The Manatitlans: or, A record of recent scientific explorations in the Andean La Plata, S. A.Smile, R. Elton
Science
The Manatitlans: or, A record of recent scientific explorations in the Andean La Plata, S. A.
Smile, R. Elton
Science fiction, American
During the ravages of the “coast” and yellow fever in Rio Janeiro in the
year 18—, it made sad havoc among our provincial offshoots of Brazilian
parentage, owing to a lack of means for provisionary precautions, so
that I felt it a special duty and privilege devolving upon me to give my
personal supervision for its arrest. The joint efforts of our Manatitlan
corps of censors and nurses soon succeeded in rescuing our adherents
from the deadly influence of the pestilence, affording us leisure to
render succoring advice to the good of the Giga race. Among the
foreigners, one had attracted my particular attention from the fact that
he studiously avoided companionship with others, beyond the enforced
necessities required for business relations. This, together with other
singularities pertaining to his deportment, attracted a desire for an
auramental investigation of the cause of his non-alliance with the herd.
My first discovery after entering into auricular communication with his
thoughts was, that his preference for communion with himself arose from
a natural repugnance for association with men in form, whose instincts
were degraded below the bestial capacity of the lower orders of
animality. This, I soon learned, had its origin from the sympathetic
impression of the animus of goodness revealed in desire. While studying
his characteristics, as a key for after-thought substitution, I found
that the intrusion of an indelicate impression from his own instinctive
propensities, or in word reflection from others, gave him acute pain. Or
when from natural promptings, induced from a genial disposition, he had
been influenced to listen to or relate a humorous story, strongly
tinctured with the passionate rulings of instinctive induction, for days
afterwards he would subject himself to remorseful reproof. These
sensitive traits, indicating a desire for the attainment of instinctive
purity, although rare in the associations of Giga men, are by no means
singular or unrealistic with the conceptions of the thoughtful. But a
lack of discrimination in society association, subject to the arbitrary
rule of money, blunts the perceptions of intelligent refinement, under
the impress of the selfish policy it imposes for the successful
enlistment of patronage. Vulgarity impairs the powers of inclination for
refined perception, in like manner and degree with the action of foul
odors upon the sense of smell, which renders it obtuse for the delicate
appreciation of a well selected bouquet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account