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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.

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