Мхи старой усадьбы
Egotism; or, The Bosom Serpent
Strangespectacleinhumanlifewhereitistheinstinctiveeffortofoneandalltohidethosesadrealities,andleavethemundisturbedbeneathaheapofsuperficialtopicswhichconstitutethematerialsofintercoursebetweenmanandman!ItwasnottobetoleratedthatRoderickEllistonshouldbreakthroughthetacitcompactbywhichtheworldhasdoneitsbesttosecurereposewithoutrelinquishingevil.Thevictimsofhismaliciousremarks,itistrue,hadbrothersenoughtokeepthemincountenance;for,byRoderick’stheory,everymortalbosomharboredeitherabroodofsmallserpentsoroneovergrownmonsterthathaddevouredalltherest.Stillthecitycouldnotbearthisnewapostle.Itwasdemandedbynearlyall,andparticularlybythemostrespectableinhabitants,thatRoderickshouldnolongerbepermittedtoviolatethereceivedrulesofdecorumbyobtrudinghisownbosomserpenttothepublicgaze,anddraggingthoseofdecentpeoplefromtheirlurkingplaces.
Accordingly,hisrelativesinterferedandplacedhiminaprivateasylumfortheinsane.Whenthenewswasnoisedabroad,itwasobservedthatmanypersonswalkedthestreetswithfreercountenancesandcoveredtheirbreastslesscarefullywiththeirhands.
Hisconfinement,however,althoughitcontributednotalittletothepeaceofthetown,operatedunfavorablyuponRoderickhimself.Insolitudehismelancholygrewmoreblackandsullen.Hespentwholedays—indeed,itwashissoleoccupation—incommuningwiththeserpent.
