a mortal antipathy-第1章

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A　Mortal　Antipathy



by　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes；　Sr。








PREFACE。



〃A　MORTAL　ANTIPATHY〃　was　a　truly　hazardous　experiment。　　A　very　wise

and　very　distinguished　physician　who　is　as　much　at　home　in　literature

as　he　is　in　science　and　the　practice　of　medicine；　wrote　to　me　in

referring　to　this　story：　〃I　should　have　been　afraid　of　my　subject。〃

He　did　not　explain　himself；　but　I　can　easily　understand　that　he　felt

the　improbability　of　the；　physiological　or　pathological　occurrence　on

which　the　story　is　founded　to　be　so　great　that　the　narrative　could

hardly　be　rendered　plausible。　　I　felt　the　difficulty　for　myself　as

well　as　for　my　readers；　and　it　was　only　by　recalling　for　our

consideration　a　series　of　extraordinary　but　well…authenticated　facts

of　somewhat　similar　character　that　I　could　hope　to　gain　any　serious

attention　to　so　strange　a　narrative。



I　need　not　recur　to　these　wonderful　stories。　　There　is；　however；　one；

not　to　be　found　on　record　elsewhere；　to　which　I　would　especially　call

the　reader's　attention。　　It　is　that　of　the　middle…aged　man；　who

assured　me　that　he　could　never　pass　a　tall　hall　clock　without　an

indefinable　terror。　　While　an　infant　in　arms　the　heavy　weight　of　one

of　these　tall　clocks　had　fallen　with　aloud　crash　and　produced　an

impression　on　his　nervous　system　which　he　had　never　got　over。



The　lasting　effect　of　a　shock　received　by　the　sense　of　sight　or　that

of　hearing　is　conceivable　enough。



But　there　is　another　sense；　the　nerves　of　which　are　in　close　relation

with　the　higher　organs　of　consciousness。　　The　strength　of　the

associations　connected　with　the　function　of　the　first　pair　of　nerves；

the　olfactory；　is　familiar　to　most　persons　in　their　own　experience

and　as　related　by　others。　　Now　we　know　that　every　human　being；　as

well　as　every　other　living　organism；　carries　its　own　distinguishing

atmosphere。　　If　a　man's　friend　does　not　know　it；　his　dog　does；　and

can　track　him　anywhere　by　it。　　This　personal　peculiarity　varies　with

the　age　and　conditions　of　the　individual。　　It　may　be　agreeable　or

otherwise；　a　source　of　attraction　or　repulsion；　but　its　influence　is

not　less　real；　though　far　less　obvious　and　less　dominant；　than　in　the

lower　animals。　　It　was　an　atmospheric　impression　of　this　nature　which

associated　itself　with　a　terrible　shock　experienced　by　the　infant

which　became　the　subject　of　this　story。　　The　impression　could　not　be

outgrown；　but　it　might　possibly　be　broken　up　by　some　sudden　change　in

the　nervous　system　effected　by　a　cause　as　potent　as　the　one　which　had

produced　the　disordered　condition。



This　is　the　best　key　that　I　can　furnish　to　a　story　which　must　have

puzzled　some；　repelled　others；　and　failed　to　interest　many　who　did

not　suspect　the　true　cause　of　the　mysterious　antipathy。



BEVERLY　FARMS；　MASS。；　August；　1891。



O。　　W。　　H。













A　MORTAL　ANTIPATHY。



FIRST　OPENING　OF　THE　NEW　PORTFOLIO。



INTRODUCTION。



〃And　why　the　New　Portfolio；　I　would　ask？〃



Pray；　do　you　remember；　when　there　was　an　accession　to　the　nursery　in

which　you　have　a　special　interest；　whether　the　new…comer　was　commonly

spoken　of　as　a　baby？　　Was　it　not；　on　the　contrary；　invariably；　under

all　conditions；　in　all　companies；　by　the　whole　household；　spoken　of

as　the　baby？　　And　was　the　small　receptacle　provided　for　it　commonly

spoken　of　as　a　cradle；　or　was　it　not　always　called　the　cradle；　as　if

there　were　no　other　in　existence？



Now　this　New　Portfolio　is　the　cradle　in　which　I　am　to　rock　my

new…born　thoughts；　and　from　which　I　am　to　lift　them　carefully　and

show　them　to　callers；　namely；　to　the　whole　family　of　readers

belonging　to　my　list　of　intimates；　and　such　other　friends　as　may　drop

in　by　accident。　　And　so　it　shall　have　the　definite　article；　and　not

be　lost　in　the　mob　of　its　fellows　as　a　portfolio。



There　are　a　few　personal　and　incidental　matters　of　which　I　wish　to

say　something　before　reaching　the　contents　of　the　Portfolio；　whatever

these　may　be。　　I　have　had　other　portfolios　before　this；two；　more

especially；　and　the　first　thing　I　beg　leave　to　introduce　relates　to

these。



Do　not　throw　this　volume　down；　or　turn　to　another　page；　when　I　tell

you　that　the　earliest　of　them；　that　of　which　I　now　am　about　to　speak；

was　opened　more　than　fifty　years　ago。　　This　is　a　very　dangerous

confession；　for　fifty　years　make　everything　hopelessly　old…fashioned；

without　giving　it　the　charm　of　real　antiquity。　　If　I　could　say　a

hundred　years；　now；　my　readers　would　accept　all　I　had　to　tell　them

with　a　curious　interest；　but　fifty　years　ago；there　are　too　many

talkative　old　people　who　know　all　about　that　time；　and　at　best　half　a

century　is　a　half…baked　bit　of　ware。　　A　coin…fancier　would　say　that

your　fifty…year…old　facts　have　just　enough　of　antiquity　to　spot　them

with　rust；　and　not　enough　to　give　themthe　delicate　and　durable

patina　which　is　time's　exquisite　enamel。



When　the　first　Portfolio　was　opened　the　coin　of　the　realm　bore　for

its　legend；or　might　have　borne　if　the　more　devout　hero…worshippers

could　have　had　their　way；Andreas　Jackson；　Populi　Gratia；　Imp。

Caesrzr。　　Aug。　　Div。；　Max。；　etc。；　etc。　　I　never　happened　to　see　any

gold　or　silver　with　that　legend；　but　the　truth　is　I　was　not　very

familiarly　acquainted　with　the　precious　metals　at　that　period　of　my

career；　and；　there　might　have　been　a　good　deal　of　such　coin　in

circulation　without　my　handling　it；　or　knowing　much　about　it。



Permit　me　to　indulge　in　a　few　reminiscences　of　that　far…off　time。



In　those　days　the　Athenaeum　Picture　Gallery　was　a　principal　centre　of

attraction　to　young　Boston　people　and　their　visitors。　　Many　of　us　got

our　first　ideas　of　art；　to　say　nothing　of　our　first　lessons　in　the

comparatively　innocent　flirtations　of　our　city's　primitive　period；　in

that　agreeable　resort　of　amateurs　and　artists。



How　the　pictures　on　those　walls　in　Pearl　Street　do　keep　their　places

in　the　mind's　gallery！　　Trumbull's　Sortie　of　Gibraltar；　with　red

enough　in　it　for　one　of　our　sunset　after…glows；　and　Neagle's　full…

length　portrait　of　the　blacksmith　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　and　Copley's

long…waistcoated　gentlemen　and　satin…clad　ladies；they　looked　like

gentlemen　and　ladies；　too；　and　Stuart's　florid　merchants　and　high…

waisted　matrons；　and　Allston's　lovely　Italian　scenery　and　dreamy；

unimpassioned　women；　not　forgetting　Florimel　in　full　flight　on　her

interminable　rocking…horse；you　may　still　see　her　at　the　Art　Museum；

and　the　rival　landscapes　of　Doughty　and　Fisher；　much　talked　of　and

largely　praised　in　those　days；　and　the　Murillo；not　from　Marshal

Soup's　collection；　and　the　portrait　of　Annibale　Caracci　by　himself；

which　cost　the　Athenaeum　a　hundred　dollars；　and　Cole's　allegorical

pictures；　and　his　immense　and　dreary　canvas；　in　which　the　prostrate

shepherds　and　the　angel　in　Joseph's　coat　of　many　colors　look　as　if

they　must　have　been　thrown　in　for　nothing；　and　West's　brawny　Lear

tearing　his　clothes　to　pieces。　　But　why　go　on　with　the　catalogue；

when　most　of　these　pictures　can　be　seen　either　at　the　Athenaeum

building　in　Beacon　Street　or　at　the　Art　Gallery；　and　admired　or

criticised　perhaps　more　justly；　certainly　not　more　generously；　than

in　those　earlier　years　when　we　looked　at　them　through　the　japanned

fish…horns？



If　one　happened　to　pass　through　Atkinson　Street　on　his　way　to　the

Athenaeum；　he　would　notice　a　large；　square；　painted；　brick　house；　in

which　lived　a　leading　representative　of　old…fashioned　coleopterous

Calvinism；　and　from　which　emerged　one　of　the　liveliest　of　literary

butterflies。　　The　father　was　editor　of　the　〃Boston　Recorder；〃　a　very

respectable；　but　very　far　from　amusing　paper；　most　largely　patronized

by　that　class　of　the　community　which　spoke　habitually　of　the　first

day　of　the　week　as　〃the　Sahbuth。〃　　The　son　was　the　editor　of　several

different　periodicals　in　succession；　none　of　them　over　severe　or

serious；　and　of　many　pleasant　books；　filled　with　lively　descriptions

of　society；　which　be　studied　on　the　outside　with　a　quick　eye　for　form

and　color；　and　with　a　certain　amount　of　sentiment；　not　very　deep；　but

real；　though　somewhat　frothed　over　by　his　worldly　experiences。



Nathaniel　Parker　Willis　was　in　full　bloom　when　I　opened　my　first

Portfolio。　　He　had　made　himself　known　by　his　religious　poetry；

published　in　his　father's　paper；　I　think；　and　signed　〃Roy。〃　　He　had

started　the　〃　American　Magazine；〃　afterwards　merged　in　the　New　York

Mirror。〃　　He　had　then　left　off　writing　scripture　pieces；　and　taken　to

lighter　forms　of　verse。　　He　had　just　written



　　　　　　　　　〃I'm　twenty…two；　I'm　twenty…two；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　They　idly　give　me　joy；

　　　　　　　　　　As　if　I　should　be　glad　to　know

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　I　was　less　a　boy。〃



He　was　young；　therefore；　and　already　famous。　　He　came　very　near　being

very　handsome。　　He　was　tall；　his　hair；　of　light　brown　color；　waved　in

luxuriant　abundance；　his　cheek　was　as　rosy　as　if　it　had　been　painted

to　show　behind　the　footlights；　he　dressed　with　artistic　elegance。　　He

was　something　between　a　remembrance　of　Count　D'Orsay　and　an

anticipation　of　Oscar　Wilde。　　There　used　to　be　in　the　gallery　of　the

Luxembourg　a　picture　of　Hippolytus　and　Phxdra；　in　which　the　beautiful

young　man；　who　had　kindled　a　passion　in　the　heart　of　his　wicked　step…

mother；　always　reminded　me　of　Willis；　in　spite　of　the　shortcomings　of

the　living　face　as　compared　with　the　ideal。　　The　painted　youth　is

still　blooming　on　the　canvas；　but　the　fresh…cheecked；　jaunty　young

author　of　the　year　1830　has　long　faded　out　of　human　sight。　　I　took

the　leaves　which　lie　before　me　at　this　moment；　as　I　write；　from　his

coffin；　as　it　lay　just　outside　the　door　of　Saint　Paul's　Church；　on　a

sad；　overclouded　winter's　day；　in　the　year　1867。　　At　that　earlier

time；　Willis　was　by　far　the　most　prominent　young　American　author。

Cooper；　Irving；　Bryant；　Dana；　Halleck；　Drake；　had　all　done　their　best

work。　　Longfellow　was　not　yet　conspicuous。　　Lowell　was　a　school…boy。

Emerson　was　unheard　of。　　Whittier　was　beginning　to　make　his　way

against　the　writers　with　better　educational　advantages　whom　he　was

destined　to　outdo　and　to　outlive。　　Not　one　of　the　great　histories；

which　have　done　honor　to　our　literature；　had　appeared。　　Our　school…

books　depended；　so　far　as　American　authors　were　concerned；　on

extracts　from　the　orations　and　speeches　of　Webster　and　Everett；　on

Bryant's　Thanatopsis；　his　lines　To　a　Waterfowl；　and　the　Death　of　the

Flowers；　Halleck's　Marco　Bozzaris；　Red　Jacket；　and　Burns；　on　Drake's

American　Flag；　and　Percival's　Coral　Grove；　and　his　Genius　Sleeping

and　Genius　Waking；and　not　getting　very　wide　awake；　either。　　These

could　be　depended　upon。　　A　few　other　copies　of　verses　might　be　found；

but　Dwight's　〃Columbia；　Columbia；〃　and　Pierpont's　Airs　of　Palestine；

were　already　effaced；　as　many　of　the　favorites　of　our　own　day　and

generation　must　soon　be；　by　the　great　wave　which　the　near　future　will

pour　over　the　sands　in　which　they　still　are