　the　spot；〃that　he　became　as

decisive　in　his　obedience　as　she　was　in　her　command；　and　accepted　his

fate　without　repining。



Yet　it　must　not　be　thought　for　a　moment；it　cannot　be　supposed；

that　he　was　insensible　because　he　looked　upon　himself　with　the

coolness　of　an　enforced　philosophy。　　He　bore　his　burden　manfully；

hard　as　it　was　to　live　under　it；　for　he　lived；　as　we　have　seen；　in

hope。　　The　thought　of　throwing　it　off　with　his　life；　as　too　grievous

to　be　borne；　was　familiar　to　his　lonely　hours；　but　he　rejected　it　as

unworthy　of　his　manhood。　　How　he　had　speculated　and　dreamed　about　it

is　plain　enough　from　the　paper　the　reader　may　remember　on　Ocean；

River；　and　Lake。



With　these　preliminary　hints　the　paper　promised　is　submitted　to　such

as　may　find　any　interest　in　them。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ACCOUNT　OF　A　CASE　OF　GYNOPHOBIA。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WITH　REMARKS。



Being　the　Substance　of　a　Report　to　the　Royal　Academy　of　the　Bio~

logical　Sciences　by　a　Committee　of　that　Institution。



〃The　singular　nature　of　the　case　we　are　about　to　narrate　and　comment

upon　will；　we　feel　confident；　arrest　the　attention　of　those　who　have

learned　the　great　fact　that　Nature　often　throws　the　strongest　light

upon　her　laws　by　the　apparent　exceptions　and　anomalies　which　from

time　to　time　are　observed。　　We　have　done　with　the　lusus　naturae　of

earlier　generations。　　We　pay　little　attention　to　the　stories　of

'miracles；'　except　so　far　as　we　receive　them　ready…made　at　the　hands

of　the　churches　which　still　hold　to　them。　　Not　the　less　do　we　meet

with　strange　and　surprising　facts；　which　a　century　or　two　ago　would

have　been　handled　by　the　clergy　and　the　courts；　but　today　are　calmly

recorded　and　judged　by　the　best　light　our　knowledge　of　the　laws　of

life　can　throw　upon　them。　　It　must　be　owned　that　there　are　stories

which　we　can　hardly　dispute；　so　clear　and　full　is　the　evidence　in

their　support；　which　do；　notwithstanding；　tax　our　faith　and　sometimes

leave　us　sceptical　in　spite　of　all　the　testimony　which　supports　them。



〃　In　this　category　many　will　be　disposed　to　place　the　case　we　commend

to　the　candid　attention　of　the　Academy。　　If　one　were　told　that　a

young　man；　a　gentleman　by　birth　and　training；　well　formed；　in

apparently　perfect　health；　of　agreeable　physiognomy　and　manners；

could　not　endure　the　presence　of　the　most　attractive　young　woman；　but

was　seized　with　deadly　terror　and　sudden　collapse　of　all　the　powers

of　life；　if　he　came　into　her　immediate　presence；　if　it　were　added

that　this　same　young　man　did　not　shrink　from　the　presence　of　an　old

withered　crone；　that　he　had　a　certain　timid　liking　for　little　maidens

who　had　not　yet　outgrown　the　company　of　their　dolls；　the　listener

would　be　apt　to　smile；　if　he　did　not　laugh；　at　the　absurdity　of　the

fable。　　Surely；　he　would　say；　this　must　be　the　fiction　of　some

fanciful　brain；　the　whim　of　some　romancer；　the　trick　of　some

playwright。　　It　would　make　a　capital　farce；　this　idea；　carried　out。

A　young　man　slighting　the　lovely　heroine　of　the　little　comed