登陆注册
5287900000001

第1章 Preface(1)

"A new Preface" is, I find, promised with my story. If there are any among my readers who loved Aesop's Fables chiefly on account of the Moral appended, they will perhaps be pleased to turn backward and learn what I have to say here.

This tale forms a natural sequence to a former one, which some may remember, entitled "Elsie Venner." Like that,--it is intended for two classes of readers, of which the smaller one includes the readers of the "Morals" in Aesop and of this Preface.

The first of the two stories based itself upon an experiment which some thought cruel, even on paper. It imagined an alien element introduced into the blood of a human being before that being saw the light. It showed a human nature developing itself in conflict with the ophidian characteristics and instincts impressed upon it during the pre-natal period. Whether anything like this ever happened, or was possible, mattered little: it enabled me, at any rate, to suggest the limitations of human responsibility in a simple and effective way.

The story which follows comes more nearly within the range of common experience. The successive development of inherited bodily aspects and habitudes is well known to all who have lived long enough to see families grow up under their own eyes. The same thing happens, but less obviously to common observation, in the mental and moral nature.

There is something frightful in the way in which not only characteristic qualities, but particular manifestations of them, are repeated from generation to generation. Jonathan Edwards the younger tells the story of a brutal wretch in New Haven who was abusing his father, when the old man cried out, "Don't drag me any further, for Idid n't drag my father beyond this tree." [ The original version of this often-repeated story may be found in Aristotle's Ethics, Book 7th, Chapter 7th.] I have attempted to show the successive evolution of some inherited qualities in the character of Myrtle Hazard, not so obtrusively as to disturb the narrative, but plainly enough to be kept in sight by the small class of preface-readers.

If I called these two stories Studies of the Reflex Function in its higher sphere, I should frighten away all but the professors and the learned ladies. If I should proclaim that they were protests against the scholastic tendency to shift the total responsibility of all human action from the Infinite to the finite, I might alarm the jealousy of the cabinet-keepers of our doctrinal museums. By saying nothing about it, the large majority of those whom my book reaches, not being preface-readers, will never suspect anything to harm them beyond the simple facts of the narrative.

Should any professional alarmist choose to confound the doctrine of limited responsibility with that which denies the existence of any self-determining power, he may be presumed to belong to the class of intellectual half-breeds, of which we have many representatives in our new country, wearing the garb of civilization, and even the gown of scholarship. If we cannot follow the automatic machinery of nature into the mental and moral world, where it plays its part as much as in the bodily functions, without being accused of laying "all that we are evil in to a divine thrusting on," we had better return at once to our old demonology, and reinstate the Leader of the Lower House in his time-honored prerogatives.

As fiction sometimes seems stranger than truth, a few words may be needed here to make some of my characters and statements appear probable. The long-pending question involving a property which had become in the mean time of immense value finds its parallel in the great De Haro land-case, decided in the Supreme Court while this story was in progress (May 14th, 1867). The experiment of breaking the child's will by imprisonment and fasting is borrowed from a famous incident, happening long before the case lately before one of the courts of a neighboring Commonwealth, where a little girl was beaten to death because she would not say her prayers. The mental state involving utter confusion of different generations in a person yet capable of forming a correct judgment on other matters, is almost a direct transcript from nature. I should not have ventured to repeat the questions of the daughters of the millionaires to Myrtle Hazard about her family conditions, and their comments, had not a lady of fortune and position mentioned to me a similar circumstance in the school history of one of her own children. Perhaps I should have hesitated in reproducing Myrtle Hazard's "Vision," but for a singular experience of his own related to me by the late Mr.

Forceythe Willson.

同类推荐
  • 运甓漫稿

    运甓漫稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 物不迁正量证

    物不迁正量证

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 科南本涅槃经

    科南本涅槃经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医学读书记

    医学读书记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 瘟疫门

    瘟疫门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 不倒翁

    不倒翁

    小说以国有企业上世纪九十年代以来国有企业改革为背景,通过主人公经历的与不同领导的工作交往,不同工作风格、秉性、作风,如何与不同上司打交道工作学问和艺术,透过企业在发展中经历的挫折、艰辛和困难,从一个侧面反映了社会在不断发展与进步中存在的弊病。小说叙说的故事同时也是国有企业办公室工作人员的现实借鉴。本书为第一届海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛入围作品。
  • 弃妃弑君

    弃妃弑君

    女主身怀奇技,持有二十五件亘古神器之一的神琴,十分强悍冷漠,为保护百万族人,完成使命,不择手段,极端腹黑心狠手辣。不求得到天下人的称赞,只愿能与心爱的男子们把酒言欢,笑看风云。
  • 生财有道之欢脱世子妃

    生财有道之欢脱世子妃

    额,穿越了,原主是个踢飞庶妹、气死祖母、毒害亲夫、勾搭小叔的京城第一恶女。重活一世,她发誓,要做一个三从四德的封建社会主义五好女青年,亲人是宝,病夫是爷,银两钞票是心头好,上辈子的风流奸夫是狗尾巴草。先卖化妆品,再教健身操,前凸后翘领新潮,饭馆酒楼紧随后。黄金白银哗哗来,赚钱驭夫两不误,古语有云,一切不以玩乐为目的的穿越都是耍流氓。病夫婉言拒婚怎么办?三十六计攻心为上。奸夫垂涎怎么办?小鬼捣乱怎么办?人不犯我、我不犯人,人若犯我、先还一针!精彩抢先看:片段一:大殿威武,金龙盘踞。病夫声线清冷如泉:“小臣病体残躯,如何能配得上将军千金,还请皇上收回成命,让谢小姐另择良配。”某女:哎,别介呀,人家是真心喜欢你的!众人?某女一本正经继续念叨:您看您剑眉星目、仪表堂堂、风姿清贵、举世无双、人见人爱、花见花开,我这心里别提有多满意了,您放心,暖被窝刷马桶做点心我样样都会,还有,我吃苦耐劳好生养,算命先生说有旺夫相,您哪能往门外推呢。”众人凌乱,某男石化。片段二:侍卫甲:“昨夜二公子听墙角到大半夜。”某男:“嗯?”沉思后,低语道:“听得到吃不着的感觉想必不好,去宜春院买两个漂亮姑娘洗干净了送过去。”侍卫甲:“这样会不会不太好?””嗯?”某男视线秒杀,侍卫甲大囧而逃。片段三:看见在床榻上爬来爬去乐此不疲的小肉团,某女一本正经的回头,略带苦恼的开口:“这都会爬了,咱是不是应该给他起个小名,宝宝、宝宝的叫太不庄重了?”某男(将她一把捞进怀里)”嗯,你看叫个什么好?“某女若有所思:“酱油?怎么样?“某男(一脸正经)试探开口:”要不,还是叫酱菜吧。”侍卫甲(一脸黑线)果然,主子在跟着媳妇缺心眼的道路上已经一去不复返了。·············本文主打温情路线,男女身心干净,一生一世一双人。略带节奏感的抽风搞笑宠文。女主跳脱活泼极为护短,男主清冷沉静,有时腹黑有时略萌,存稿充足,亲爱滴们,欢迎跳坑。
  • 误惹无情冷总裁(全本)

    误惹无情冷总裁(全本)

    出差提前回来,看到两个人--一个是即将与自己举行婚礼的未婚夫,另一个则是同窗七年的好朋友。痛彻心肺又如何,日子还是一样的要过。用堆积如山的公事,把自己的伤心摒弃在心门之外。却在因为抢着拿全勤奖的时候,错坐了总裁的专用电梯。难道她把那位传说中的冰山总裁惹毛了吗?MYGOD,她不是故意的!可是这位总裁先生却在拒绝了无数名门淑女之后,挑中了她,荣登--总裁情人的宝座。既然是我的,就不许你再和别的男人有什么纠葛!冰山总裁冷冷地宣布守则第一条……=================================================
  • 中情局绝密档案之希特勒性格分析报告

    中情局绝密档案之希特勒性格分析报告

    希特勒无疑是20世纪最为争议的人物之一。他出身草根,却从列伍小兵,一跃成为帝国统帅,飞扬跋扈,不可一世,纵使往日君临天下的帝王也无法比拟。他对“臣下”颐指气使,唯我独尊,同时又草菅人命,以致整个欧洲流血千里。其口若悬河、滔滔不绝的“绝世”演讲天赋,居然能“忽悠”千百万的德国民众狂热不已,将其看成帝国振兴的人选。希特勒是什么样的人,希特勒有什么样的内心世界?从这份中情局专门提交给美国决策高层的秘密报告中,读者将能获得彻底的了解。
  • 诗人谷子(中国好小说)

    诗人谷子(中国好小说)

    柴街税务局有一个名叫谷子的青年税务员,一头披肩长发、一条白绸长围巾、一口标准普通话是他诗人的标志,因热爱读诗、写诗,经常带着帮他打印自己所作诗的女朋友去到王金,一位被他称为“乡土诗人”的朋友的住处讨论诗。然而他对诗的热爱并没有得到大家的支持与理解,最终,在春节来临之际,他提着行李告别了西城,选择一人远行,踏上了寻找诗之世界的道路。
  • 重生校园之金牌商女

    重生校园之金牌商女

    前世,天天被人辱,日日被人欺,亲戚看不起,朋友耍心机!母亲大哥相继早逝,她咬紧牙根,独自一人在逆境中求生存,却终究只活了二十六年!在睁眼,一切竟回到了十二年前。忍气吞声,重蹈覆辙?若一切都无法改变,她重活这一回又有何用!逆天命数,异能初现,谁能阻止她的脚步?人前,她是被同学孤立,性格漠然的普通学生。人后,她步步为营,运筹了一张璀璨非凡的商业大网。
  • 极限脉魂

    极限脉魂

    在世界的另一面中,允满着黑暗,凶魂横行。英勇的猎人在黑暗与光明中穿棱,不断猎杀凶魂,将之堕入永久的封印之中。猎魂白虎族二少逆袭就此展开。
  • 史上最苟系统

    史上最苟系统

    穿越者石坚本以为有了系统,就可以称王称霸,当爷做祖,拳打武林,脚踢江湖。可他万万没想到,自己这破系统不想着帮他走上人生巅峰,迎娶白富美,称霸武林,反而逼着他当个伏地魔,苟且偷生,猥琐偷鸡!不行,当个lyb,还怎么找女盆友!这是个一心想靠系统开挂走上人生巅峰的男人遇上个不给力的系统,磕磕绊绊闯荡江湖的故事!
  • 巨星的彪悍媳妇

    巨星的彪悍媳妇

    毕悠一直认为自己是不幸的,被师尊坑,被对手坑,末了还被贼老天坑,坑就坑,可把她坑到尘世间算怎么回事啊!活了二十多年,储备一直以为自己灰常幸运,殷实的家境,前世的记忆,可这一切在一次出街,全变得辣么苍白。因为,他遇到了此时最大的幸运……