The Portland daily press., 1875-02-06
A Victim Of Science.


How my pretty cousin became possessed of
such an unreasoning horror of all the fleece
bearing, mutton producing species, was per-
haps family mystery. But, if like the he
redtary ghost OF our medieval ancestors, its
secret vested in the head OF the house, my jo-
vial and matter-of-fact uncle kept it sacredly
concealed, and, indeed, never gave sign of
having any oppressive weight on his mind.
Since those days have often sought to ac-
count for it according to philosophy and sci
ence. 1 have attributed it to perhaps some
ante-natal impression, calling to mind the
case of King James, who would shiver at the
sight of drawn sword, and who on at least
one memorable occasion poked kneeling
subject in the eye when delivering the knight
" accolade. 1 have even INDUCED in wider
flishts of theory, and traced in Imagination
the lineage of my gentle kinsWoman 10 the
prehistoric wolf of sophisttcal and sanguinary
character, concevng that perhaps she, IN
the deveiopment OF the rice, fod1d irefseiT
carving the burden of expiration for that su-
premelv illogical crime against the lamb that
did not trouble the water. Net that we ever
worried ourselves in that happy time with
such speculations. Far from it. 1t was
enough that Mamie Stuart had apeculiar UNI
reasoning aversion that was all her own.
universal diffusion of knowledge, considered
the mouse venomous and carniverous ami
NAL. from whose attacks it behooved all wom-
ankind to flee to the heights of sofa and pi-
ano.stool with shreks and DISAGREEMENT, my
cousin was moved to similar demonstrations
by the proximity OF the no less harmless
Sheep Indeed, as feminine logic goes, she
had certain amount Of reason on her side,
inasnuch as the sheep is the larger animal,
and in that way truly more formidable. 1t
was simply blind physical or moral horror
rather than fright of terror that seemed to
take possession of the girl whenever she hap
pened to- come near one OF these animals.
There was no sense in it, OF course. But
repulsion existsd as evident as that between
the two opposing poles OF the magnet. had
seen Mamie affected in that way only once
and although joked her numerically about
il. [ soon saw il was no subject for joking.
We had forgotten all about it, in fact, and
but for the occurrence of several accidents,
whose happening shall endeavor to relate in
their proper connection, we might have
passed through life without recalling this
strange idiosyncrasy.
The first was an exhibition which Mamie
made when we were all on a visit OF inspec-
ton at John Lamson's farm. John was a
very good sort of fellow, l suppose. ought
to saw so now, at any rate, after what has
happened for he behaved like man through
it ali, And even in those days the only sin |
could lay at his charge, when brought fairly
to the point, was his great fondness for Ma
mic, or what was still worse in my eyes,
her equally great fondness for John. They
were accepted and acknowledged lovers; and
while | should have considered it a personal
insult had John shown less devotion or failed
in any of these demonstrations CT regard, vol
untary or involuntary, which accompany the
tender passion, it was quite another matter
to see my cou sin give herself up to love
and worship any man-except 1t had been
myself-in such a very unreserved way.
Moreover, Uncle Stuart approved the match.
If he was rich so was John. Nor was the
model farm Ia hobby on which John wasted
enough substance 10 support two -famllies)
sufficiently absorbing to deter the compliment
love from agreeing to settle down, when mar
ried, when married in the city house around
the corner, on the next block, which was to
be the paternal wedding gift. His farm, with
its costly and thoroughbred live stock, was
the only object in life which seemed to inter
est him enough to find any place in his
thoughts along with Mamie. II he had any
particular strength of character, it appeared
to sleep in the easy eXistance he was leading,
taking everything comfortably, not to say easss
ly. He was tolerably good-looking man,
tall, big and blonde, and if any criticism were
to be made of face that seemed hardly
worth the trouble, it would be to the
effect that the forehead was slightly retreat
ing, and the features of the lower part OF the
face somewhat bent or hudded together.
But with his long mustache and his glowing
curly hair, these defects, if they were such,
passed notice entirely. I should probably
have never noticed them but for what hap
pened. L
1t was when John drove us all out one
September afternoon to see his farm that
NJ e. Al IN, 10
memory of her constitutional antipathy to
sheep. / could see the little girl fighting
against it as well as she might, but her resist
ance ended in precipitated flight from the
spot where John was proudly exhibiting his
Cotswolds and South-Downs for our admira-
ton.
"Guess the lady's been butted, sir" said
one of the stock hands, respectfully, touching
hat to John. ''Knowed of just such another
myself. My own sister, sir, was butted when
she was a baby. Never the same since.
Growed up to a woman, and never could
abide the sight of sheep. She Tilted a drover
for nothing else in the world. Married tail
or, sir"
'eWhy didn't you tell rae, Mamie?' said
John, as we all stood around drinking STIR
rup cup of Attorney milk In the diary, where
the trembling girl had taken refuge. 81
wouldo't have had it happen for the world.
That sheep shall be made into mutton to-inor-
row, drawn and quartered for treason.
s'No! don't for anything! exclaimed Ma
mic, now quite recovered. II know L am
silly as silly can be, but can't help it any
more than 1 can help''-and here she appar-
emily made ample amends bv ending her sem
tence in whisper reaching only her lovers
ear. the effect of which was to cause a flush
to rise over his face and smile ofsuch happi-
ness to appear thereon as to turn my soul green
T.. II lr,1a, h0,r IL,
had finished that sentence, explaining her con-
duct by an analogy between unreasoning love
and unreasoning fear, whose application John
at least did not care to question.
GA seeep has been known to bite" re-
marker my uncle, gravely.
Johns next visit to his farm resulted in
real disaster. He came around to. the house
with heaadche, and NAMES pretty per-
sistence in demanding to cosset the big fellow
on the library sofa with handkercheifs and
cologne and such things would have prevailed
over anything but his hobby. There was
soma drainage to be examined before the win
ter SIT in, and although the equinoctial storm
had begun with cherries drizzle, John had
his way and went.
He came home in a shiver. He went to his
bachelor bed with chill which no blankets,
even'wheh'his great coat was added atop OF
his dressing gown, could quell In the morn
omlet mocery. Dressing was to him la
Dor ssiHeJdlesy and the prospect Of going
down town diseful thought. He rested,
faccid,,al day, hot and cold by turns, pro-
testing that he was not sick; but by evening
he displftdhedI his, nah for DIR. Broughton,
and that eminent practitioner needed little of
his skill in diaghosiIy' to determine what was
the when de, found John tossing his long
length on the 1Qupge, spraEling legs and arms
about ia uneasy, MOTION and tumblng his
curly blonde hair. in still, greater confusion.
Albright tomorrow Of'course you will
be, 9tfhs' jfSSy iattef I1pefHaPs.4 Only you
needn't be 10 a hurry, about it, my boy" said
the doctor, as he took leave of the unwilling
patient, whom he.had seen comfortably in bed.
..Doh' Iget yopJselk "a I've got yop between
my thumb and finger now. By-by."
But for all this he had a nurse installed
there before midnight ; and BY herning Johns
feeble protest against being fad With medicine
from strange hand, with which he greeted
the doct6cs assistant, had clanged binto 1.-THE
tightly gable and restless mutterings of semi
delirium. The very sfreagth IF the man
seemed to challenge the power Of the disease
TO do its work quickly and surely"~ fife'fever
seized hin a9f tprtpref hin ravenousy. The