The Green Forest tribune., 1917-02-02

Y Y Dr. PmleaS lmmanuel Ol lue
 household of his majesty the king
 of the Hellenes had been less out
 spoken about his convictions he would have done far less good Imagine a doctor of European reputation, delegate to the Con- gress of Penologists at Boston, calmly advocating the treatment oi nervous diseases upon the basic the ory of reincarnation; imagine grave and learned medicos listening in cold silence which was warmed into kindli- ness by the enthusiasm and sincerity of the little earnest man; imagine the doctor not only retaining his reputa- ton, but actually winning a sympa- thetie hearing from men like Maine, Harvey, Lucien Bronkhorst and Field ing-Parr-but you could not imagine anything seemingly so improbable un- less you knew Doctor Immanuel. l can see him now, the great neurologist, penologist and sociologist, seated be- fore the fire in Paul Tarrant's library, nursing one knee, his black beard thrust aggressively forward, his white hand waving in the air as he acclaimed in an impassioned plea.
 This night he was having the fight of his life. I, his assistant, was only passively on his side, while Paul Tar rant, the millionaire, our host, Hatly denied his claim, and Capt. Meryyn O'Farrell of the Ninth Virginia regi- ment, declared that the doctor was talking absolute nonsense, if you'll excuse me, doctor" The captain was .4 member of the Episcopalian church and held the creed in its orthodox rigidity. He had no use for imported Oriental myths, as he expressed him self If he had known that the doc Urine of reincarnation was held uni versally in the ancient world not eX- cluding some of the early missionaries of Christianity, he would still have pro tested with equal vehemence. In fact. he grew so heated that he cut short his visit by full hour and left us, courteously enough, but distinctly up set by what he would have privately called "the damned nonsense of that little Greek doctor"
 When the captain was gone we drew our chairs closer around the fire and warmed our fingers at it's blaze.
 He's a fine fellow, OFarrel." said MT. Tarrant, apologetically-fo the captain had gone In his opposition al most to the limits of what courtesy al lowed. You must forgive his heat 1l C., ;- L- s- To, under a severe nervous strain just lnow. Would you like to hear the { story?"
 We were glad to have the subject changed so adroitly.
 Its very sad" pursued the million aire. "O'Farrell is. as you may have seen, physically the image of some old Roman hero. In fact, have a bust in my gallery which l want you to look at afterward, if I believed in reincarna- tion, doctor, I would almost declare O'Farrell to be Maximius come back to earth. And mentally and morally he is no whit inferior to his physical makeup. Everybody loves him-a big hearted, hot-headed, impetuous, kind ly Irishman. His character is, in fact singularly gracious and winning. And when he fell in love with Mary Roth way six months ago everybody enEied her and congratulated him as being the only man living who was worthy of her.
 Mary Rothway is the only daugh- ter of the late Senator RothWay. They have a big house-an oldfashioned colonial mansion-out on Brooklyn heights. It's been in the family for generations, and in former days the Rothways owned large section of the land fronting on the East river. Mary never went much into society. She was a home-loving girl, and very re- ligious When she met O'Farrell it seemed to be a case of love at first sight with each of them. But I have it from the Rothway's family phy- sician that Mary is of a markedly neu- rasthenic temperament. He alone was dubious when the engagement was an nounced. He told me in confidence-I may perhaps repeat it to you gentle men, since you are both doctors-that she suffers from what he calls-clos trophobia?"
 "Claustrophobia," I corrected, and Doctor Immanuel suddenly stopped nursing his knee and stared hard at MT. Tarrant
 odd! Exceedingly odd!" he mur- mured. q beg your pardon, MT Tar rant"
 The symptom of this disease, as understand" resumed the millionaire, "is an ineradicable fear of closed spaces"
 "Yes." said Doctor Immanuel. "It is quite common among neurasthenics- and among ordinarily healthy people, too, for the matter of that-as is it's opposite, agorophobia, or fear of open spaces, such as streets and squares. The sufferer from claustrophobia fears to remain in a closed room. The walls seem about to rush in and crush him to death. He cannot pass down mar row passages without terror But so long as the fear is kept within reason able bounds it is not of great conse- quence."
 Mary Rothway," pursued Tarrant, "brooded over this weakness of hers. She was afraid that she would make her husbands life unhappy, perhaps ruin him. She could not be reasoned out of her morbid terrer-and the re- suit is that she intends to enter a sis terhood, the members of which are pledged to celibacy so long as they re- main in it. And we all realize that when Mary enters the doors of this in