the days of my life-第115章

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d　was　held　up　to　the　readers　of　sundry　journals　as　a　cruel　brute　by　persons　who　call　themselves　“humanitarians”　because；　as　a　farmer；　I　advocated　an　organised　State　crusade　against　rats　and　sparrows；　which　（owing　largely　to　the　destruction　of　the　hawk　and　owl　tribes；　and　of　other　creatures　of　prey　in　the　interest　of　game　preservation）　work　such　incalculable　damage　in　this　country。　“Humanitarians”　evidently　do　not　earn　their　living　from　the　land。　If　they　did　they　might　take　a　different　view　of　sparrows。　It　is；　however；　cheap　to　be　pitiful　at　the　expense　of　others！
I　know　that　the　above　views　on　shooting　may　be　thought　a　hard　saying　by　many　who　greatly　enjoy　what　they　consider　a　harmless　and　a　healthful　sport。　But　really　it　is　not　so；　since　in　such　matters　every　man　must　act　according　to　his　own　heart。　If　his　conscience　is　not　afraid　of　a　thing；　let　him　do　it；　if　it　is　afraid；　let　him　leave　it　alone。　So　talks　St。　Paul　of　whatever　is　sold　in　the　shambles。　“To　him　that　esteemeth　anything　to　be　unclean；　it　is　unclean。”　“All　things　indeed　are　pure；　but　it　is　evil　for　that　man　who　eateth　with　offence。”　And　again；　“He　that　doubteth　is　condemned　if　he　eat　because　he　eateth　not　of　faith；”　which　I　take　it　is　another　way　of　saying　that　a　man　must　follow　the　light　that　is　lit　in　him。　Therefore；　although　I　no　longer　shoot　myself；　I　still　go　out　shooting　with　my　friends　who　are　happy　in　so　doing。　So　far　as　I　am　concerned；　however；　the　　result　of　it　all　is　that　“Othello’s　occupation’s　gone。”　I　have　now　no　recreation　left　save　that　of　the　garden　and　of　my　solitary　walks　about　the　farm；　which　lead；　perhaps；　to　too　much　thinking。
The　publication　of　this　“Bob”　correspondence　in　The　Times　and；　I　may　add；　everywhere　throughout　the　civilised　world；　brought　me　many　letters　of　which　the　general　tenor　went　to　prove　that　similar　examples　of　such　psychical　or　telepathic　munications　were　by　no　means　unknown；　though　none　of　these　were　quite　so　clear　as　that　which　I　have　set　out　above。　Nor　were　they　so　well　supported　by　evidence。　Moreover；　it　seemed　almost　certain　that　the　dog　Bob　municated　with　me　after　its　death；　which；　if　it　could　be　absolutely　and　finally　proved；　as　it　cannot；　would　solve　one　of　the　mysteries　of　our　being；　by　showing　that　the　spirit　even　of　a　dog　can　live　on　when　its　mortal　frame　is　destroyed　and　physical　death　has　happened。　If　a　dog　—　then　how　much　more　a　man！
None　of　the　experiences　of　my　correspondents　went　so　far　as　this。　A　number　of　these　letters　I　sent　to　the　Psychical　Research　Society；　but　a　great　bundle　of　them　still　remains　which　I　have　not　the　time　to　re…read。　On　this　point　of　the　continuance　of　individual　existence　after　physical　death；　I　once　wrote　a　letter　to　Sir　Oliver　Lodge；　who　is　both　an　eminent　man　of　science　and　a　great　student　of　such　hidden　matters。　I　asked　him　whether　he　possessed　such　evidence　as　would　satisfy　a　reasonable　person；　say　a　judge　or　a　juryman；　of　the　fact　of　the　continued　existence　of　the　individual　after　his　physical　death。　He　answered：
As　to　your　question　—　it　is　not　an　easy　one。　By　scientific　experience　I　have　myself　bee　absolutely　convinced　of　persistence　of　existence；　and　I　regard　death　as　an　important　episode　—　the　reverse　of　birth　—　but　neither　of　these　episodes　really　initial　or　final。　One　is　the　assumption　of　connection　with　matter；　the　other　is　the　abandoning　of　that　connection。
If　it　be　further　asked　whether　after　we　have　abandoned　matter　we　can；　by　indirect　means；　occasionally　continue　to　act　upon　it　—　on　the　matter　of　the　inorganic　world　or　the　matter　of　our　friends’　brains；　for　instance　—　I　am　inclined　to　answer；　though　now　more　doubtfully；　that　in　my　judgment　the　evidence　points　to　the　existence　of　some　indistinct　and　undeveloped　power　of　this　sort。
The　simplest　and　best　developed　variety　of　this　continued　interaction　with　matter　is　on　the　side　of　telepathy。
This　is　experimentally　found　existent　between　the　living；　and　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　this　is　the　one　mode　of　munication　which　survives　the　transition；　and　that　under　favourable　conditions　we　can　still　influence　and　be　influenced　by　the　process　of　events　and　emotions　here　。　。　。　。
This　is　forting；　so　far　as　it　goes；　and　of　course　extremely　interesting。　But；　after　all；　we　have　here　only　the　experience　and　the　deductions　of　one　man　who；　brilliant　and　utterly　upright　as　he　is　known　to　be；　may　still　be　mistaken　like　the　rest　of　us。　The　manifestations　exist　—　many　can　bear　witness　to　them。　But　whence　do　they　e？　That　is　the　question。　May　not　some　Power　be　mocking　us　that；　directly　or　indirectly；　draws　its　strength　from　our　vital　forces　and　has　its　roots　in　our　own　intelligence；　exalted　in　an　access　of　spiritual　intoxication？　Yet　if　so；　this　does　not　explain　the　“Bob”　incident　when　I　was　seeking　for　nothing；　and　had　gone　to　sleep　tired　out　with　my　usual　day’s　work。　Why；　in　such　circumstances；　should　this　dog　have　materialised　itself　in　my　slumbering　brain　and　at　the　moment　of　its　death；　or　rather；　as　I　firmly　believe；　several　hours　after　that　event？　Therein　lies　a　hint　of　great　marvels。
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　s