第71章
加入书架 A- A+

  Thedebatewhichensuedwasinitsscopeandprogressanepitomeofthecourseoflife。Neitherplacenorcouncilwaslackingindignity。Thedebaterswerethekeenestintheland,thethemetheywereengagedontheloftiestandmostvital。ThehighhallofHorne’shousehadneverbeheldanassemblysorepresentativeandsovariednorhadtheoldraftersofthatestablishmenteverlistenedtoalanguagesoencyclopaedic。Agallantsceneintruthitmade。CrotherswasthereatthefootofthetableinhisstrikingHighlandgarb,hisfaceglowingfromthebrinyairsoftheMullofGalloway。Theretoo,oppositetohimwasLynch,whosecountenanceborealreadythestigmataofearlydepravityandprematurewisdom。NexttheScotchmanwastheplaceassignedtoCostello,theeccentric,whileathissidewasseatedinstolidreposethesquatformofMadden。ThechairoftheresidentindeedstoodvacantbeforethehearthbutoneitherflankofitthefigureofBannoninexplorer’skitoftweedshortsandsaltedcowhidebroguescontrastedsharplywiththeprimroseeleganceandtownbredmannersofMalachiRolandStJohnMulligan。LastlyattheheadoftheboardwastheyoungpoetwhofoundarefugefromhislaboursofpedagogyandmetaphysicalinquisitionintheconvivialatmosphereofSocraticdiscussion,whiletorightandleftofhimwereaccommodatedtheflippantprognosticator,freshfromthehippodrome,andthatvigilantwanderer,soiledbythedustoftravelandcombatandstainedbythemireofanindelibledishonour,butfromwhosesteadfastandconstantheartnolureorperilorthreatordegradationcouldevereffacetheimageofthatvoluptuouslovelinesswhichtheinspiredpencilofLafayettehaslimnedforagesyettocome。

  IthadbetterbestatedhereandnowattheoutsetthatthepervertedtranscendentalismtowhichMrS。Dedalus’Div。Scep。contentionswouldappeartoprovehimprettybadlyaddictedrunsdirectlycountertoacceptedscientificmethods。Science,itcannotbetoooftenrepeated,dealswithtangiblephenomena。Themanofsciencelikethemaninthestreethastofacehardheadedfactsthatcannotbeblinkedandexplainthemasbesthecan。Theremaybe,itistrue,somequestionswhichsciencecannotanswer-atpresent-suchasthefirstproblemsubmittedbyMrL。BloomPubb。

  Canv。regardingthefuturedeterminationofsex。MustweaccepttheviewofEmpedoclesofTrinacriathattherightovarythepostmenstrualperiod,assertothersisresponsibleforthebirthofmalesorarethetoolongneglectedspermatozoaornemaspermsthedifferentiatingfactorsorisit,asmostembryologistsinclinetoopine,suchasCulpepper,Spallanzani,Blumenbach,Lusk,Hertwig,LeopoldandValenti,amixtureofboth?Thiswouldbetantamounttoacooperationoneofnature’sfavouritedevices

  betweenthenisusformativusofthenemaspermontheonehandandontheotherahappilychosenposition,succubitusfelix,ofthepassiveelement。Theotherproblemraisedbythesameinquirerisscarcelylessvital:infantmortality。Itisinterestingbecause,ashepertinentlyremarks,weareallborninthesamewaybutwealldieindifferentways。

  MrM。MulliganHyg。etEug。Doc。blamesthesanitaryconditionsinwhichourgreylungedcitizenscontractadenoids,pulmonarycomplaintsetc。byinhalingthebacteriawhichlurkindust。Thesefacts,healleges,andtherevoltingspectaclesofferedbyourstreets,hideouspublicityposters,religiousministersofalldenominations,mutilatedsoldiersandsailors,exposedscorbuticcardrivers,thesuspendedcarcasesofdeadanimals,paranoicbachelorsandunfructifiedduennas-these,hesaid,wereaccountableforanyandeveryfallingoffinthecalibreoftherace。Kalipedia,heprophesied,wouldsoonbegenerallyadoptedandallthegracesoflife,genuinelygoodmusic,agreeableliterature,lightphilosophy,instructivepictures,plastercastreproductionsoftheclassicalstatuessuchasVenusandApollo,artisticcolouredphotographsofprizebabies,alltheselittleattentionswouldenableladieswhowereinaparticularconditiontopasstheinterveningmonthsinamostenjoyablemanner。MrJ。CrotthersDisc。Bacc。attributessomeofthesedemisestoabnormaltraumainthecaseofwomenworkerssubjectedtoheavylaboursintheworkshopandtomaritaldisciplineinthehomebutbyfarthevastmajoritytoneglect,privateorofficial,culminatingintheexposureofnewborninfants,thepracticeofcriminalabortionorintheatrociouscrimeofinfanticide。AlthoughtheformerwearethinkingofneglectisundoubtedlyonlytootruethecasehecitesofnursesforgettingtocountthespongesIntheperitonealcavityistooraretobenormative。

......

购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"ULYSSES",免费读到尾
点击下载App,搜索"ULYSSES",免费读到尾