Чорний кіт

           Forthemostwild,yetmosthomelynarrativewhichIamabouttopen,Ineitherexpectnorsolicitbelief. MadindeedwouldIbetoexpectit,inacasewheremyverysensesrejecttheirownevidence. Yet,madamInot—andverysurelydoInotdream. Butto-morrowIdie,andto-dayIwouldunburthenmysoul. Myimmediatepurposeistoplacebeforetheworld,plainly,succinctly,andwithoutcomment,aseriesofmerehouseholdevents. Intheirconsequences,theseeventshaveterrified—havetortured—havedestroyedme. YetIwillnotattempttoexpoundthem.Tome,theyhavepresentedlittlebutHorror—tomanytheywillseemlessterriblethanbaroques. Hereafter,perhaps,someintellectmaybefoundwhichwillreducemyphantasmtothecommon-place—someintellectmorecalm,morelogical, andfarlessexcitablethanmyown,whichwillperceive,inthecircumstancesIdetailwithawe,nothingmorethananordinarysuccessionofverynaturalcausesandeffects. 

           FrommyinfancyIwasnotedforthedocilityandhumanityofmydisposition. Mytendernessofheartwasevensoconspicuousastomakemethejestofmycompanions. Iwasespeciallyfondofanimals,andwasindulgedbymyparentswithagreatvarietyofpets. WiththeseIspentmostofmytime,andneverwassohappyaswhenfeedingandcaressingthem. Thispeculiarofcharactergrewwithmygrowth,andinmymanhood,Iderivedfromitoneofmyprincipalsourcesofpleasure.