temperament and character-through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance'-had (I blush to confess it)experienced a radical alteration for the worse. I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence. My pets, of course, were made to feel the change in my disposition. I not only neglected, but ill-used them. For Pluto, however, I still retained sufficient regard to restrain me from maltreating him, as I made no scruple of maltreating the rabbits, the monkey, or even the dog, when by accident, or through affection, they came in my way. But my disease grew upon me-for what disease is like Alcohol o!-and at length even Pluto, who was now becoming old, and consequently somewhat peevish- even Pluto began to experience the effects of my ill temper One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame. I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket! I blush, I burn, I shudder, while I pen the damnable atrocity When reason returned with the morning- when I had slept off the fumes of the nights debauch-I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty; but it was, at best, a feeble and equivocal feeling, and the soul remained untouched I again plunged into excess, and soon drowned in wine all memory of the deed In the meantime the cat slowly recovered. The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true,a frightful appearance, but he no longer appeared to suffer any pain. He went about the house as usual, but, as might be expected, fled in extreme terror at my approach. I had so much of my old heart left, as to be at first grieved by this evident dislike on the part of a creature which had once so loved me. But this feeling soon gave place to irritation. And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS Of this spirit philosophy takes no account.4 Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart- one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, hich give direction to the character of Man. Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merely because we understand it to be such? o This spirit of perverseness, I say, came to my final overthrow. It was this unfathomable longing of the soul to vex itself- to offer violence 7 the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance:酗酒上了瘾 8 made no scruple of maltreating:肆无忌惮地虐待 9 my disease grew upon me:我的病情日益严重 l0 for what disease is like alcoho!:世界上没有比酗酒更厉害的疾病了 equivocal!:模糊的 121 again plunged into excess.我继续狂饮无度 e spirit of PERVERSENESS:邪念 14 Of this spirit philosophy takes no account.哲学从不重视这种邪念 is Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not?即使明知不可做,谁不曾千万次莫名地做了蠢事,犯下恶行? 16 Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is Law, merel because we understand it to be such?即使有卓越的理智,我们也不是常常会因为知法而燃起知法犯法的邪temperament and character - through the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance7 - had (I blush to confess it) experienced a radical alteration for the worse. I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence. My pets, of course, were made to feel the change in my disposition. I not only neglected, but ill-used them. For Pluto, however, I still retained sufficient regard to restrain me from maltreating him, as I made no scruple of maltreating8 the rabbits, the monkey, or even the dog, when by accident, or through affection, they came in my way. But my disease grew upon me9 - for what disease is like Alcohol10! - and at length even Pluto, who was now becoming old, and consequently somewhat peevish - even Pluto began to experience the effects of my ill temper. One night, returning home, much intoxicated, from one of my haunts about town, I fancied that the cat avoided my presence. I seized him; when, in his fright at my violence, he inflicted a slight wound upon my hand with his teeth. The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame. I took from my waistcoat-pocket a pen-knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket! I blush, I burn, I shudder, while I pen the damnable atrocity. When reason returned with the morning - when I had slept off the fumes of the night's debauch - I experienced a sentiment half of horror, half of remorse, for the crime of which I had been guilty; but it was, at best, a feeble and equivocal11 feeling, and the soul remained untouched. I again plunged into excess12, and soon drowned in wine all memory of the deed. In the meantime the cat slowly recovered. The socket of the lost eye presented, it is true, a frightful appearance, but he no longer appeared to suffer any pain. He went about the house as usual, but, as might be expected, fled in extreme terror at my approach. I had so much of my old heart left, as to be at first grieved by this evident dislike on the part of a creature which had once so loved me. But this feeling soon gave place to irritation. And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of PERVERSENESS13 . Of this spirit philosophy takes no account.14 Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart - one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man. Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not?15 Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is _Law_, merely because we understand it to be such?16 This spirit of perverseness, I say, came to my final overthrow. It was this unfathomable longing of the soul _to vex itself_ - to offer violence 7 the instrumentality of the Fiend Intemperance: 酗酒上了瘾 8 made no scruple of maltreating: 肆无忌惮地虐待 9 my disease grew upon me: 我的病情日益严重 10 for what disease is like Alcohol: 世界上没有比酗酒更厉害的疾病了 11 equivocal: 模糊的 12 I again plunged into excess. 我继续狂饮无度。 13 the spirit of PERVERSENESS: 邪念 14 Of this spirit philosophy takes no account. 哲学从不重视这种邪念。 15 Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason than because he knows he should not? 即使明知不可做，谁不曾千万次莫名地做了蠢事，犯下恶行？ 16 Have we not a perpetual inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to violate that which is _Law_, merely because we understand it to be such? 即使有卓越的理智，我们也不是常常会因为知法而燃起知法犯法的邪 念？