New-York tribune., 1895-01-27
AGAINST HUMAN NATURE.
BY MARIA LOUISE POOL.
Copyright 1895; By the Tribune Assoe'dhon.


Temple. Temple Crawford, Where are you
Some one called from up the slope.
The girl stood silent. loath at first to answer
Yucatan turned and looked up then glanced al
his mistress as If questioning her. In the still
ness that followed the call, horse hitched at
the schooh ouse neighed shrilly; then another
peighed and paved, sending some stones rafting
down.
where are you?" repeated the voice.
Then Temple saw a figure detach itself from
the darkness under a tree and come across the
patches Of light toward her. 1t was Mrs AM
midtown and she was budding her shawi up
about her head and shoulders
There was shouting and a snatch of hymn
from the house; then the preachers voice, strong
and persuasive.
Mrs Ammidown came swiftly TO Temple
threw a fold Of her wrap over the girl and drew
her close within her arm.
"Reallv.' she said II was afraid to have you
out here alone. In your exalted state you might
unfold wings and fly away And them when the
reaction came. your wings would suddenly faii
and you would fall. My dear. wanted to be
near that might catch you when you FELL
Temple turned toward her friend
when l fell?" she questioned. But shall
not fan
"Oh, my dear little grlr' exclaimed Mrs. Am
midtown in a tender whisper.
Temple moved uneasily.
"You need not pity me- she said AND theh
ardently: NO. don't pity! Any one might envy
me tonight You see" with a conhding motion
toward the woman. I've got religion-at last
at last" She clasped her hands again. ana
threw them outward II never thought hao
1t before But tonight, when the preacher
talked like that, something in my heart yleioeo-
the Holy Ghost came in--I wanted to help people
to help these wretches around here. ana you'
Mrs Ammidown-can't help you!
But the woman could not at first reply. she
was very near to tears.
She was asking herself If there were. indeed
something real in this state of mind which con-
troled Temple; something which would not pass
AWAY and which would affect life itself
Her brother believed so: there had been
time when she would have believed It, But no"
She gazed wistfully at the girls glorified race
.It is a condition of the nerves" was what the
woman was saying And forlornly 10 herseh she
added: Everything is condition OF the nerves
.everything And when our nerves are dead
where is the soul?"
The physician in her. the materialist physi-
clan, became awake to the danger OF the ex-
citement which ruled Temple.
At that moment DR.. Ammidown wished tha'
she knew positively whether religion. love ITSELF
were all a mere matter # magnetism and
neurasthenics. What particular nerves might
be called the nerves Of religion? Had they been
discovered and labelled? phrase Of a famous
doctor came into her mind: THE nerves that
make us alive to music spread out III the most
\ sensitive region Of the marrow just where II Is
! widening to run upward into the hemispheres
1t was with a woman!sh shudder that Mrs
Ammidown recalled the hour in the dissecung-
room when those nerves had been laid bare IN
that body-that body which had once been as
alive as she was now but that was then lying
dead-dead. on the marble.
Oh. the mystery that we call living! And the
mystery that we call death! The knife OF the
dissecter could find neither the one mystery nor
the other The informing fre--what was that?
Where was that?
All these things rushed though the woman's $
mind as she stood there with her arm around
this girl who had within her such powers Of SEN
sation And again the Unsuitable spirit asked,
Was II all nerve sensation? And what would be
left II all sensation were taken away? Only
death?
Cant help you?"
Temple pressed still nearer her companion as
she repeated this question. She was eager to
begin TO do something.
Yes" said Mrs. Ammidown promptly you
can do something for me-"
She was all physician now. The dilated eyes
and brilliantly pale face of the girl alarmed her.
"Oh what is it?"
"Come up the slope with me-
what, and leave the preaching? 1 was going
back
Never mind the preaching. You have had
enough"
But those people-they will listen. and sing.
for an hour longer They may have another
blessing.
Mrs Ammdown restrained the words that
rose to her lips.
.sThey are blocks. stolid blocks" she said i'm
peratiyey: they bear any kind of dissipa-
ton. But you-child. you have no idea of your
own face at this moment. Come, let us go and
see the pony"
She took Temples hand and led her up the
path Temple yielded
Il thought you said the pony was all right
she said
80 did. You soon ride him. But let us
see him. nevertheless-and the OK. want to see
the OK"
Temple glanced in wonder at the speaker
.J don't know what you mean" she said
Never mind, but come
They went on In silence until they were opposite
the shed which held Thimble.
This Is the place" said Temple.
But, come" responded the woman.
She was fearing every moment that the girl
would assert herself, and that there would come
into Temples manner that authority and power
to be obeyed which belonged to her. But she al
lowed herself to be led They stopped at the
rlckety old shanty where Juba. the OK. lived.
Juba plougheJ when Bart or Sally chose to
plough with him. Most times, however, he was
mildly browsing in far pastures and sometimes
coming home for 'roughness' when pastures
failed him.
The door, which had fallen down and had not
been put up allowed the moonlight to stream in
upon Juba, who medtatively chewing as he
gazed over the bar which kept him from going out
into the wide world
he 10 nd asked mi