the days of my life-第74部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

Years　afterwards　another　dream　about　an　animal　came　to　me　which　I　embodied　in　the　story　called　“The　Mahatma　and　the　Hare；”　a　little　book　that；　up　to　the　present；　has　no　great　public　vogue。　Largely　this　is　because　so　many　of　the　papers　neglected　it　as　though　it　were　something　improper。　Their　reason　was；　I　think；　that　they　feared　to　give　offence　to　that　great　section　of　their　readers　who；　directly　or　indirectly；　are　interested　in　sport；　by　extended　notices　of　a　parable　which　doubtless　in　its　essence　amounts　to　an　attack　upon　our　habit　of　killing　other　creatures　for　amusement。　I　hope；　however；　that　its　day　may　e；　though　perhaps　not　yet。
As　I　am　touching　on　mystical　subjects；　probably　for　the　last　time；　I　will　instance　here　a　series　of　imaginings　which　developed　themselves　in　my　mind　at　intervals　over　a　period　of　several　months　early　in　the　present　year。　I　noted　them　down　at　the　time　and；　except　for　an　addendum　to　No。　4；　give　them　without　alteration；　as　I　think　it　best　not　to　interfere　with　the　original　words；　on　which；　perhaps　unconsciously；　I　might　attempt　to　improve。　Indeed　it　would　be　easy　to　make　a　story　out　of　each　of　these　mind…pictures。　At　the　head　of　them　I　have　stated　the　alternative　explanations　which　occur　to　me。　Personally　I　favour　—　indeed　I　might　almost　say　that　I　accept　—　the　last。
Only　then　the　question　will　arise　as　to　whether　it　is　possible　for　us　to　imagine　anything　that　has　not；　somewhere　in　this　great　universe　whereof　we　only　know　the　fringe；　an　actual　counterpart；　perhaps　very　distorted；　of　some　unseen　truth？　However　far　we　throw　out　our　mental　hands；　can　they　close　on　anything　which　is　not　in　its　essence　a　fact；　or　the　reflection　of　a　fact？　Are　we　not　walled　in　by　facts；　and　is　it　within　our　scope　to　travel　one　inch　beyond　that　wall？　But　the　thing　is　very　subtle；　and　I　am　by　no　means　certain　that　I　make　my　meaning　clear。　Moreover；　it　could　be　argued　in　a　dozen　ways；　and　as　these　dream…pictures　are　merely　given　as　a　curiosity　in　which　I　have　no　personal　faith；　it　is　not　worth　while　to　waste　time　in　discussing　them。　Here　they　are：
During　the　past　few　months　there　have　e　to　me；　generally　between　sleeping　and　waking；　or　so　it　seemed；　certain　pictures。　These　pictures；　it　would　appear；　might　be　attributed　to　either　of　the　three　following　causes：
（1）　Memories　of　some　central　incident　that　occurred　in　a　previous　incarnation。
（2）　Racial　memories　of　events　that　had　happened　to　forefathers。
（3）　Subconscious　imagination　and　invention。
Probably　the　last　of　these　alternatives　is　the　one　which　most　people　would　accept；　since　it　must　be　remembered　that　there　is　nothing　in　any　one　of　these　tableaux　vivants　which　I　could　not　have　imagined　—　say　as　an　incident　of　a　romance。
Now；　before　I　forget　them；　I　will　describe　the　pictures　as　well　as　I　can。
1。　A　kind　of　bay　in　a　thicket　formed　of　such　woods　as　are　mon　in　England　today；　especially　hazel；　as　they　would　appear　towards　the　end　of　June；　in　full　leaf　but　still　very　green。　A　stream　somewhere　near。　At　back；　in　a　tall　bank；　something　like　the　Bath　Hills；29　the　mouth　of　a　cavern。　About　thirty　feet　from　this　a　rough　hut　made　of　poles　meeting　on　a　central　ridge　（I　have　forgotten　how　it　was　thatched）。　In　front　of　the　hut　a　fire　burning；　and　an　idea　of　something　being　cooked　by　a　skin…clad　woman；　I　standing　by；　a　youngish　man；　tall；　children　playing　round；　and　notably　a　boy　of　about　ten　standing　on　the　hither　side　of　the　fire；　his　nakedness　half　covered　by　the　pelt　of　some　animal；　his　skin；　as　he　lifts　his　arms；　very　white。　A　general　sense　of　something　about　to　happen。
28　Above　the　river　Waveney。　—　Ed。
2。　A　round　hut；　surrounded　by　a　fence；　standing　on　a　grassy　knoll；　no　trees　about。　A　black　woman　moving　within　the　fence　and；　I　think；　some　children；　myself　there　also；　as　a　black　man。　An　alarm　below；　which　causes　me　to　take　a　spear　and　run　out。　A　fight　with　attackers；　attackers　driven　off；　but　I　receive　a　spear…thrust　right　through　the　middle　below　the　breast；　and　stagger　up　the　slope　mortally　wounded　back　into　the　enclosure　round　the　hut；　where　I　fall　into　the　arms　of　the　woman　and　die。
3。　A　great　palace　built　in　the　Egyptian　style。　Myself；　a　man　of　about　thirty；　in　quaint　and　beautiful　robes　wound　rather　tightly　round　the　body；　walking　at　night　up　and　down　some　half…enclosed　and　splendid　chamber　through　which　the　air　flows　freely。　A　beautiful　young　woman　with　violet　eyes　creeps　into　the　place　like　one　who　is　afraid　of　being　seen；　creeps　up　to　me；　who　start　at　seeing　her　and　appear　to　indicate　that　she　should　go。　Thereon　the　woman　draws　herself　up　and；　instead　of　going；　throws　herself　straight　into　the　man’s　arms。
4。　An　idea　of　boundless　snows　and　great　cold。　Then　the　interior　of　a　timber…built　hall；　say　forty　feet　or　more　in　length；　a　table　by　a　doorway　and　on　it　three　or　four　large　dark…coloured　trout；　such　as　might　e　from　a　big　lake。　Wooden　vessels　about；　brightly　painted。　A　fire　burning　in　the　centre　of　the　hall；　with　no　chimney。　On　the　farther　side　of　the　fire　a　bench；　and　on　the　bench　a　young　woman　of　not　more　than　two　—　or　three…and…twenty；　apparently　the　same　woman　as　she　of　the　Egyptian　picture；　or　very　like　her；　with　the　identical　large　violet　eyes；　although　rather　taller。　She　is　clothed　in　a　tight…fitting　grey　dress；　quite　plain　and　without　ornament；　made　of　some　rough　frieze　and　showing　the　outline　of　the　figure　beneath。　The　hair　is　fair；　but　I　cannot　remember　exactly　how　it　was　arranged。　The　woman　is　evidently　in　great　grief。　She　sits；　her　elbow　resting　on　her　knee；　her　chin　in　her　hand；　and　stares　hopelessly　into　the　fire。　Presently　something　attracts　her　attention；　for　she　looks　towards　the　door　by　the　table；　which　opens　and　admits　through　it　a　tall　man；　who；　I　know；　is　myself；　wearing　armour；　for　I　catch　the　sheen　of　it　in　the　firelight。　The　woman　springs　from　the　bench；　runs　round　the　fire；　apparently　screaming；　and　throws　herself　on　to　the　breast　of　the　man。
The　general　impression　left　is　that　she　had　believed　him　to　be　dead　when　he；　probably　her　husband；　appeared　alive　and　well。
（Some　months　later　I　was　favoured　with　an　impression　of　another　scene　set　in　the　same　surroundings。　In　this　picture　postscript；　if　I　may　call　it　so；　the　identical　man　and　woman；　now　persons　of　early　middle　age；　were　standing　together　in　bitter　sorrow　over　the　doubled…up　and　fully…dressed　body　of　a　beautiful　lad　of　about　eighteen　years　of　age。　Although　I　saw　no　wet　upon　his　clothes　I　think　that　he　had　been　drowned。）
5。　The　mouth　of　a　tunnel　or　mine…adit　running　into　a　bare　hillside　strewn　with　rocks　and　debris。　Standing　outside　the　tunnel　a　short；　little　woman　of　about　twenty…five；　with　black　hair；　brown　eyes；　and　brownish　but　not　black　skin；　lightly　clad　in　some　nondescript　kind　of　garment。　Resting　on　her；　his　arms　about　her　shoulders；　an　elderly　man；　very　thin　and　short；　with　a　sad；　finely…cut　face　and　sparse　grizzled　beard；　wearing　a　dingy　loin…cloth。　The　man’s　right　foot　covered　with　blood；　and　so　badly　crushed　that　one　of　the　bones　projects　from　the　instep。　The　woman　weeping。　By　his　side　on　the　ground　a　kind　of　basket　filled　with　lumps　of　ore；　designed　to　be　carried　on　the　back　and　fitted　with　two　flat　loops　of　hide；　with　a　breast…strap　connecting　them；　something　on　the　principle　of　a　children’s　toy　reins。　Growing　near　by　a　plant　of　the　aloe　tribe；　the　bottom　leaves　dead；　and　some　of　those　above　scratched　in　their　fleshy　substance；　as　though　for　amusement。
Walking　up　the　slope　towards　the　pair　a　coarse；　strong；　vigorous；　black…bearded　man　with　projecting　eyes。　He　is　clothed　in　white　robes　and　wears　a　queer…shaped　hat　or　cap；　I　think　with　a　point　to　it。　From　an　ornamented　belt　about　his　middle　hangs　a　short　sword　in　a　scabbard；　with　a　yellowish　handle　ending　in　a　knob　shaped　like　to　the　head　of　a　lion。　He　carries　over　his　head　a　painted　umbrella　or　sunshade　that　will　not　shut　up；　and　is　made　either　of　thin　strips　of　wood　or　of　some　kind　of　canvas　stretched　on　a　wooden　frame。
General　idea　connected　with　the　dream　is　that　this　man　is　an　overseer　of　slaves　who　is　about　to　kill　the　injured　person　as　useless　and　take　the　woman　for　himself。　She　might　be　the　daughter　of　the　injured　man；　or　possibly　a　wife　a　good　deal　younger　than　he。　In　any　case　she　is　intimately　connected　with　him。　Further　idea。　That　the　injured　man　was　once　an　individual　of　consequence　who　has　been　reduced　to　slavery　by　some　invading　and　more　powerful　race。
The　characteristics　of　the　site　of　the　picture　remind　me　of　Cyprus。
I　described　these　tableaux　to　Sir　Oliver　Lodge　when　I　met　him　in　the　Athenaeum　not　long　ago；　and　asked　him　his　opinion　concerning　them。　He　was　interested；　but　replied　that　if　they　had　appeared　to　him　he　would　have　thought　more　of　them　than　he　did　as　they　had　appeared　to　me；　because　he　said　that　he　lacked　imagination。　The　curious　little　details　such　as　that　of　the　dark…coloured　trout　on　the　table　in　No。　4；　and　that　of　the　scratchings　on　the　aloe　leaves　in　No。　5；　seemed　to　strike　him　very　much；　as　did　the　fact　that　all　the　scenes　were　such　as　might　very　well；　and　indeed　doubtless　have　occurred　again　and　again　in　the　course　of　our　long　human　history；　from　the　time　of　the　cave…dwellers　onwards。　Probably　if　we　could　trace　our　ancestors　back　to　the　beginning；　we　should　find　that　on　one　occasion　or　another　they　have　happened　to　some　of　them。　I　may　add　that　by　far　the　prettiest　and　most　idyllic　of　these　pictures　was　that　of　the　primitive　family　in　the　midst　of　its　green　setting　of　hazel　boughs　by　the　mouth　of　the　cave。　Only　over　it；　as　I　have　said；　like　a　thunder…cloud　brooded　the　sense　of　something　terrible　that　was　about　to　happen。　I　wonder　what　it　was。
And　now　farewell　to　the　occult。　Mysticism　in　moderation　adds　a　certain　zest　to　life　and　helps　to　lift　it　above　the　level　of　the　monplace。　But　it　is　at　best　a　dangerous　sea　to　travel　before　the　time。　The　swimmer　therein　will　do　well　to　keep　near　to　this　world’s　sound　and　friendly　shore　lest　the　lights　he　sees　from　the　crest　of　those　bewildering；　phantom　waves　should　madden　or　blind　him；　and　he　sink；　never　to　rise　again。　It　is　not　good　to　listen　for　too　long　to　the　calling　of　those　voices　wild　and　sweet。
Chapter　20　THE　ROOSEVELT　LETTERS
Appointed　missioner　to　report　to　Secretary　of　State　for　Colonies　on　Salvation　Army　Labour　Colonies　in　U。S。A。　—　Alfred　Lyttelton　—　H。　R。　H。‘s　daughter　Angela　goes　with　him　as　secretary　—　Washington　—　Mr。　Hay　—　President　Roosevelt　—　The　White　House　—　Notes　of　interview　with　Roosevelt　—　Correspondence　with　Roosevelt。
On　January　1905　I　received；　quite　unexpectedly；　the　following　letter　from　the　Right　Hon。　Alfred　Lyttelton；　who　at　that　date　was　Secretary　of　State　for　the　Colonies。
Downing　Street：　January　14；　1905。
Dear　Mr。　Rider　Haggard；　—　The　Rhodes　trustees　have　agreed　to　give　a　sum　of　300　pounds　（inclusive　of　all　expenses）　to　defray　the　expense　of　sending　a　missioner　to　the　United　States　to　inspect　and　report　upon　the　“Labour　Colonies”　established　in　the　United　States　by　the　Salvation　Army。　There　appear　to　be　at　present　three　of　these；　in　California；　Colorado；　and　Ohio；　and　they　are　used　for　the　transmigration　of　persons　from　the　big　American　cities。　It　is　thought　that　if　on　inquiry　this　system　is　found　to　be　financially　sound　and　to　be　a　real　benefit　to　the　poorer　classes；　it　might　prove　a　useful　model　fo