The Malady of the Century

d breast. It had a weird fascination for him, causing him to revert constantly to that tragical May night that had begun with a cheerful dinner, and ended in a fa

trating to Wilhelm that all these admirable qualities had been turned out of their proper course by a disturbing morbid influence. It was monstrous, he contended, that a system of philosophy should arm you for suicide. What if the premises should prove false? Then your voluntary death would be a frightful mistake which nothing could retrieve. One has no right to risk making such a mistake. He believed in development, in the progress of the organic world from a lower to a higher stage. Progress and development, however, were conditional upon life, and he

conviction that death was preferable to life; and unprincipled as suicide might be from an objective point of view, subjectively considered, there surely was an ideal fitness in making one's actions agree to the uttermost point with one's opinions? Nevertheless, he himself did not approve of Dorfling's deed, and would certainly never

and Dr Eynhardt, with the sole charge that out of it they should provide a sufficient competency for his old servant, dating from his father's time, who had attended him literally from the cradle to the grave. The fortune was to be theirs conjointly and indivisibly, and should one of them die, to devolve to the survivor, who in his turn was to make such arrangements as he thought best to insure its

ways of business and the world, should take the management of the fortune upon himself, but that Wilhelm should receive a monthly sum of fifteen hundred marks out of the income to apply as he thought best to the relief of the needy. The other half of the income was at Schrotter's disposal, who put it, of course, to the same use. In his capacity as member of the deputation for the poor, and also as pari

ere unknown to her, or who came without recommendation, which orders she carried out with such virulence and relentlessness, that the worshipful company of professional beggars rapidly came to the conclusion that it was useless trying to gain admittance to Dr. Eynhardt as long as he was guarded by the tall, bony old lady who opened the door but would not leave hold of it. So the unceasing tramp of dirty boots on the echoing stair was hushed, and Wilhelm saw no more of the crape-clad widows of eminent officials who required a sewing machine or a piano to save them from starvation; the gentlemen who would be forced to put a bullet through their brains if they did not procure the money to pay a debt of honor; or the unemployed clerks who had eaten nothing for days, and who all had a sick wife and from six to twelve children (all small) at home crying for bread; or the foreigners who could find

He judged all these circumstances, however, to be the outward and visible signs of obscure natural laws, and that to interfere with rash and ignorant hands in their workings was as useless as it was unreasonable. He therefore pondered seriously whether, by denying to a portion of mankind the qualities indispensable to success i

nt under because they chose a trade for which they were neither mentally nor physically competent, or because, from laziness or obstinacy, they insisted on remaining in Berlin, where nobody wanted them, when a few miles off they might have found all the conditions conducive to their prosperity? How could he know whether he would have been capable of earning his living if his father had not left him a plentifully-spread table? In the rooms that contained so little furniture and so many emaciated human beings, into which his charitab

o the theories of contemporary scientists. He would demonstrate the psychological causes of the fact that man, at a certain stage of intellectual development, must necessarily fall into certain errors, and by the aid of what experiments, experiences, and conclusions he had come gradually to recognize them as such. How the fresh interpretation of a single phenomenon would overturn, at one blow, a number of other phenomena hitherto considered entirely satisfactory, how prevailing scientific theories, instead of assisting the fearless observer or discoverer, invariably hindered him and turned him from the right path, in proof of which assertion he brought forward such striking examples as Aristotle's convulsive endeavors to make each of the senses correspond to one of the four elements in whi

to hurry, seeing that he did not write from ambition or for any material advantage, but simply for his own gratification. He began by rubbing up his school Greek sufficiently to enable him to read the ancient philosophers with ease, which he achieved in a few months, and then set to work to learn Arabic, that being the chief language

pe and joy that, in the first years after the great war, had flushed every German cheek and lit up every eye? Throughout the length and breath of the land the opposing factions confronted one another like armed antagonists preparing for a duel to the death. Town and village rang with execration and satire, with howls of rage or satisfied revenge vented by German against German. The Roman Catholic shook his clinched fist at the Protestant, the liberal at the conservati

buffaloes which marches ever straight ahead, which nothing can turn out of its course, and when it arrives at a precipice over which the leaders fall, presses onward till the last one is swallowed up in the depths. The misery and privation became heartrending to witness. Each morning you might see in the working quarters of the town and suburbs hundreds of strong men, their hands-perforce idle-buried in their torn and empty pockets, going from factory to factory asking for work, while the overseers would wave them off from afar to avoid a useless interchange of words. If, in the years of the French milliards, the workingman had turned socialist out of sheer envy and wantonness, he became so now under the sting of adversity, and in all the length and breadth of Berlin there was hardly one of the proletariat who was not a fanatical disciple of the new doctrine, with its slashing denunciations against all that was, and its intoxicating promises of all that wa

Linden they saw what was going on in the town. In Unter den Linden, however, they were received by the yells of the newspaper men calling out the first special editions, and fou

-looking policemen, rougher and less communicative than ever, they learned all that was necessary of the bloody deed which had taken place an hour ago. Wilhelm could scarcel

now, of course, that there is a great deal of distress, but a man who can revenge his own trouble on the person of the emperor

ures whose minds are more or less unhinged, though their inexperienced surroundings do not know it. Some exceptional event will suddenly put the entire population in a state of ferment, the imagination of the already morbidly inclined will be particularly strongly affected thereby; they picture the occurrence to themselves till it takes hold of them, and drives out every other thought from

were on the point of entering, when a policeman st

u will have to

n?" they exclaimed, v

nswered the policeman, "This gentleman accuses you

f a man standing behind the poli

the magistrate to decide," exclaimed the man, in a voic

roup, so, to bring a disagreeable scen

policeman; I suppose we sha

that he had been standing at the corner of the Friedrich and Mittelstrasse, the two gentlemen passed him in loud conversation; the third gentleman, who was following the

Professor Emeritus," and "Dr. Eynhardt, Doctor of Philosophy, householder," he offered them chairs. The informer introduced him

bring forward agai

the Mittelstrasse. They were conversing loudly about t

so very natural," commen

ed, but he soon recovered himself, a

gard to his majesty the emperor, and said among other things, that the outrage was of

fficer's flow of language, which he accompanied with a dramatic waving of the right arm. "Can y

ch, however, I remember distinctly-he declared the attempt u

now br

etly. "Neither of us said one word which

y my friend, Dr. Eynhardt, but by me. I did not say either that the occurrence was unimportant, b

gnificance," interrupted the informer. "That gentleman may have made the

ng to the two friends-"I am very sorry, but as things stand at present, I must le

enant; my duty t

s. I expect you will be called upon to clear yourselves before the magistrate, which

mer. The latter lingered, as if he would have liked to continue the conversation with the lieut

spectacles, and the unpleasing habit of continually scooping out his ear with the little finger of his left hand. The two friends, the informer, and the policeman were present. The magistrate could not have received them differently i

him, in which he searched for s

of offensive expressions regarding

sly unfounded cha

," he turned

peat Dr. Schro

ence," he order

an di

rstand what the

N

as Patke b

ew s

t be mor

for I paid no attention to the gent

ould have heard distinctly what the g

rstood if they spoke very loud

, what have

for the occasion, hereupon assumed a strictly military bearing, fix

cred person of our august monarch. My heart bled; I was beside myself; I could have torn everybody and everyt

ked the m

and the other with his hooked nose-

kind of grunt. Even the policeman, in spite of his wooden

leman say, 'It serves his maje

majesty the emperor?" in

Patke eagerly

epeat the gentlema

ay that it served

t out. "Why, man, I wonder the lie does

the magistrate brusquely. Then to Patke severely

ot recollect distinctly. But

ble. What have you to

untrue. I never uttered or thought words beari

otter, "that, on the contrary, he expressed the

spectacles at Schrotter, but quailed before those fla

u to bring forward agai

the outrage was of

outrage had no real significance, an

he same thing, and one cannot so easily distinguish the speaker wh

k?" asked the magistrate of Sch

e declaring of a fact to be false when we know it to be true. I am not in t

on from you," the ot

however" Schrotte

d then asked, after a pause, during whi

the state

of what I said, that if the political parties should make this isolated crime (committed by an undoubtedly insane person) the excuse for

t?" asked the magistr

only know what

is not enough. It is too indefinite, in spite of strong grounds for suspicion." Then he looked up, and in a tone which

lection of it is th

are at present the chairman of a dist

e that

. And you, Dr. Eynhardt, you refused

es

ged from the army

es

a duel," obse

an answer for himself. You hav

y on

ade sp

spe

d against Socialism,"

grew lobster-

iged to remind a man of your position that he is only to answer when spoken to. Why

sk me," answered Wilhe

resumed-"You are on friendly terms

, though not exactly in a friendly way, but

at Dr. Barinskoi

es

et that make any d

infection," said Wilh

being compromised," g

s not trouble

suicide a large fortune, which you use ch

certainly find more frequently among the Socialist

this is not the place for making

nswered serenely. "I know nothin

oing to embrace his friend. He h

lergymen of your district, these gentlemen having far greater faciliti

had the goodness to explain to me what conn

to wither him on the spot, but only met a quiet, s

t few weeks he has not been a candidate for a post as detective on the political police staff

y red. "In these terrible times, when the

anner-"The statement of the one witness-seeing too that it is indefinite in some important points-is not sufficient to warrant me in passing a sentence, in spite of many good ground

aining his naturally passionate temper. "Many thanks for your kindness,"

eave this room instantly; and you, Herr Patke, if you wish to bring an a

lhelm dragged Schrotter out of the office as fast as he could, a

nd pestilence, that the eye turned in horror from the incredible spectacle. The newspapers brought daily reports of denunciations for "lese majeste," and when Schrotter read them he clasped his hands in horrified dismay and exclaimed, "Are we in Germany? are these my fellow-countrymen?" He became at last so disgusted that he gave up reading the German papers, and derived his knowledge of what was going on in the world from the two London papers which, from the habit of a quarter of a century, he still took in. He wished to hear no more about denunciations by which, with the aid of police and magistrates, every kind of cowardice and vileness, social envy and religious hatred, rivalry, spite, and

ecial act, or to come under the common law? Schrotter now felt it justifiable, nay, that it was his duty, to throw off the reserve he had maintained since his return to the Fatherland, and come forward as

redicted, but neither could they be prevented by any kind of precautionary measure. The sole result of a special act would be to make the Socialists practically outlaws in their own country. That would constitute not only a terrible severity against a large class of their fellow-citizens, but a frightful danger to the State. In hundreds and thousands of hearts it would destroy the sense of fellowship with the community in which they lived; they would look upon themselves as outcasts, and become the enemies of their pursuers. It would be exactly as if some thousands of Frenchmen were set down in the midst of the German population-in

of adopting such measures as it thought necessary for the safety of the public, simply delivered the life of their aged and beloved sovereign into the hands of assassins. At the election, Schrotter had on his side only a small n

ber of workmen dismissed from the city. It was November, and winter had set in with unusual severity. On a dark and bi

ther Stubbe?" cried W

police. It seems he's a very dangerous customer; I must say I have never noticed it. He was always very decent; the children were a bother, certai

Stubbe's flow of language, and did not grea

what is t

got much for it, it was all tumbling to pieces. The rest of the furniture will take legs to itself soon, I dare say, for six mouths must be fed, and where is food to come from? There will be no removal expenses

can

the rent that is owing. The best thing, perhaps, would be to tell Frau Wander

der does

ldren, and the younges

elf, and let you know

s only his strict sense of duty that led him to mention the case of the Wanders, an

years," building speculators had offered him considerable sums for the ground, but he was not to be prevailed upon to sell the house left him by his father. It was only seven windows wide, and had consisted originally of one story only, but a low second story had been added, recognizable instantly as a piece of patchwork. A great key hanging over th

found himself in a dim half-light as he opened the door. There was no fire in the stove, no lamp upon the table. In the cold and darkness he could just distinguish among the sparse furniture a slim, wretched-looking woman sitting on a chair by the table, nursing a baby wrapped in an old blanke

and gazed at the intruder with hostile eyes, the children ceased swinging their leg

" Stubbe annou

m. "It's the rent, I suppose; and I suppose we're to have notice to quit? It's all one to me. I've got no money and so I tell you; but what's here you can keep, and you can

or-stricken, "what are you thinking of?

into such a state of excitement that she was trembling from head to foot,

and nobody is going to turn you out of your home. Herr Stubbe here has been telling m

ed began to whisper to one another. Wilhelm took advantage of the pause

man a chair?" said the workman,

rn seat of which the straw stood up raggedly on all

au Wander," he went on. "Tell me

themselves, and the police were always after them like the devil after a poor soul. What did they want of them after all? Her husband had held with the Socialists certainly, but he had done nobody any harm by that. Ever since Wander had gone over to the Socialists he had left off drinking-not a drop-only coffee, and sometimes a little beer; and he was always good to his wife and children, and he had no debts as long as he had been able to earn anything. The locksmit

roken chair, and asked, "Where is your hus

nd she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "If he can't get any work he will go to France, or Belgium, or even America, if he must. But that takes a

s not holding the child s

e hand a lighted candle, and in the other a great, fresh-smelling loaf o

und the table with greedy eyes, clapping their hands. There were four of them-the youngest a mite of

" scolded the mother; but her voi

u cut the children some bread

ander cut them large slices, and while she was so engaged, "We have never had anything given us, Herr Doctor," she said; "we have always

al of harm. We will do what we can for you. Never mind about the rent. You will stay on quietly here, and allow me to assist you with this trifle." He pressed two twen

s to thank him, and he hurried to the door. The mechanic hastily snatched up the candl

times, Herr Doctor,

lm was followed by the children'

y. But it did not leave off, and grew louder and louder, Frau Muller's voice rising at last to an exasperated scream-there even seemed to be something like a hand-to-hand fight going on-till Wilhelm thought it behooved him to see what was happening, and, if need be, come to the rescue of his faithful house-dragon. He opened the door quickly and received Frau Muller in his arms. If he had not caught her, she would have fallen backward into the room, for she had leaned-a living bulwark-against the door, defending the entranc

ally must speak to you. I knew from Herr Stubbe that you are alway

last to exclaim. "Now he talks about ladie

with the utmost civility; "we meant no harm,

verwarmly, while he pressed the still ang

ost prominent leaders of the Social Democrats in Germany. Wilhelm sig

ranger, pointing to the other man, "what you did for Frau

om Wilhelm h

e government from the crime of having condemned innocent women and children to death by starvation. But our people are poor, and have to fight against want themselves. We cannot expect any great sacrifice from them. What we want is a considerable lump sum to enable us to send on the famil

d Wilhelm straight in the eyes. Wilhe

that you make assertions to the workingman which you cannot prove, and promise him things you cannot fulfi

vement, and the mechanic twisted his hat awkwardly b

of women and children, and I shall be very glad to do what I can

le to support themselves. Of these so many were sick, so many women lately confined, so many cripples. So many had prospects of better circumstances if they could get away from Berlin. For that purpose such and such a sum w

on the first of every month, fifteen hundred marks out of the Dorfling bequest, and handed the sum which he had received the day before, and was still unb

ink, that your noble gift will be used for its proper object. Thank you a thousand times

oning him to appear that afternoon before the head police authorities in the Stadtvogtei. He presented himself

r. Wilhelm

es

hat, in accordance with the Socialist Act, you are ordered out of Berlin and it

Wilhelm, utterly taken, aback.

o further information to give you, and can only advise you to address yourself to the

proved to be the written order of banishment,

t unconsciously to Schrotter, to whom he held out the police pap

hands on Wilhelm's shoulder, he said in tones of profound emotion: "I never thought I should live to see such things in my own country. I am nearl

lf. I must collect my t

mind to go with you. There is nothing left f

implore you to do so. Remember how you reproached yourself for twenty years, because you were not there when the people

His massive face was gloomy as midnight, and the fiery blue

ifteen hundred marks for the fa

hrotter, clapping his

ng," Wilhelm smiled sadly. "Like the Nibleungen treasur

e on the subject, we may as well settle that matter at once

s not remain as they are? Wherever you may take

I am prejudiced in favor of my own country. I think we shall carry our Dorf

perfectly well, and in the end it was all the same whether the poor received it from his hand or Wilhelm's. He merely wrote down so

ad only called in the police at once! The police-oh yes, she had all due respect for the police, she was the widow of a government official, and she loved her good old king certainly-but that they should have banished the Herr Doctor-that was not right-that could not possibly be right! Frau Muller could not reconcile herself to the thought of parting. She would go to her friend and patron the "Geheimer Oberpostrath," and he would use his influence in the matter; and at last, seeing that Wilhem only smiled or spoke a few soothing words to h

w friends, visited one or two poor people whom he was in the habit of looking after, and then had nothing further to keep him in Berlin. The rest of the day he passed with Schrotter, who found the parting very hard to bear. Bhani, whom they had acquainted with the matter, had tea

lock a slow train bore W

come across more than once during that day. The former non-commissioned officer

d back in his corner and closed his eyes, and while the train rattled along over the snow-covered plain, he asked himse