The sun., 1893-06-11

| Quite recently one OF these charming fbber
| remarked; Really this Lombroso must b
very old or very ugly. or at least the lsdie
must have treated him very badly for him T.
attack us as he has done" Well. IL is not cas-
| to know II the good Professor may have ha,
reasons in the past to complain OF feminin
cruelty; but, at any rate. In the present he On,
have no motive for desiring better treatmen
from the other sex than he receives at least a
home. for this man. SO cruel In his verdict to
one half OF mankind. this scarecrow Of tende
mothers. is In his own homo an adored nnt
adorinR husband and father he Is even Iittl,
henpecked.
Lombroso Is specially devoted to his two
dauRhters-his two babies rs he calls them
two high-mtnded. characteristic types O.
Hebrew women. devoted to their house nnt
family. Clever girls they are. too. who
nevertheless. do not despise household arts
who look after tho kitchen. and themselves
prepare the dishes their father prefers, and
when ne comes home to dinner. prepare
MS slippers for him. the wrap for his feet. and
put mis- spectacles roady beside his place
Paola. the eldest Is particularly bright, with a
toueh OF originality, n reflex OF the paternal
genius. 1t is she who holps him witlft his
work. translating and writing for him. She
also writes we'll on her own account lively
sketch OF hers has appeared in one Of the Ital
Ian literary papers. in which she recounted
with roguish vivacity the scenes in the house.
mold on those mornings whom the learned Pro-
fessor shaves his learned chin. As We read
the sketch. We nsk ourselves is this indeed
the man whom tho ladies' represent as 80 tor
rible. SO like heartless surgeon, such cynic
iaokinR in respect, such an overthrower Of all
faith and illusions? In those short pnges
where We behold him in the privacy of his
home he reveals himself as q good man. a
worthy burgher. an indulgent father, who
ehaves his own beard. thing Italians rarely
40. because. rs he says. since the invention OF
microbes the razors OF the barber seem to him
to be Immense disseminators Of micro organ
isms. And his girls have to help him during
this operation: the ono has to prepare the
towel and the soap. while the other reads
aloud to him during the tedious process.
stanley's Travels was tho book read while the
sketch was written.
Lombroso is exceedingly simple in his tastes.
He Is q great lover Of fruit: vine no drinks but
little. In his Idle moments he likes to read
the feuilletons OF the newspapers. Like Dar-
win no enjoys novel with q complicated and
dramatic plot This may perhaps be from ten
der remembrance OF his youth. when ut four
teen years OF age he wrote reams OF tragedies.
Like many scientific mon no does not care
greatly for music. or authors he prefors
those who mix art with science. Zola, for OK
ample. although as q rule he dlslikes the
French and everything French. and will not
admit that that nation has any great qualities.
He is great admirer OF Max Nordau, over
whose books he WAKES enthusiastic, who
Is In his turn great admirer Of Lombroso. and
has dedicated to him his last book. THE De-
generate" remarkable thing In Lombroso
n al mi yhor
and like Napoleon he can go off immed lately.
Frequently he will feel the need OF a few mo.
ments repose. friend who was at dinner
with him lately relates that directly after the
soup had been served. Lombroso said. Excuse
me. but must take a short nap" He arose,
threw himself into an armchair. and slept for
exactly four minutes. after which he returned
refreshed to tho table.
He works with the same facility. To most
men 1t seems both impossible and useless to
sit down to their study tabl" unless they can
remain there for several hours consecutively.
For Lombroso. with his elasticity and really
readiness In adapting his thoughts
odd moments suffice. He often returns homo
a few minutes before dinner and will go to his
study and continue the page he has left inter-
rupted In the morning. Possibly this may ac-
count for some little disconnection in his |
riety which 80 pleases and attracts in his |
works. 1t is simple life he leads. divided be- |
tween his house. his laboratory. and the |
schools He lives In a modest but elegant |
apartment. His study table is O disorderly |
mass OF papers. books manuscripts. pal phlets, |
and sketches. There he writes his works. in |
the minute indecipherable handwriting which |
nakos the head printer OF the firm OF Bocca,
his pu ublishers. so necessary to him. for he Is
he only man who can read rapidly Lombroso's
md completes the often uncompleted phrases
He not only reads Lom-
oroso's manuscripts. but corrects the errors
which have escaped the pen Of tho Professor
n the haste OF writing. The post. too. con-
ributes greatly to augment the disorder OF
his study table for 1t brings daily an i'm
nense quantity OF newspapers from all parts
II the world in which Lombroso is spoken OF.
IS well as letters written by scientific friends
,r studious men asking for information. Then.
90. there come those letters from unknown
riends Of celebrated men. who write them
onG and laudatory epistles: there come also
hose malicious letters. written by testers who
augh at Lombroso behind his back and whom
le has learned, only too we'll to doubt They
ecount strange things OF their own invention.
4 ferocious delinquency. Of frightful psyche
ogical anomalies. Others who have moro
ime than wits at thoir disposal. make him
TRANCE proposals. Thus some time ago a
herman living in Milan offered to let Lom-
roso examine. as great psychological curl
slty. the handwriting OF eighty letters ad-
ressed to Mascagni when he was at Vienna,
skiing him for his autograph.
Lombroso rarely leaves his house except to
% to his publishers or to the la horatory. two
m all rooms stocked full OF skulls adjacent to
ho hall In which no gives his lectures. He Is
'rofessor OF forensic medicine. and frequently
is lectures Will consist in presenting before |
is pupils md describing some delinquent |
Ie naturally knows q great many as he Is
MUSICIAN to the prisons. and this has brought |
i'm into connection with vaRabonds habitunl
hieyes and those who arc constantly In pris-
n. These follows salute him in the street. |
nd with their native cynicism say to him. |
We shall soon meet again. eh. .SiGnor Pro-
,ssor2" alluding to their speedy return to
rison Those OF tho lunatics Lomhroso has
pown or attended In tho asylums are called
! to serve as living specimens at his lectures.
nd arc shown before a humorous audience. |
this audience is rarely SUM-
lentiy serious or scientific to appreciate this
,ethod. Many 90 to tho lectures attracted by
ne boldness and novelty OF the idea. others
1H ON sincere liking for the master.
ON love OF studies which have the sweet
,ste OF forbidden fruit. while too many go |
:om a simple curiosity easy to be explained.