a mortal antipathy-第15部分

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whole　moral　system　may　undergo　when　a　barbarous　belief　has　strangled

the　natural　human　instincts。　　The　physician；　in　the　mean　time；

acquired　for　the　collection　some　of　those　medical　works　where　one　may

find　recorded　various　rare　and　almost　incredible　cases；　which　may　not

have　their　like　for　a　whole　century；　and　then　repeat　themselves；　so

as　to　give　a　new　lease　of　credibility　to　stories　which　had　come　to　be

looked　upon　as　fables。



Both　the　clergyman　and　the　physician　took　a　very　natural　interest　in

the　young　man　who　had　come　to　reside　in　their　neighborhood　for　the

present；　perhaps　for　a　long　period。　　The　rector　would　have　been　glad

to　see　him　at　church。　　He　would　have　liked　more　especially　to　have

had　him　hear　his　sermon　on　the　Duties　of　Young　Men　to　Society。　　The

doctor；　meanwhile；　was　meditating　on　the　duties　of　society　to　young

men；　and　wishing　that　he　could　gain　the　young　man's　confidence；　so　as

to　help　him　out　of　any　false　habit　of　mind　or　any　delusion　to　which

he　might　be　subject；　if　he　had　the　power　of　being　useful　to　him。



Dr。　Butts　was　the　leading　medical　practitioner；　not　only　of　Arrowhead

Village；　but　of　all　the　surrounding　region。　　He　was　an　excellent

specimen　of　the　country　doctor；　self…reliant；　self…sacrificing；

working　a　great　deal　harder　for　his　living　than　most　of　those　who

call　themselves　the　laboring　classes；as　if　none　but　those　whose

hands　were　hardened　by　the　use　of　farming　or　mechanical　implements

had　any　work　to　do。　　He　had　that　sagacity　without　which　learning　is　a

mere　incumbrance；　and　he　had　also　a　fair　share　of　that　learning

without　which　sagacity　is　like　a　traveller　with　a　good　horse；　but　who

cannot　read　the　directions　on　the　guideboards。　　He　was　not　a　man　to

be　taken　in　by　names。　　He　well　knew　that　oftentimes　very　innocent…

sounding　words　mean　very　grave　disorders；　that　all；　degrees　of

disease　and　disorder　are　frequently　confounded　under　the　same　term；

that　〃run　down〃　may　stand　for　a　fatigue　of　mind　or　body　from　which　a

week　or　a　month　of　rest　will　completely　restore　the　over…worked

patient；　or　an　advanced　stage　of　a　mortal　illness；　that　〃seedy〃　may

signify　the　morning's　state　of　feeling；　after　an　evening's　over…

indulgence；　which　calls　for　a　glass　of　soda…water　and　a　cup　of

coffee；　or　a　dangerous　malady　which　will　pack　off　the　subject　of　it；

at　the　shortest　notice；　to　the　south　of　France。　　He　knew　too　well

that　what　is　spoken　lightly　of　as　a　〃nervous　disturbance〃　may　imply

that　the　whole　machinery　of　life　is　in　a　deranged　condition；　and　that

every　individual　organ　would　groan　aloud　if　it　had　any　other　language

than　the　terrible　inarticulate　one　of　pain　by　which　to　communicate

with　the　consciousness。



When；　therefore；　Dr。　Butts　heard　the　word　antipatia　he　did　not　smile；

and　say　to　himself　that　this　was　an　idle　whim；　a　foolish　fancy；　which

the　young　man　had　got　into　his　head。　　Neither　was　he　satisfied　to　set

down　everything　to　the　account　of　insanity；　plausible　as　that

supposition　might　seem。　　He　was　prepared　to　believe　in　some

exceptional；　perhaps　anomalous；　form　of　exaggerated　sensibility；

relating　to　what　class　of　objects　he　could　not　at　present　conjecture；

but　which　was　as　vital　to　the　subject　of　it　as　the　insulating

arrangement　to　a　piece　of　electrical　machinery。　　With　this　feeling　he

began　to　look　into　tho　history　of　antipathies　as　recorded　in　all　the

books　and　journals　on　which　he　could　lay　his　hands。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



The　holder　of　the　Portfolio　asks　leave　to　close　it　for　a　brief

interval。　　He　wishes　to　say　a　few　words　to　his　readers；　before

offering　them　some　verses　which　have　no　connection　with　the　narrative

now　in　progress。



If　one　could　have　before　him　a　set　of　photographs　taken　annually；

representing　the　same　person　as　he　or　she　appeared　for　thirty　or

forty　or　fifty　years；　it　would　be　interesting　to　watch　the　gradual

changes　of　aspect　from　the　age　of　twenty；　or　even　of　thirty　or　forty；

to　that　of　threescore　and　ten。　　The　face　might　be　an　uninteresting

one；　still；　as　sharing　the　inevitable　changes　wrought　by　time；　it

would　be　worth　looking　at　as　it　passed　through　the　curve　of　life；

the　vital　parabola；　which　betrays　itself　in　the　symbolic　changes　of

the　features。　　An　inscription　is　the　same　thing；　whether　we　read　it

on　slate…stone；　or　granite；　or　marble。　　To　watch　the　lights　and

shades；　the　reliefs　and　hollows；　of　a　countenance　through　a　lifetime；

or　a　large　part　of　it；　by　the　aid　of　a　continuous　series　of

photographs　would　not　only　be　curious；　it　would　teach　us　much　more

about　the　laws　of　physiognomy　than　we　could　get　from　casual　and

unconnected　observations。



The　same　kind　of　interest；　without　any　assumption　of　merit　to　be

found　in　them；　I　would　claim　for　a　series　of　annual　poems；　beginning

in　middle　life　and　continued　to　what　many　of　my　correspondents　are

pleased　to　remind　meas　if　I　required　to　have　the　fact　brought　to　my

knowledgeis　no　longer　youth。　　Here　is　the　latest　of　a　series　of

annual　poems　read　during　the　last　thirty…four　years。　　There　seems　to

have　been　one　interruption；　but　there　may　have　been　other　poems　not

recorded　or　remembered。　　This；　the　latest　poem　of　the　series；　was

listened　to　by　the　scanty　remnant　of　what　was　a　large　and　brilliant

circle　of　classmates　and　friends　when　the　first　of　the　long　series

was　read　before　them；　then　in　the　flush　of　ardent　manhood：





　　　　　THE　OLD　SONG。



The　minstrel　of　the　classic　lay

Of　love　and　wine　who　sings

Still　found　the　fingers　run　astray

That　touched　the　rebel　strings。



Of　Cadmus　he　would　fair　have　sung；

Of　Atreus　and　his　line；

But　all　the　jocund　echoes　rung

With　songs　of　love　and　wine。



Ah；　brothers！　　I　would　fair　have　caught

Some　fresher　fancy's　gleam；

My　truant　accents　find；　unsought；

The　old　familiar　theme。



Love；　Love！　but　not　the　sportive　child

With　shaft　and　twanging　bow；

Whose　random　arrows　drove　us　wild

Some　threescore　years　ago；



Not　Eros；　with　his　joyous　laugh；

The　urchin　blind　and　bare；

But　Love；　with　spectacles　and　staff；

And　scanty；　silvered　hair。



Our　heads　with　frosted　locks　are　white；

Our　roofs　are　thatched　with　snow；

But　red；　in　chilling　winter's　spite；

Our　hearts　and　hearthstones　glow。



Our　old　acquaintance；　Time；　drops　in；

And　while　the　running　sands

Their　golden　thread　unheeded　spin；

He　warms　his　frozen　hands。



Stay；　winged　hours；　too　swift；　too　sweet；

And　waft　this　message　o'er

To　all　we　miss；　from　all　we　meet

On　life's　fast…crumbling　shore：



Say　that　to　old　affection　true

We　hug　the　narrowing　chain

That　binds　our　hearts；alas；　how　few

The　links　that　yet　remain！



The　fatal　touch　awaits　them　all

That　turns　the　rocks　to　dust；

》From　year　to　year　they　break　and　fall；

They　break；　but　never　rust。



Say　if　one　note　of　happier　strain

This　worn…out　harp　afford；

One　throb　that　trembles；　not　in　vain；

Their　memory　lent　its　chord。



Say　that　when　Fancy　closed　her　wings

And　Passion　quenched　his　fire；

Love；　Love；　still　echoed　from　the　strings

As　from　Anacreon's　lyre！



January　8；　1885。









VII



A　RECORD　OF　ANTIPATHIES



In　thinking　the　whole　matter　over；　Dr。　Butts　felt　convinced　that；

with　care　and　patience　and　watching　his　opportunity；　he　should　get　at

the　secret；　which　so　far　bad　yielded　nothing　but　a　single　word。　　It

might　be　asked　why　he　was　so　anxious　to　learn　what；　from　all

appearances；　the　young　stranger　was　unwilling　to　explain。　　He　may

have　been　to　some　extent　infected　by　the　general　curiosity　of　the

persons　around　him；　in　which　good　Mrs。　Butts　shared；　and　which　she

had　helped　to　intensify　by　revealing　the　word　dropped　by　Paolo。　　But

this　was　not　really　his　chief　motive。　　He　could　not　look　upon　this

young　man；　living　a　life　of　unwholesome　solitude；　without　a　natural

desire　to　do　all　that　his　science　and　his　knowledge　of　human　nature

could　help　him　to　do　towards　bringing　him　into　healthy　relations　with

the　world　about　him。　　Still；　he　would　not　intrude　upon　him　in　any

way。　　He　would　only　make　certain　general　investigations；　which　might

prove　serviceable　in　case　circumstances　should　give　him　the　right　to

counsel　the　young　man　as　to　his　course　of　life。　　The　first　thing　to

be　done　was　to　study　systematically　the　whole　subject　of　antipathies。

Then；　if　any　further　occasion　offered　itself；　he　would　be　ready　to

take　advantage　of　it。　　The　resources　of　the　Public　Library　of　the

place　and　his　own　private　collection　were　put　in　requisition　to

furnish　him　the　singular　and　widely　scattered　facts　of　which　he　was

in　search。



It　is　not　every　reader　who　will　care　to　follow　Dr。　Butts　in　his　study

of　the　natural　history　of　antipathies。　　The　stories　told　about　them

are；　however；　very　curious；　and　if　some　of　them　may　be　questioned；

there　is　no　doubt　that　many　of　the　strangest　are　true；　and

consequently　take　away　from　the　improbability　of　others　which　we　are

disposed　to　doubt。



But　in　the　first　place；　what　do　we　mean　by　an　antipathy？　　It　is　an

aversion　to　some　object；　which　may　vary　in　degree　from　mere　dislike

to　mortal　horror。　　What　the　cause　of　this　aversion　is　we　cannot　say。

It　acts　sometimes　through　the　senses；　sometimes　through　the

imagination；　sometimes　through　an　unknown　channel。　　The　relations

which　exist　between　the　human　being　and　all　that　surrounds　him　vary

in　consequence　of　some　adjustment　peculiar　to　each　individual。　　The

brute　fact　is　expressed　in　the　phrase　〃One　man's　meat　is　another

man's　poison。〃



In　studying　the　history　of　antipathies　the　doctor　began　with　those

referable　to　the　sense　of　taste；　which　are　among　the　most　common。　　In

any　collection　of　a　hundred　persons　there　will　be　found　those　who

cannot　make　use　of　certain　articles　of　food　generally　acceptable。

This　may　be　from　the　disgust　they　occasion　or　the　effects　they　have

been　found　to　produce。　　Every　one　knows　individuals　who　cannot

venture　on　honey；　or　cheese；　or　veal；　with