Theyareapples!\"Thesmellofroses,ofpeonies,oflilies,hasbeenknowntocausefaintness。Thesightofvariousobjectshashadsingulareffectsonsomepersons。Aboar\'sheadwasafavoritedishatthetableofgreatpeopleinMarshald\'Albret\'stime;yetheusedtofaintatthesightofone。Itisnotuncommontomeetwithpersonswhofaintatthesightofblood。OneofthemostinveteratelypugnaciousofDr。Butts\'scollege-matesconfessedthathehadthisinfirmity。Strangerandfarmoreawkwardthanthisisthecasementionedinanancientcollection,wherethesubjectoftheantipathyfaintedatthesightofanyobjectofaredcolor。Therearesounds,also,whichhavestrangeeffectsonsomeindividuals。
Amongtheobnoxiousnoisesarethecrumplingofsilkstuffs,thesoundofsweeping,thecroakingoffrogs。Theeffectsindifferentcaseshavebeenspasms,asenseofstrangling,profusesweating,——allshowingaprofounddisturbanceofthenervoussystem。
Alltheseeffectswereproducedbyimpressionsontheorgansofsense,seeminglybydirectagencyoncertainnervecentres。Butthereisanotherseriesofcasesinwhichtheimaginationplaysalargerpartinthephenomena。Twonotableexamplesareaffordedinthelivesoftwoverydistinguishedpersonages。
PetertheGreatwasfrightened,whenaninfant,byfallingfromabridgeintothewater。Longafterward,whenhehadreachedmanhood,thishardyandresolutemanwassoaffectedbythesoundofwheelsrattlingoverabridgethathehadtodisciplinehimselfbylisteningtothesound,inspiteofhisdreadofit,inordertoovercomehisantipathy。ThestorytoldbyAbbeBoileauofPascalisverysimilartothatrelatedofPeter。AshewasdrivinginhiscoachandfouroverthebridgeatNeuilly,hishorsestookfrightandranaway,andtheleadersbrokefromtheirharnessandsprangintotheriver,leavingthewheel-horsesandthecarriageonthebridge。EverafterthisfrightitissaidthatPascalhadtheterrifyingsensethathewasjustontheedgeofanabyss,readytofallover。
Whatstrangeearlyimpressionwasitwhichledacertainladyalwaystoshriekaloudifsheventuredtoenterachurch,asitisrecorded?
Theoldandsimplewayofaccountingforitwouldbethescripturalone,thatitwasanuncleanspiritwhodweltinher,andwho,whensheenteredtheholyplaceandbroughtherspiritualtenantintothepresenceofthesacredsymbols,\"criedwithaloudvoice,andcameoutof\"her。Averysingularcase,thedoctorhimselfhadrecorded,andwhichthereadermayacceptasauthentic,isthefollowing:Attheheadofthedoctor\'sfrontstairsstood,andstillstands,atallclock,ofearlydateandstatelypresence。Amiddle-agedvisitor,noticingitasheenteredthefrontdoor,remarkedthatheshouldfeelagreatunwillingnesstopassthatclock。Hecouldnotgonearoneofthosetalltimepieceswithoutaprofoundagitation,whichhedreadedtoundergo。Thisverysingularidiosyncrasyheattributedtoafrightwhenhewasaninfantinthearmsofhisnurse。
Shewasstandingnearoneofthosetallclocks,whenthecordwhichsupportedoneofitsheavyleadenweightsbroke,andtheweightcamecrashingdowntothebottomofthecase。Someeffectmusthavebeenproduceduponthepulpynervecentresfromwhichtheyneverrecovered。Whyshouldnotthishappen,whenweknowthatasuddenmentalshockmaybethecauseofinsanity?Thedoctorrememberedtheverseof\"TheAncientMariner:\"
\"Imovedmylips;thepilotshriekedAndfelldowninafit;
TheholyhermitraisedhiseyesAndprayedwherehedidsit。
Itooktheoars;thepilot\'sboy,Whonowdothcrazygo,Laughedloudandlong,andallthewhileHiseyeswenttoandfro。”
Thisisonlypoetry,itistrue,butthepoetborrowedthedescriptionfromnature,andtherecordsofourasylumscouldfurnishmanycaseswhereinsanitywascausedbyasuddenfright。
Morethanthis,hardlyayearpassesthatwedonotreadofsomeperson,achildcommonly,killedoutrightbyterror,——scaredtodeath,literally。Sadcasestheyoftenare,inwhich,nothingbutasurprisebeingintended,theshockhasinstantlyarrestedthemovementsonwhichlifedepends。Ifamereinstantaneousimpressioncanproduceeffectslikethese,suchanimpressionmightofcoursebefollowedbyconsequenceslessfatalorformidable,butyetseriousintheirnature。Ifhereandthereapersoniskilled,asifbylightning,byasuddenstartlingsightorsound,theremustbemorenumerouscasesinwhichaterribleshockisproducedbysimilarapparentlyinsignificantcauses,——ashockwhichfallsshortofoverthrowingthereasonanddoesnotdestroylife,yetleavesalastingeffectuponthesubjectofit。
Thispoint,then,wassettledinthemindofDr。Butts,namely,that,asaviolentemotioncausedbyasuddenshockcankillorcrazeahumanbeing,thereisnoperversionofthefaculties,noprejudice,nochangeoftasteortemper,noeccentricity,noantipathy,whichsuchacausemaynotrationallyaccountfor。Hewouldnotbesurprised,hesaidtohimself,tofindthatsomeearlyalarm,likethatwhichwasexperiencedbyPetertheGreatorthatwhichhappenedtoPascal,hadbrokensomespringinthisyoungman\'snature,orsochangeditsmodeofactionastoaccountfortheexceptionalremotenessofhiswayoflife。Buthowcouldanyconceivableantipathybesocomprehensiveastokeepayoungmanalooffromalltheworld,andmakeahermitofhim?Hedidnothatethehumanrace;
thatwasclearenough。HetreatedPaolowithgreatkindness,andtheItalianwasevidentlymuchattachedtohim。Hehadtalkednaturallyandpleasantlywiththeyoungmanhehadhelpedoutofhisdangeroussituationwhenhisboatwasupset。Dr。Buttsheardthathehadoncemadeashortvisittothisyoungman,athisroomsintheUniversity。
Itwasnotmisanthropy,therefore,whichkepthimsolitary。Whatcouldbebroadenoughtocoverthefactsofthecase?Nothingthatthedoctorcouldthinkof,unlessitweresomecolor,thesightofwhichactedonhimasitdidontheindividualbeforementioned,whocouldnotlookatanythingredwithoutfainting。Supposethiswereacaseofthesameantipathy。Howverycarefulitwouldmakethesubjectofitastowherehewentandwithwhomheconsorted!Timeandpatiencewouldbeprettysuretobringoutnewdevelopments,andphysicians,ofallmenintheworld,knowhowtowaitaswellashowtolabor。
SuchweresomeofthecrudefactsasDr。Buttsfoundtheminbooksorgatheredthemfromhisownexperience。HesoondiscoveredthatthestoryhadgotaboutthevillagethatMauriceKirkwoodwasthevictimofan\"antipathy,\"whateverthatwordmightmeaninthevocabularyofthepeopleoftheplace。Ifhesuspectedthechannelthroughwhichithadreachedthelittlecommunity,and,spreadingfromthatcentre,thecountryround,hedidnotseefittomakeoutofhissuspicionsadomesticcasusbelli。Paolomighthavementionedittoothersaswellastohimself。Mauricemighthavetoldsomefriend,whohaddivulgedit。ButtoaccuseMrs。Butts,goodMrs。Butts,ofpetittreasonintellingoneofherhusband\'sprofessionalsecretswastooseriousamattertobethoughtof。Hewouldbealittlemorecareful,hepromisedhimself,thenexttime,atanyrate;forhehadtoconcede,inspiteofeverywishtobecharitableinhisjudgment,thatitwasamongthepossibilitiesthattheworthyladyhadforgottentherulethatadoctor\'spatientsmustputtheirtonguesout,andadoctor\'swifemustkeephertonguein。
VIII
THEPANSOPHIANSOCIETY。
TheSecretaryofthisassociationwasgettingsomewhattiredoftheoffice,andtheofficewasgettingsomewhattiredofhim。ItoccurredtothemembersoftheSocietythatalittlefreshbloodinfusedintoitmightstirupthegeneralvitalityoftheorganization。ThewomansuffragistssawnoreasonwhytheplaceofSecretaryneedasamatterofcoursebefilledbyapersonofthemalesex。Theyagitated,theymadedomiciliaryvisits,theywrotenotestoinfluentialcitizens,andfinallyannouncedastheircandidatetheyoungladywhohadwonandworntheschoolnameof\"TheTerror,\"whowaselected。Shewasjustthepersonfortheplace:
wideawake,withallherwitsabouther,fullofeverykindofknowledge,and,aboveall,strongonpointsoforderanddetailsofmanagement,sothatshecouldpromptthepresidingofficer,todowhichisoftenthemostessentialdutyofaSecretary。ThePresident,theworthyrector,wasgoodatplainsailinginthetrackofthecommonmoralitiesandproprieties,butwasliabletogetmuddledifanythingcameuprequiringswiftdecisionandoff-handspeech。TheTerrorhadschooledherselfinthedebatingsocietiesoftheInstitute,andwouldsetupthePresident,whenhewasflooredbyanawkwardquestion,aseasilyasifhewereaninepinwhichhadbeenbowledover。
IthasbeenalreadymentionedthatthePansophianSocietyreceivedcommunicationsfromtimetotimefromwritersoutsideofitsownorganization。Oflatethesehadbeenbecomingmorefrequent。Manyofthemweresentinanonymously,andastherewerenumerousvisitorstothevillage,andtwoinstitutionsnotfarremovedfromit,bothfullofambitiousandintelligentyoungpersons,itwasoftenimpossibletotracethepaperstotheirauthors。ThenewSecretarywasalivewithcuriosity,andassagaciousalittlebodyasonemightfindifinwantofadetective。Shecouldmakeaprettyshrewdguesswhetherapaperwaswrittenbyayoungoroldperson,byoneofherownsexortheother,byanexperiencedhandoranovice。
Amongtheanonymouspapersshereceivedwasonewhichexercisedhercuriositytoanextraordinarydegree。Shefeltastrongsuspicionthat\"theSachem,\"astheboat-crewsusedtocallhim,\"theRecluse,\"
\"theNight-Hawk,\"\"theSphinx,\"asothersnamedhim,mustbetheauthorofit。Itappearedtohertheproductionofayoungpersonofareflective,poeticalturnofmind。Itwasnotawoman\'swayofwriting;atleast,sothoughttheSecretary。Thewriterhadtravelledmuch;hadresidedinItaly,amongotherplaces。ButsohadmanyofthesummervisitorsandresidentsofArrowheadVillage。Thehandwritingwasnotdecisive;ithadsomepointsofresemblancewiththepencilledordersforbookswhichMauricesenttotheLibrary,buttherewerecertaindifferences,intentionaloraccidental,whichweakenedthisevidence。Therewasanundertoneintheessaywhichwasinkeepingwiththemodeoflifeofthesolitarystranger。Itmightbedisappointment,melancholy,oronlythedreamysadnessofayoungpersonwhoseesthefutureheistoclimb,notasasmoothascent,butasoverhanginghimlikeacliff,readytocrushhim,withallhishopesandprospects。Thisinterpretationmayhavebeentooimaginative,buthereisthepaper,andthereadercanformhisownopinion:
MYTHREECOMPANIONS。
\"Ihavebeenfrommyyouthupwardsawanderer。Idonotmeanconstantlyflittingfromoneplacetoanother,formyresidencehasoftenbeenfixedforconsiderableperiods。FromtimetotimeIhaveputdowninanotebooktheimpressionsmadeuponmebythescenesthroughwhichIhavepassed。Ihavelonghesitatedwhethertoletanyofmynotesappearbeforethepublic。Myfearhasbeenthattheyweretoosubjective,tousethemetaphysician\'sterm,——thatIhaveseenmyselfreflectedinNature,andnotthetrueaspectsofNatureasshewasmeanttobeunderstood。OnewhoshouldvisittheHarzMountainswouldsee——mightsee,ratherhisowncolossalimageshapeitselfonthemorningmist。Butifineverymistthatrisesfromthemeadows,ineverycloudthathangsuponthemountain,healwaysfindshisownreflection,wecannotaccepthimasaninterpreterofthelandscape。
\"TheremustbemanypersonspresentatthemeetingsoftheSocietytowhichthispaperisofferedwhohavehadexperienceslikethatofitsauthor。Theyhavevisitedthesamelocalities,theyhavehadmanyofthesamethoughtsandfeelings。Many,Ihavenodoubt。Notall,——
no,notall。OthershavesoughtthecompanionshipofNature;Ihavebeendriventoit。Muchofmylifehasbeenpassedinthatcommunion。ThesepagesrecordsomeoftheintimaciesIhaveformedwithherundersomeofhervariousmanifestations。
\"Ihavelivedontheshoreofthegreatocean,whereitswavesbrokewildestanditsvoiceroseloudest。
\"Ihavepassedwholeseasonsonthebanksofmightyandfamousrivers。
\"Ihavedweltonthemarginofatranquillake,andfloatedthroughmanyalong,longsummerdayonitsclearwaters。
\"Ihavelearnedthe\'variouslanguage\'ofNature,ofwhichpoetryhasspoken,——atleast,Ihavelearnedsomewordsandphrasesofit。I
willtranslatesomeoftheseasIbestmayintocommonspeech。
\"TheOCEANsaystothedwelleronitsshores:——
Youareneitherwelcomenorunwelcome。Idonottroublemyselfwiththelivingtribesthatcomedowntomywaters。Ihavemyownpeople,ofanolderracethanyours,thatgrowtomightierdimensionsthanyourmastodonsandelephants;morenumerousthanalltheswarmsthatfilltheairormoveoverthethincrustoftheearth。Whoareyouthatbuildyourpalacesonmymargin?IseeyourwhitefacesasIsawthedarkfacesofthetribesthatcamebeforeyou,asIshalllookupontheunknownfamilyofmankindthatwillcomeafteryou。
Andwhatisyourwholehumanfamilybutaparenthesisinasinglepageofmyhistory?Theraindropsstereotypedthemselvesonmybeachesbeforealivingcreaturelefthisfootprintsthere。Thishorseshoe-crabIflingatyourfeetisofolderlineagethanyourAdam,——perhaps,indeed,youcountyourAdamasoneofhisdescendants。WhatfeelinghaveIforyou?Notscorn,nothatred,——
notlove,——notloathing。No!——indifference,——blankindifferencetoyouandyouraffairsthatismyfeeling,sayratherabsenceoffeeling,asregardsyou——Ohyes,Iwilllapyourfeet,Iwillcoolyouinthehotsummerdays,Iwillbearyouupinmystrongarms,I
willrockyouonmyrollingundulations,likeababeinhiscradle。
AmInotgentle?AmInotkind?AmInotharmless?Buthark!Thewindisrising,andthewindandIareroughplaymates!Whatdoyousaytomyvoicenow?Doyouseemyfoaminglips?Doyoufeeltherockstrembleasmyhugebillowscrashagainstthem?IsnotmyangerterribleasIdashyourargosy,yourthunder-bearingfrigate,intofragments,asyouwouldcrackaneggshell?——No,notanger;deaf,blind,unheedingindifference,——thatisall。Outofmeallthingsarose;soonerorlater,intomeallthingssubside。Allchangesaroundme;Ichangenot。Ilooknotatyou,vainman,andyourfrailtransitoryconcerns,saveinmomentaryglimpses:Ilookonthewhitefaceofmydeadmistress,whomIfollowasthebridegroomfollowsthebierofherwhohaschangedhernuptialraimentfortheshroud。
\"Yewhosethoughtsareofeternity,comedwellatmyside。
Continentsandislandsgrowold,andwasteanddisappear。Thehardestrockcrumbles;vegetableandanimalkingdomscomeintobeing,waxgreat,decline,andperish,togivewaytoothers,evenashumandynastiesandnationsandracescomeandgo。Lookonme!\"Timewritesnowrinkle\"onmyforehead。Listentome!Alltonguesarespokenonmyshores,butIhaveonlyonelanguage:thewindstaughtmetheirvowelsthecragsandthesandsschooledmeinmyroughorsmoothconsonants。FewwordsareminebutIhavewhisperedthemandsungthemandshoutedthemtomenofalltribesfromthetimewhenthefirstwildwandererstrayedintomyawfulpresence。Haveyouagriefthatgnawsatyourheart-strings?Comewithittomyshore,asofoldthepriestoffar-dartingApollocarriedhisrageandanguishtothemarginoftheloud-roaringsea。There,ifanywhereyouwillforgetyourprivateandshort-livedwoe,formyvoicespeakstotheinfiniteandtheeternalinyourconsciousness。\'
\"Tohimwholovesthepagesofhumanhistory,wholistenstothevoicesoftheworldabouthim,whofrequentsthemarketandthethoroughfare,wholivesinthestudyoftimeanditsaccidentsratherthaninthedeeperemotions,inabstractspeculationandspiritualcontemplation,theRIVERaddressesitselfashisnaturalcompanion。
\"Comelivewithme。Iamactive,cheerful,communicative,anaturaltalkerandstory-teller。Iamnotnoisy,liketheocean,exceptoccasionallywhenIamrudelyinterrupted,orwhenIstumbleandgetafall。WhenIamsilentyoucanstillhavepleasureinwatchingmychangingfeatures。Myidlestbabble,whenIamtoyingwiththetriflesthatfallinmyway,ifnotveryfullofmeaning,isatleastmusical。Iamnotadangerousfriend,liketheocean;nohighwayisabsolutelysafe,butmynatureisharmless,andthestormsthatstrewthebeacheswithwreckscastnoruinsuponmyfloweryborders。Abidewithme,andyoushallnotdieofthirst,liketheforlornwretcheslefttothemerciesofthepitilesssaltwaves。Trustyourselftome,andIwillcarryyoufaronyourjourney,ifwearetravellingtothesamepointofthecompass。IfIsometimesrunriotandoverflowyourmeadows,IleavefertilitybehindmewhenIwithdrawtomynaturalchannel。Walkbymysidetowardtheplaceofmydestination。
Iwillkeeppacewithyou,andyoushallfeelmypresencewithyouasthatofaself-consciousbeinglikeyourself。Youwillfindithardtobemiserableinmycompany;Idrainyouofill-conditionedthoughtsasIcarryawaytherefuseofyourdwellinganditsgrounds:
Buttohimwhomtheoceanchillsandcrusheswithitssullenindifference,andtheriverdisturbswithitsnever-pausingandnever-endingstory,thesilentLAKEshallbearefugeandaplaceofrestforhissoul。
\"\'Vexnotyourselfwiththoughtstoovastforyourlimitedfaculties,\'itsays;\'yieldnotyourselftothebabbleoftherunningstream。Leavetheocean,whichcaresnothingforyouoranylivingthingthatwalksthesolidearth;leavetheriver,toobusywithitsownerrand,tootalkativeaboutitsownaffairs,andfindpeacewithme,whosesmilewillcheeryou,whosewhisperwillsootheyou。Cometomewhenthemorningsunblazesacrossmybosomlikeagoldenbaldric;cometomeinthestillmidnight,whenIholdtheinvertedfirmamentlikeacupbrimmingwithjewels,norspillonestarofalltheconstellationsthatfloatinmyebongoblet。Doyouknowthecharmofmelancholy?Wherewillyoufindasympathylikemineinyourhoursofsadness?Doestheoceanshareyourgrief?Doestheriverlistentoyoursighs?Thesaltwave,thatcalledtoyoufromunderlastmonth\'sfullmoon,to-dayisdashingontherocksofLabrador;thestream,thatranbyyoupureandsparkling,hasswallowedthepoisonousrefuseofagreatcity,andiscreepingtoitsgraveinthewidecemeterythatburiesallthingsinitstombofliquidcrystal。Itistruethatmywatersexhaleandarerenewedfromoneseasontoanother;butareyourfeaturesthesame,absolutelythesame,fromyeartoyear?Webothchange,butweknoweachotherthroughallchanges。AmInotmirroredinthoseeyesofyours?AnddoesnotNatureplantmeasaneyetobeholdherbeautieswhilesheisdressedinthegloriesofleafandflower,anddrawtheicylidovermyshiningsurfacewhenshestandsnakedandashamedinthepovertyofwinter?\'
\"Ihavehadstrangeexperiencesandsadthoughtsinthecourseofalifenotverylong,butwitharecordwhichmuchlongerlivescouldnotmatchinincident。Oftentimesthetemptationhascomeovermewithdangerousurgencytotryachangeofexistence,ifsuchchangeisapartofhumandestiny,——toseekrest,ifthatiswhatwegainbylayingdowntheburdenoflife。IhaveaskedwhowouldbethefriendtowhomIshouldappealforthelastserviceIshouldhaveneedof。
Oceanwasthere,allready,askingnoquestions,answeringnone。
Whatstrangevoyages,downwardthroughitsglaucousdepths,upwardstoitsboilingandfrothingsurface,waftedbytides,drivenbytempests,dispartedbyrudeagencies;oneremnantwhiteningonthesandsofanorthernbeach,oneperhapsbuiltintothecircleofacoralreefinthePacific,onesettlingtothefloorofthevastlaboratorywherecontinentsarebuilt,toemergeinfar-offages!
Whatstrangecompanionsformypall-bearers!Unwieldysea-monsters,thestoriesofwhicharecountedfablesbythespectacledcollectorswhothinktheircatalogueshaveexhaustednature;naked-eyedcreatures,staring,glaring,nightmare-likespectresoftheghastly-
greenabysses;pulpyislands,withlifeingelatinousimmensity,——
whatacompanyofhungryheirsateveryoceanfuneral!No!No!
Oceanclaimsgreatmultitudes,butdoesnotinvitethesolitarywhowouldfainberidofhimself。
\'ShallIseekadeeperslumberatthebottomofthelakeIlovethanIhaveeverfoundwhendriftingidlyoveritssurface?No,again。I
donotwantthesweet,clearwaterstoknowmeinthedisgraceofnature,whenlife,thefaithfulbody-servant,hasceasedcaringforme。Thatmustnotbe。Themirrorwhichhaspicturedmesooftenshallneverknowmeasanunwelcomeobject。
\"IfImustasktheall-subduingelementtobemylastfriend,andleadmeoutofmyprison,itshallbethebusy,whispering,notunfriendly,pleasantlycompanionableriver。
\"ButOceanandRiverandLakehavecertainrelationstotheperiodsofhumanlifewhichtheywhoarechoosingtheirplacesofabodeshouldconsider。Letthechildplayupontheseashore。Thewidehorizongiveshisimaginationroomtogrowin,untrammelled。Thatbackgroundofmystery,withoutwhichlifeisapoormechanicalarrangement,isshapedandcolored,sofarasitcanhaveoutline,oranyhuebutshadow,onavastcanvas,thecontemplationofwhichenlargesandenrichesthesphereofconsciousness。Themightyoceanisnottoohugetosymbolizetheaspirationsandambitionsoftheyetuntriedsouloftheadolescent。
\"Thetimewillcomewhenhisindefinitementalhorizonhasfoundasolidlimit,whichshutshisprospectinnarrowerboundsthanhewouldhavethoughtcouldcontenthimintheyearsofundefinedpossibilities。Thenhewillfindtheriveramorenaturalintimatethantheocean。Itisindividual,whichtheocean,withallitsgulfsandinletsandmultitudinousshores,hardlyseemstobe。Itdoesnotloveyouverydearly,andwillnotmissyoumuchwhenyoudisappearfromitsmargin;butitmeanswelltoyou,bidsyougood-
morningwithitscomingwaves,andgood-eveningwiththosewhichareleaving。Itwillleadyourthoughtspleasantlyaway,upwardstoitssource,downwardstothestreamtowhichitistributary,orthewidewatersinwhichitistoloseitself。Ariver,bychoice,tolivebyinmiddleage。
\"Inhoursofmelancholyreflection,inthoselastyearsoflifewhichhavelittleleftbuttendermemories,thestillcompanionshipofthelake,embosomedinwoods,sheltered,fedbysweetmountainbrooksandhiddensprings,commendsitselftotheweariedandsaddenedspirit。
Iamnotthinkingofthosegreatinlandseas,whichhavemanyofthefeaturesandmuchofthedangerthatbelongtotheocean,butofthose\'ponds,\'asourcountrymenusedtocallthemuntiltheywererechristenedbysummervisitors;beautifulsheetsofwaterfromahundredtoafewthousandacresinextent,scatteredlikeraindropsoverthemapofourNorthernsovereignties。Thelonelinessofcontemplativeoldagefindsitsnaturalhomeinthenearneighborhoodofoneofthesetranquilbasins。
Naturedoesnotalwaysplantherpoetswheretheybelong,butifwelookcarefullytheiraffinitiesbetraythemselves。TheyouthwillcarryhisByrontotherockwhichoverlookstheoceanthepoetlovedsowell。ThemanofmatureryearswillrememberthatthesonorouscoupletsofPopewhichringinhisearswerewrittenonthebanksoftheThames。Theoldman,ashenodsoverthesolemnverseofWordsworth,willrecognizetheaffinitybetweenthesingerandthecalmsheetthatlaybeforehimashewrote,——thestainlessandsleepyWindermere。
\"ThedwellersbyCedarLakemayfinditanamusementtocomparetheirownfeelingswiththoseofonewhohaslivedbytheAtlanticandtheMediterranean,bytheNileandtheTiber,byLakeLemanandbyoneofthefairestsheetsofwaterthatourownNorthAmericaembosomsinitsforests。”
MissLuridaVincent,SecretaryofthePansophianSociety,readthispaper,andponderedlonguponit。Shewasthinkingveryseriouslyofstudyingmedicine,andhadbeenforsometimeinfrequentcommunicationwithDr。Butts,underwhosedirectionshehadbegunreadingcertaintreatises,whichaddedtosuchknowledgeofthelawsoflifeinhealthandindiseaseasshehadbroughtwithherfromtheCorinnaInstitute。Naturallyenough,shecarriedtheanonymouspapertothedoctor,togethisopinionaboutit,andcompareitwithherown。Theybothagreedthatitwasprobably,theywouldnotsaycertainly,theworkofthesolitaryvisitor。Therewasroomfordoubt,fortherewerevisitorswhomightwellhavetravelledtoalltheplacesmentioned,andresidedlongenoughontheshoresofthewatersthewriterspokeoftohavehadalltheexperiencesmentionedinthepaper。TheTerrorrememberedayounglady,aformerschoolmate,whobelongedtooneofthosenomadicfamiliescommoninthisgeneration,theheadsofwhich,especiallythefemaleheads,canneverbeeasywheretheyare,butkeepgoingbetweenAmericaandEurope,likesomanypith-ballsintheelectricalexperiment,alternatelyattractedandrepelled,neverincontentedequilibrium。
Everyfewyearstheypulltheirfamiliesupbytheroots,andbythetimetheyhavebeguntotakeholdalittlewiththeirradiclesinthespotstowhichtheyhavebeensuccessivelytransplanteduptheycomeagain,sothattheynevergetatap-rootanywhere。TheTerrorsuspectedthedaughterofoneofthesefamiliesofsendingcertainanonymousarticlesofnotdissimilarcharactertotheoneshehadjustreceived。Butsheknewthestyleofcompositioncommonamongtheyounggirls,andshecouldhardlybelievethatitwasoneofthemwhohadsentthispaper。Couldabrotherofthisyoungladyhavewrittenit?Possibly;sheknewnothingmorethanthattheyoungladyhadabrother,thenastudentattheUniversity。AllthechanceswerethatMr。MauriceKirkwoodwastheauthor。SothoughtLurida,andsothoughtDr。Butts。
Whateverfaultstherewereinthisessay,itinterestedthemboth。
Therewasnothingwhichgavetheleastreasontosuspectinsanityonthepartofthewriter,whoeverheorshemightbe。Therewerereferencestosuicide,itistrue,buttheywereofapurelyspeculativenature,anddidnotlooktoanypracticalpurposeinthatdirection。Besides,ifthestrangerweretheauthorofthepaper,hecertainlywouldnotchooseasheetofwaterlikeCedarLaketoperformthelastofficesforhim,incaseheseriouslymeditatedtakingunceremoniousleaveoflifeanditsaccidents。Hecouldfindarivereasilyenough,tosaynothingofothermethodsofeffectinghispurpose;buthehadcommittedhimselfastotheimproprietyofselectingalake,sotheyneednotbeanxiousaboutthewhitecanoeanditsoccupant,astheywatcheditskimmingthesurfaceofthedeepwaters。
TheholderofthePortfoliowouldneverhaveventuredtocomebeforethepublicifhehadnotcountedamonghisresourcescertainpapersbelongingtotherecordsofthePansophianSociety,whichhecanmakefreeuseof,eitherfortheillustrationofthenarrative,orforadiversionduringthoseintervalsinwhichtheflowofeventsislanguid,orevenceasesforthetimetomanifestanyprogress。ThereadercanhardlyhavefailedtonoticethattheoldAnchorTavernhadbecomethefocalpointwhereagooddealofmentalactivityconverged。Therewerethevillagepeople,includinganumberofcultivatedfamilies;therewerethevisitors,amongthemmanyaccomplishedandwidelytravelledpersons;therewastheUniversity,withitslearnedteachersandaspiringyoungmen;therewastheCorinnaInstitute,withitseager,ambitious,hungry-souledyoungwomen,crowdingon,classafterclasscomingforwardonthebroadstreamofliberalculture,androundingthepointwhich,oncepassed,theboundlesspossibilitiesofwomanhoodopenedbeforethem。Allthisfurnishedmaterialenoughandtosparefortherecordsandthearchivesofthesociety。
ThenewSecretaryinfusedfreshlifeintothemeetings。Itmayberememberedthatthegirlshadsaidofher,whenshewasTheTerror,that\"shekneweverythinganddidn\'tbelieveanything。”Thatwasjustthekindofpersonforasecretaryofsuchanassociation。
Properlyinterpreted,thesayingmeantthatsheknewagreatdeal,andwantedtoknowagreatdealmore,andwasconsequentlyalwaysonthelookoutforinformation;thatshebelievednothingwithoutsufficientproofthatitwastrue,andthereforewasperpetuallyaskingforevidencewhere,otherstookassertionsontrust。
ItwasastonishingtoseewhatonelittlecreaturelikeTheTerrorcouldaccomplishinthecourseofasingleseason。Shefoundoutwhateachmembercoulddoandwantedtodo。Shewrotetotheoutsidevisitorswhomshesuspectedofcapacity,andurgedthemtospeakatthemeetings,orsendwrittenpaperstoberead。Asanofficial,withtheprintedtitleattheheadofhernotes,PANSOPHIANSOCIETY,shewasaprivilegedpersonage。Shebeggedtheyoungpersonswhohadtravelledtotellsomethingoftheirexperiences。Shehadcontemplatedgettingupadiscussiononthewoman\'srightsquestion,butbeingawarylittlebody,andknowingthatthedebatewouldbecomeadisputeanddividethemembersintotwohostilecamps,shedeferredthisprojectindefinitely。Itwouldbetimeenoughaftershehadherteamwellinhand,shesaidtoherself,——hadfelttheirmouthsandtriedtheirpaces。Thisexpression,assheuseditinherthoughts,seemsratherforeigntoherhabits,buttherewasroominherlargebrainforawiderangeofillustrationsandanamplevocabulary。Shecouldnotdomuchwithherownmuscles,butshehadknownthepassionatedelightofbeingwhirledfuriouslyovertheroadbehindfourscamperinghorses,inarockingstage-coach,andthoughtofherselfintheSecretary\'schairasnotunlikethedriveronhisbox。Afewweeksofresthadallowedhernervousenergytostoreitselfup,andthesamepowerswhichhaddistancedcompetitionintheclassesofherschoolhadofnecessitytoexpendthemselvesinvigorousactioninhernewoffice。
Herappealshadtheireffect。Anumberofpaperswereverysoonsentin;somewithnames,someanonymously。Shelookedthesepapersover,andmarkedthosewhichshethoughtwouldbeworthreadingandlisteningtoatthemeetings。Oneofthemhasjustbeenpresentedtothereader。Astotheauthorshipofthefollowingonethereweremanyconjectures。Awell-knownwriter,whohadspentsomeweeksatArrowheadVillage,wasgenerallysuspectedofbeingitsauthor。
Some,however,questionedwhetheritwasnottheworkofanewhand,whowrote,notfromexperience,butfromhisorherideasoftheconditiontowhichastory-teller,anovelist,mustinallprobabilitybesoonerorlaterreduced。Thereadermustjudgeforhimselfwhetherthisfirstpaperistheworkofanoldhandoranovice。
SOMEEXPERIENCESOFANOVELIST。
\"Ihavewrittenafrightfulnumberofstories,fortyormore,I
think。Letmesee。Fortwelveyearstwonovelsayearregularly:
thatmakestwenty-four。InthreedifferentyearsIhavewrittenthreestoriesannually:thatmakesthirty-three。Infiveyearsoneayear,——thirty-eight。Thatisall,isn\'tit?Yes。Thirty-eight,notforty。IwishIcouldmakethemallintoonecompositestory,asMr。Galtondoeshisfaces。
\"Hero——heroine——mamma——papa——uncle——sister,andsoon。Love——
obstacles——misery——tears——despair——glimmerofhope——unexpectedsolutionofdifficulties——happyfinale。
\"Landscapeforbackgroundaccordingtoseason。Plantsofeachmonthgotupfrombotanicalcalendars。
\"Ishouldlikemuchtoseethecompositenovel。WhynotapplyMr。
Galton\'sprocess,andgetthirty-eightstoriesallinone?AlltheYankeeswouldresolveintooneYankee,alltheP——WestBritonsintoonePatrick,etc。,whatasavingoftimeitwouldbe!
\"Igotalongprettywellwithmyfirstfewstories。Ihadsomecharactersaroundmewhich,alittledisguised,answeredwellenough。
Therewastheministeroftheparish,andtherewasanoldschoolmastereitherofthemservedverysatisfactorilyforgrandfathersandolduncles。AllIhadtodowastoshiftsomeoftheirleadingpeculiarities,keepingtherest。Theoldministerworeknee-breeches。Iclappedthemontotheschoolmaster。Theschoolmastercarriedatallgold-headedcane。Iputthisintheminister\'shands。Sowithotherthings,——Ishiftedthemround,andgotasetofcharacterswho,takentogether,reproducedthechiefpersonsofthevillagewhereIlived,butdidnotcopyanyindividualexactly。Thusitwentonforawhile;butbyandbymystockcompanybegantoberathertoofamiliarlyknown,inspiteoftheirchangeofcostume,andatlastsomealtogethertoosagaciouspersonpublishedwhathecalleda\'key\'toseveralofmyearlierstories,inwhichI
foundthenamesofanumberofneighborsattachedtoaliasesofmyowninvention。Allthe\'types,\'ashecalledthem,representedbythesepersonagesofmystoryhadcometoberecognized,eachasstandingforoneandthesameindividualofmyacquaintance。Ithadbeenofnousetochangethecostume。Evenchangingthesexdidnogood。Ihadafamousoldgossipinoneofmytales,——amuch-babblingWidowSertingly。\'Sho!\'theyallsaid,that\'soldDeaconSpinner,thesamehetoldaboutinthatotherstoryofhis,——onlythedeacon\'sgotonapetticoatandamob-cap,——butit\'sthesameoldsixpence。\'
SoIsaidtomyself,Imusthavesomenewcharacters。Ihadnotroublewithyoungcharacters;theyareallprettymuchalike,——dark-
hairedorlight-haired,withtheoutfitsbelongingtotheircomplexion,respectively。Ihadanoldgreat-aunt,whowasatip-topeccentric。Ihadneverseenanythingjustlikeherinbooks。SoI
said,Iwillhaveyou,oldlady,inoneofmystories;and,sureenough,Ifittedheroutwithafirst-rateodd-soundingname,whichI
gotfromthedirectory,andsentherforthtotheworld,disguised,asIsupposed,beyondthepossibilityofrecognition。Thebooksoldwell,andtheeccentricpersonagewasvotedanovelty。Afewweeksafteritwaspublishedalawyercalleduponme,astheagentofthepersoninthedirectory,whosefamilynameIhadused,ashemaintained,tohisandallhisrelatives\'greatdamage,wrong,loss,grief,shame,andirreparableinjury,forwhichthesumofblankthousanddollarswouldbeamodestcompensation。Thestorymadethebooksell,butnotenoughtopayblankthousanddollars。Inthemeantimeacousinofminehadsniffedouttheresemblancebetweenthecharacterinmybookandourgreat-aunt。Wewererivalsinhergoodgraces。\'CousinPansie\'spoketoherofmybookandthetroubleitwasbringingonme,——shewassosorryaboutit!Shelikedmystory,——onlythosepersonalities,youknow。\'Whatpersonalities?\'saysoldgranny-aunt。\'Why,auntie,dear,theydosaythathehasbroughtineverybodyweknow,——didn\'tanybodytellyouabout——well,——Isupposeyououghttoknowit,——didn\'tanybodytellyouyouweremadefunofinthatnovel?\'Somebody——nomatterwho——happenedtohearallthis,andtoldme。Shesaidgranny-aunt\'switheredoldfacehadtworedspotscometoit,asifshehadbeenpaintinghercheeksfromapinksaucer。No,shesaid,notapinksaucer,butasiftheyweretwocoalsoffire。Shesentoutandgotthebook,andmadeher(thesomebodythatIwasspeakingof)readittoher。Whenshehadheardasmuchasshecouldstand,——for\'CousinPansie\'explainedpassagestoher,——explained,youknow,——shesentforherlawyer,andthatsamesomebodyhadtobeawitnesstoanewwillshehaddrawnup。Itwasnottomyadvantage。\'CousinPansie\'gotthecornerlotwherethegroceryis,andprettymucheverythingelse。Theoldwomanleftmealegacy。Whatdoyouthinkitwas?Anoldsetofmyownbooks,thatlookedasifithadbeenboughtoutofabankruptcirculatinglibrary。
\"AfterthatIgrewmorecareful。Istudiedmydisguisesmuchmorediligently。Butafterall,whatcouldIdo?HereIwas,writingstoriesformylivingandmyreputation。Imadeaprettysumenough,andworkedhardenoughtoearnit。Notale,nomoney。Theneverystorythatwentfrommyworkshophadtocomeuptothestandardofmyreputation,andtherewasasetofcritics,——thereisasetofcriticsnowandeverywhere,——thatwatchasnarrowlyforthedeclineofaman\'sreputationaseveravillagehalfdrownedoutbyaninundationwatchedforthefallingofthewaters。ThefameIhadwon,suchasitwas,seemedtoattendme,——notgoingbeforemeintheshapeofawomanwithatrumpet,butratherfollowingmelikeoneofActaeon\'shounds,histhroatopen,readytopullmedownandtearme。
Whatafierceenemyisthatwhichbaysbehindusinthevoiceofourproudestbygoneachievement!
\"But,asIsaidabove,whatcouldIdo?Imustwritenovels,andI
musthavecharacters。\'Thenwhynotinventthem?\'askssomenovice。
Oh,yes!Inventthem!Youcaninventahumanbeingthatincertainaspectsofhumanitywillanswereverypurposeforwhichyourinventionwasintended。Abasketofstraw,anoldcoatandpairofbreeches,ahatwhichhasbeensoaked,satupon,stuffedabrokenwindow,andhadabroodofchickensraisedinit,——theseelements,dulyadjustedtoeachother,willrepresenthumanitysotruthfullythatthecrowswillavoidthecornfieldwhenyourscarecrowdisplayshispersonality。Doyouthinkyoucanmakeyourheroesandheroines,——nay,evenyourscrappysupernumeraries,——outofrefusematerial,asyoumadeyourscarecrow?Youcan\'tdoit。Youmuststudylivingpeopleandreproducethem。Andwhomdoyouknowsowellasyourfriends?Youwillshowupyourfriends,then,oneafteranother。Whenyourfriendsgiveout,whoisleftforyou?Why,nobodybutyourownfamily,ofcourse。Whenyouhaveusedupyourfamily,thereisnothingleftforyoubuttowriteyourautobiography。
\"Aftermyexperiencewithmygrand-aunt,Ibecamemorecautious,verynaturally。Ikepttraitsofcharacter,butImixedagesaswellassexes。InthiswayIcontinuedtouseupalargeamountofmaterial,whichlookedasifitwereasdangerousasdynamitetomeddlewith。Whowouldhaveexpectedtomeetmymaternaluncleintheguiseofaschoolboy?YetImanagedtodecanthischaracteristicsasnicelyastheoldgentlemanwouldhavedecantedabottleofJunoMadeirathroughthatlongsiphonwhichhealwaysusedwhenthemostsacredvintagesweresummonedfromtheircryptstorenderanaccountofthemselvesonhishospitableboard。Itwasanicebusiness,Iconfess,butIdidit,andIdrinkcheerfullytothatgooduncle\'smemoryinaglassofwinefromhisowncellar,which,withmanyothermoreimportanttokensofhisgoodwill,Icallmyownsincehislamenteddemise。
\"IsucceededsowellwithmyunclethatIthoughtIwouldtryacourseofcousins。Ihadenoughofthemtofurnishoutawholegalleryofportraits。Therewascousin\'Creeshy,\'aswecalledher;
Lucretia,morecorrectly。Shewasacripple。Herleftlowerlimbhadhadsomethinghappentoit,andshewalkedwithacrutch。Herpatienceunderhertrialwasverypatheticandpicturesque,sotospeak,——Imeanadaptedtothetenderpartsofastory;nothingcouldworkupbetterinameltingparagraph。ButIcouldnot,ofcourse,describeherparticularinfirmity;thatwouldpointheroutatonce。
Ithoughtofshiftingthelamenesstotherightlowerlimb,buteventhatwouldbeseenthrough。SoIgavetheyoungwomanthatstoodforherinmystoryalameelbow,andputherarminasling,andmadehersuchamodelofuncomplainingendurancethatmygrandmothercriedoverherasifherpooroldheartwouldbreak。Shecriedveryeasily,mygrandmother;infact,shehadsuchagiftfortearsthatI
availedmyselfofit,andifyourememberoldJudy,inmynovel\"HoniSoit\"(HoneySweet,thebooksellerscalledit),——oldJudy,theblack-nurse,——thatwasmygrandmother。Shehadvariousotherpeculiarities,whichIbroughtoutonebyone,andsaddledontodifferentcharacters。Youseeshewasaperfectmineofsingularitiesandidiosyncrasies。AfterIhadusedherupprettywell,Icamedawnuponmypoorrelations。Theywereperfectlyfairgame;whatbetterusecouldIputthemto?Istudiedthemupverycarefully,andastherewereagoodmanyofthemIhelpedmyselffreely。Theylastedme,withoccasionalintermissions,Ishouldsay,threeorfouryears。Ihadtobeverycarefulwithmypoorrelations,——theywereastouchyastheycouldbe;andasIfeltboundtosendacopyofmynovel,whateveritmightbe,toeachoneofthem,——therewereasmanyasadozen,——Itookcaretomixtheircharacteristicfeatures,sothat,thougheachmightsuspectImeanttheother,nooneshouldthinkImeanthimorher。Igotthroughallmyrelationsatlastexceptmyfatherandmother。Ihadtreatedmybrothersandsistersprettyfairly,allexceptElishaandJoanna。
Thetruthistheybothhadlotsofoddways,——familytraits,I
suppose,butwerejustdifferentenoughfromeachothertofigureseparatelyintwodifferentstories。Thesetwonovelsmademesomelittletrouble;forElishasaidhefeltsurethatImeantJoannainoneofthem,andquarrelledwithmeaboutit;andJoannavowedanddeclaredthatElnathan,intheother,stoodforbrother\'Lisha,andthatitwasarealmeanthingtomakefunoffolks\'ownfleshandblood,andtreatedmetooneofhercries。Shewasn\'thandsomewhenshecried,poor,dearJoanna;infact,thatwasoneofthepersonaltraitsIhadmadeuseofinthestorythatElishafoundfaultwith。
\"Soastherewasnobodyleftbutmyfatherandmother,youseeforyourselfIhadnochoice。Therewasonegreatadvantageindealingwiththem,——Iknewthemsothoroughly。Onenaturallyfeelsacertaindelicacyithandlingfromapurelyartisticpointofviewpersonswhohavebeensoneartohim。One\'smother,forinstance:supposesomeofherlittlewaysweresopeculiarthattheaccuratedelineationofthemwouldfurnishamusementtogreatnumbersofreaders;itwouldnotbewithouthesitationthatawriterofdelicatesensibilitywoulddrawherportrait,withallitswhimsicalities,soplainlythatitshouldbegenerallyrecognized。One\'sfatheriscommonlyoftougherfibrethanone\'smother,andonewouldnotfeelthesamescruples,perhaps,inusinghimprofessionallyasmaterialinanovel;still,whileyouareemployinghimasbait,——youseeIamhonestandplain-
spoken,foryourcharactersarebaitstocatchreaderswith,——IwouldfollowkindIzaakWalton\'shumanecounselaboutthefrogyouarefasteningtoyourfish-hook:fixhimartistically,ashedirects,butinsodoingIusehimasthoughyoulovedhim。\'
\"Ihaveatlengthshownup,inoneformandanother,allmytownsmenwhohaveanythingeffectiveintheirbodilyormentalmake-up,allmyfriends,allmyrelatives;thatis,allmybloodrelatives。IthasoccurredtomethatImightopenanewfieldinthefamilyconnectionofmyfather-in-lawandmother-in-law。Wehavebeenthinkingofpayingthemavisit,andIshallhaveanadmirableopportunityofstudyingthemandtheirrelativesandvisitors。IhavelongwantedagoodchanceforgettingacquaintedwiththesocialsphereseveralgradesbelowthattowhichIamaccustomed,andIhavenodoubtthatIshallfindmatterforhalfadozennewstoriesamongthoseconnectionsofmine。Besides,theyliveinaWesterncity,andonedoesn\'tmindmuchhowhecutsupthepeopleofplaceshedoesn\'thimselflivein。Isupposethereisnotreallysomuchdifferenceinpeople\'sfeelings,whethertheyliveinBangororOmaha,butone\'snervescan\'tbeexpectedtostretchacrossthecontinent。Itisallamatterofgreaterorlessdistance。IreadthismorningthataChinesefleetwassunk,butIdidn\'tthinkhalfsomuchaboutitasIdidaboutlosingmysleevebutton,confoundit!Peoplehaveaccusedmeofwantoffeeling;theymisunderstandtheartist-nature,——thatisall。Iobeythatimplicitly;Iamsorryifpeopledon\'tlikemydescriptions,butIhavedonemybest。IhavepulledtopiecesallthepersonsIamacquaintedwith,andputthemtogetheragaininmycharacters。ThequillsIwritewithcomefromlivegeese,Iwouldhaveyouknow。Iexpecttogetsomefirst-ratepluckingsfromthosepeopleIwasspeakingof,andImeantobeginmythirty-ninthnovelassoonasIhavegotthroughmyvisit。”
IX
THESOCIETYANDITSNEWSECRETARY。
Thereisnouseintryingtohurrythenaturalcourseofevents,inanarrativelikethis。Junepassedaway,andJuly,andAugusthadcome,andasyettheenigmawhichhadcompletelypuzzledArrowheadVillageanditsvisitorsremainedunsolved。Thewhitecanoestillwanderedoverthelake,alone,ghostly,alwaysavoidingthenearapproachoftheboatswhichseemedtobecominginitsdirection。
Nowandthenacircumstancewouldhappenwhichhelpedtokeepinquiryalive。GoodhorsemanshipwasnotsocommonamongtheyoungmenoftheplaceanditsneighborhoodthatMaurice\'saccomplishmentinthatwaycouldbeoverlooked。Iftherewasawickedhorseorawildcoltwhoseownerwasafraidofhim,hewouldbecommendedtoMaurice\'sattention。Paolowouldleadhimtohismasterwithalldueprecaution,——forhehadnoideaofriskinghisneckonthebackofanyill-conditionedbeast,——andMauricewouldfastenonhislongspurs,springintothesaddle,andveryspeedilyteachthecreaturegoodbehavior。Theresoongotaboutastorythathewaswhatthefresh-waterfishermancalled\"oneo\'themwhisperers。”Itisacommonlegendenough,comingfromtheOldWorld,butknowninAmericanhorse-talkingcircles,thatsomepersonswillwhispercertainwordsinahorse\'searwhichwilltamehimifheisaswildandfuriousaseverCruiserwas。Allthisaddedtothemysterywhichsurroundedtheyoungman。Asingleimprobableorabsurdstoryamountstoverylittle,butwhenhalfadozensuchstoriesaretoldaboutthesameindividualorthesameevent,theybegintoproducetheeffectofcredibleevidence。Iftheyearhadbeen1692andtheplacehadbeenSalemVillage,MauriceKirkwoodwouldhaveruntheriskofbeingtreatedliketheReverendGeorgeBurroughs。
MissLuridaVincent\'scuriosityhadbeenintenselyexcitedwithreferencetotheyoungmanofwhomsomanystoriesweretold。ShehadprettynearlyconvincedherselfthathewastheauthorofthepaperonOcean,Lake,andRiver,whichhadbeenreadatoneofthemeetingsofthePansophianSociety。Shewasverydesirousofmeetinghim,ifitwerepossible。Itseemedasifshemight,asSecretaryoftheSociety,requestthecooperationofanyofthevisitors,withoutimpropriety。So,aftermuchdeliberation,shewroteacarefulnote,ofwhichthefollowingisanexactcopy。Herhandwasbold,almostmasculine,acuriouscontrasttothatofEuthymia,whichwasdelicatelyfeminine。
PANSOPHIANSOCIETY。
ARROWHEADVILLAGE,August3,18。
MAURICEKIRKWOOD,ESQ。
DEARSIR,——Youhavereceived,Itrust,acardofinvitationtothemeetingsofourSociety,butIthinkwehavenotyethadthepleasureofseeingyouatanyofthem。Wehavesupposedthatwemightbeindebtedtoyouforapaperreadatthelastmeeting,andlistenedtowithmuchinterest。Asitwasanonymous,wedonotwishtobeinquisitiverespectingitsauthorship;butwedesiretosaythatanypaperskindlysentusbythetemporaryresidentsofourvillagewillbewelcome,andifadaptedtothewantsofourAssociationwillbereadatoneofitsmeetingsorprintedinitsrecords,orperhapsbothreadandprinted。Maywenothopeforyourpresenceatthemeeting,whichistotakeplacenextWednesdayevening?
Respectfullyyours,LURIDAVINCENT,SecretaryofthePansophianSociety。
TothisnotetheSecretaryreceivedthefollowingreply:
MISSLURIDAVINCENT,ARROWHEADVILLAGE,August4,18。
SecretaryofthePansophianSociety:
DEARMISSVINCENT,——Ihavereceivedtheticketyoureferto,anddesiretoexpressmyacknowledgmentsforthepoliteattention。I
regretthatIhavenotbeenandIfearshallnotbeabletoattendthemeetingsoftheSociety;butifanysubjectoccurstomeonwhichIfeelaninclinationtowrite,itwillgivemepleasuretosendapaper,tobedisposedofastheSocietymayseefit。
Veryrespectfullyyours,MAURICEKIRKWOOD。
\"Hesaysnothingabouttheauthorshipofthepaperthatwasreadtheotherevening,\"theSecretarysaidtoherself。\"Nomatter,——hewroteit,——thereisnomistakinghishandwriting。Weknowsomethingabouthim,now,atanyrate。Butwhydoesn\'thecometoourmeetings?Whathashisantipathytodowithhisstayingaway?I
mustfindoutwhathissecretis,andIwill。Idon\'tbelieveit\'sharderthanitwastosolvethatprizeproblemwhichpuzzledsomanyteachers,orthanbeatingCrakowitz,thegreatchess-player。”
Tothisenigma,then,TheTerrordeterminedtobendallthefacultieswhichhadexcitedtheadmirationandsometimestheamazementofthosewhoknewherinherschool-days。Itwasaverydelicatepieceofbusiness;forthoughLuridawasanintrepidwoman\'srightsadvocate,andbelievedshewasentitledtodoalmosteverythingthatmendaredto,sheknewverywelltherewerecertainlimitswhichayoungwomanlikeherselfmustnotpass。
InthemeantimeMauricehadreceivedavisitfromtheyoungstudentattheUniversity,——thesamewhomhehadrescuedfromhisdangerouspredicamentinthelake。Withhimhadcalledoneoftheteachers,——
aninstructorinmodernlanguages,anativeofItaly。MauriceandtheinstructorexchangedafewwordsinItalian。Theyoungmanspokeitwiththeeasewhichimpliedlongfamiliaritywithitsuse。
Aftertheyleft,theinstructoraskedmanycuriousquestionsabouthim,——whohewas,howlonghehadbeeninthevillage,whetheranythingwasknownofhishistory,——alltheseinquirieswithaneagernesswhichimpliedsomespecialandpeculiarreasonfortheinteresttheyevinced。
\"Ifeelsatisfied,\"theinstructorsaid,\"thatIhavemetthatyoungmaninmyowncountry。Itwasanumberofyearsago,andofcoursehehasalteredinappearanceagooddeal;butthereisalookabouthimof——whatshallIcallit?——apprehension,——asifhewerefearingtheapproachofsomethingorsomebody。Ithinkitisthewayamanwouldlookthatwashaunted;youknowwhatImean,——followedbyaspiritorghost。Hedoesnotsuggesttheideaofamurderer,——veryfarfromit;butifhedid,Ishouldthinkhewaseveryminuteinfearofseeingthemurderedman\'sspirit。”
Thestudentwascurious,inhisturn,toknowalltheinstructorcouldrecall。HehadseenhiminRome,hethought,attheFountainofTrevi,wheresomanystrangersgobeforeleavingthecity。Theyouthwasinthecompanyofamanwholookedlikeapriest。Hecouldnotmistakethepeculiarexpressionofhiscountenance,butthatwasallhenowrememberedabouthisappearance。Hisattentionhadbeencalledtothisyoungmanbyseeingthatsomeofthebystanderswerepointingathim,andnoticingthattheywerewhisperingwitheachotherasifwithreferencetohim。Heshouldsaythattheyouthwasatthattimefifteenorsixteenyearsold,andthetimewasabouttenyearsago。
Afterall,thisevidencewasoflittleornovalue。SupposetheyouthwereMaurice;whatthen?WeknowthathehadbeeninItaly,andhadbeenthereagoodwhile,——oratleastweinfersomuchfromhisfamiliaritywiththelanguage,andareconfirmedinthebeliefbyhishavinganItalianservant,whomheprobablybroughtfromItalywhenhereturned。Ifhewrotethepaperwhichwasreadtheotherevening,thatsettlesit,forthewritersayshehadlivedbytheTiber。WemustputthisscrapofevidencefurnishedbytheProfessorwiththeotherscraps;itmayturnoutofsomeconsequence,soonerorlater。Itislikeapieceofadissectedmap;itmeansalmostnothingbyitself,butwhenwefindthepiecesitjoinswithwemaydiscoveraveryimportantmeaninginit。
Inasmall,concentratedcommunitylikethatwhichcentredinandimmediatelyaroundArrowheadVillage,everydaymusthaveitslocalgossipaswellasitsgeneralnews。Thenewspapertellsthesmallcommunitywhatisgoingoninthegreatworld,andthebusytonguesofmaleandfemale,especiallythelatter,fillinwiththeoccurrencesandcommentsoftheever-stirringmicrocosm。ThefactthattheItalian,teacherhad,orthoughthehad,seenMauricetenyearsbeforewascirculatedandmadethemostof,——turnedoverandoverlikeacake,untilitwasthoroughlydoneonbothsidesandallthrough。Itwasaverysmallcake,butbetterthannothing。MissVincentheardthisstory,asothersdid,andtalkedaboutitwithherfriend,MissTower。Herewasonemorefacttohelpalong。
ThetwoyoungladieswhohadrecentlygraduatedattheCorinnaInstituteremained,astheyhadalwaysbeen,intimatefriends。Theywerethenaturalcomplementsofeachother。Euthymiarepresentedacomplete,symmetricalwomanhood。Heroutwardpresencewasonlyanindexofalarge,wholesome,affluentlife。Shecouldnothelpbeingcourageous,withsuchafirmorganization。Shecouldnothelpbeinggenerous,cheerful,active。Shehadbeentoldoftenenoughthatshewasfairtolookupon。SheknewthatshewascalledTheWonderbytheschoolmateswhoweredazzledbyhersingularaccomplishments,butshedidnotovervaluethem。Sherathertendedtodepreciateherowngifts,incomparisonwiththoseofherfriend,MissLuridaVincent。
Thetwoagreedallthebetterfordifferingastheydid。Theoctavemakesaperfectchord,whenshorterintervalsjarmoreorlessontheear。Eachadmiredtheotherwithaheartinesswhichiftheyhadbeenlessunlike,wouldhavebeenimpossible。
Itwasapleasantthingtoobservetheirdependenceoneachother。
TheTerroroftheschoolroomwastheoracleinherrelationswithherfriend。AllthefreedomofmovementwhichTheWondershowedinherbodilyexercisesTheTerrormanifestedintheworldofthought。Shewouldflingopenabook,anddecideinaswiftglancewhetherithadanymessageforher。Herteachershadcomparedherwayofreadingtothetakingofaninstantaneousphotograph。WhenshetookupthefirstbookonPhysiologywhichDr。Buttshandedher,itseemedtohimthatifsheonlyopenedatanyplace,andgaveonelook,herminddrankitsmeaningup,asamoistspongeabsorbswater。\"WhatcanI
dowithsuchacreatureasthis?\"hesaidtohimself。\"Thereisonlyonewaytodealwithher,treatherasonetreatsasilkworm:
giveititsmulberryleaf,anditwillspinitsowncocoon。Giveherthebooks,andshewillspinherownwebofknowledge。”
\"Doyoureallythinkofstudyingmedicine?\"saidDr。Buttstoher。
\"Ihaven\'tmadeupmymindaboutthat,\"sheanswered,\"butIwanttoknowalittlemoreaboutthisterriblemachineryoflifeanddeathwearealltangledin。Iknowsomethingaboutit,butnotenough。I
findsomeverystrangebeliefsamongthewomenImeetwith,andI
wanttobeabletosilencethemwhentheyattempttoproselytemetotheirwhimsandfancies。Besides,Iwanttoknoweverything。”
\"Theytellmeyoudo,already,\"saidDr。Butts。
\"Iamthemostignorantlittlewretchthatdrawsthebreathoflife!\"
exclaimedTheTerror。
Thedoctorsmiled。Heknewwhatitmeant。Shehadreachedthatstageofeducationinwhichthevastdomainoftheunknownopensitsillimitableexpansebeforetheeyesofthestudent。Weneverknowtheextentofdarknessuntilitispartiallyilluminated。
\"YoudidnotleavetheInstitutewiththereputationofbeingthemostignorantyoungladythatevergraduatedthere,\"saidthedoctor。
\"Theytellmeyougotthehighestmarksofanypupilontheirrecordsincetheschoolwasfounded。”
\"Whatagrandthingitwastobethebiggestfishinoursmallaquarium,tobesure!\"answeredTheTerror。\"Hewassixincheslong,themonster,——alittletoobigforbaittocatchapickerelwith!
Whatdidyouhandmethatschoolbookfor?DidyouthinkIdidn\'tknowanythingaboutthehumanbody?\"
\"YousaidyouweresuchanignorantcreatureIthoughtIwouldtryyouwithaneasybook,bywayofintroduction。”
TheTerrorwasnotconfusedbyherapparentself-contradiction。
\"ImeantwhatIsaid,andImeanwhatIsay。WhenItalkaboutmyignorance,Idon\'tmeasuremyselfwithschoolgirls,doctor。Idon\'tmeasuremyselfwithmyteachers,either。YoumusttalktomeasifI
wereaman,agrownman,ifyoumeantoteachmeanything。Whereisyourhat,doctor?Letmetryiton。”
Thedoctorhandedherhiswide-awake。TheTerror\'shairwasnotnaturallyabundant,likeEuthymia\'s,andshekeptitcutrathershort。Herheadusedtogetveryhotwhenshestudiedhard。Shetriedtoputthehaton。
\"Doyouseethat?\"shesaid。\"Icouldn\'twearit——itwouldsqueezemyeyesoutofmyhead。Thebookstoldmethatwomen\'sbrainsweresmallerthanmen\'s:\"perhapstheyare,——mostofthem,——Inevermeasuredagreatmany。Butwhentheytrytosettlewhatwomenaregoodfor,byphrenology,Iliketohavethemputtheirtaperoundmyhead。Idon\'tbelieveintheirnonsense,forallthat。Youmightaswelltellmethatifonehorseweighsmorethananotherhorseheisworthmore,——acart-horsethatweighstwelveorfourteenhundredpoundsbetterthanEclipse,thatmayhaveweighedathousand。Givemealistofthebestbooksyoucanthinkof,andturnmelooseinyourlibrary。IcanfindwhatIwant,ifyouhaveit;andwhatI