The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-18
Fascination
By DIR. FRANK CRANE

It IS generally supposed that the mind loves to dwell upon pIeHsant thoughts, that we seek agreeable sights and sounds, and love the company of those who cheer us up.
 A singular proof of the complexity of human nature is that we so often act in quite the contrary way, harbor fearful thoughts, run after horrid objects and choose the fellowship of most annoying people,
 The ugly and painful is as fascinating as the beautiful and comfortable.
 Who has not had a piercing, ranking thought go with him to bed, and murder sleep by it's insistent intrusion into the brain We banish it with all our will and address ourselves to sweet visions inducing repose, but it returns like a pestiferous fix and buzzes in our mind. We cannot resist the strange spell of the crucifying image that keeps coming back to make our night watch of agony.
 And how do you explain the attraction there is in, tragedy? Books that describe nothing but what is torture to ones sus- capabilities hold us fas& i've are chained by the grim repulsive1 ss of "The Man of Ninety three" or Foe'sftaEe of "The Pit and the Pendulum" We pay money to see the triumph of treachery in "Othello" and the excruciating death of the heroine in Ca mille."
 The crowd runs to see the mangled body of the victim who has been run down by an automobile or who has fallen from a tenth story window; yet they would not give penn yto witness two happy lovers dining in a restaurant.
 When we have bad news we hasten to tell it with a ghastly satisfaction. We love the sensation of announcing at the breakfast penny to witness two happy lovers dining working girls were burned in a factory fire yesterday.
 What curious creature is man, that loves to sting and hurt himself as if he were a scorpion.
 Are not the most gloomy and distressing religions the most stubbornly clung to, and does there not seem to, be a deep prejudice among mankind against believing that destiny in kindhearted. What self-immolations, starvings, mutillations ani hells men have imagined in the divine scheme of things.
 It is as if there were blood-fued between the soul and happiness.
 Among folks also there are not few who seem to have a passion for ugly clothes, ab- surd hats, unbecoming gowns, unbeautiful coats.
 Others have curious taste for hateful and offensive words. taking delight in utter ing the most shocking things.
 Others seem as fond of fears for the fu- ture as a sot is fond of drink.
 There are some l have met who conceive a sudden and unchangeable dislike to a jo- vial, cheery person, and cannot rid them. selves of the persuasion that he is loose, if not wicked.
 F As a bird is fascinated by a snake and dread draws it slow-stepping to it's doom. so there appears to be some element in men and women that gives the terrible and repulsive a snake-like charm for them.
 Ut is well-known fact" says Hazlitt, that few persons can stand safely on the edge of precipice without being in danger of throwing themselves down; in like manner ,Ss find instances of persons who are, as 1t were, naturally delighted with whatever is diaagreeable, and who are governed by an almost infallible instinct of absurdity."