До Адама

           Shechatteredandscreamed,andscoldeddownatthebristling,tooth-gnashingcirclethathadgatheredbeneath.I,too,trembling,peereddownattheangrybeastsanddidmybesttoimitatemymother’scries.

           Fromthedistancecamesimilarcries,onlypitcheddeeper,intoasortofroaringbass.Thesegrewmomentarilylouder,andsoonIsawhimapproaching,myfather—atleast,byalltheevidenceofthetimes,Iamdriventoconcludethathewasmyfather.

           Hewasnotanextremelyprepossessingfather,asfathersgo.Heseemedhalfman,andhalfape,andyetnotape,andnotyetman.Ifailtodescribehim.Thereisnothinglikehimto-dayontheearth,undertheearth,norintheearth.Hewasalargemaninhisday,andhemusthaveweighedallofahundredandthirtypounds.Hisfacewasbroadandflat,andtheeyebrowsover-hungtheeyes.Theeyesthemselvesweresmall,deep-set,andclosetogether.Hehadpracticallynonoseatall.Itwassquatandbroad,apparentlywith-outanybridge,whilethenostrilswereliketwoholesintheface,openingoutwardinsteadofdown.

           Theforeheadslantedbackfromtheeyes,andthehairbeganrightattheeyesandranupoverthehead.Theheaditselfwaspreposterouslysmallandwassupportedonanequallypreposterous,thick,shortneck.

           Therewasanelementaleconomyabouthisbody—aswasthereaboutallourbodies.Thechestwasdeep,itistrue,cavernouslydeep;buttherewerenofull-swellingmuscles,nowide-spreadingshoulders,noclean-limbedstraightness,nogeneroussymmetryofoutline.