United States or Malawi ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
He did not say much in answer to my accusation, but merely replied: "I make allowances for you; but, Dr. Therne, it is time that somebody taught you that people's reputations cannot be slandered with impunity. Instead of attacking me I should recommend you to think of defending yourself." Very soon I learned the meaning of this hint.
Therne, has been burned in effigy for his thrilling and manly protest to which I owe my own conversion. 'Then the conversion is relatively recent? asked Merton. 'It dates since my reading of that powerful argument, sir; that appeal to reason which overcame my prejudice, for I was a prominent A. V. 'Ave? asked Merton. 'A. V., sir Anti-Vaccinationist.
"Men of Dunchester," he said in such trumpet-like and thrilling tones that every face of the multitude gathered there was turned upon him, "Dr. Therne in answer to my questions refers to his well-known views, and says that he has found no reason to change them. His views are that vaccination is useless and even mischievous, and by preaching them he has prevented thousands from being vaccinated.
"I repeat the question," said the distant voice again, a cold deep voice with a note in it that to my ears sounded like the knell of approaching doom. The chairman looked puzzled, then replied: "If my friend will come up here instead of hiding down there in the dark I have no doubt that Dr. Therne will be able to satisfy his curiosity."
Therne professed the doctrine of anti-vaccination, of which he was so ardent an upholder that, although on several occasions he had been threatened with prosecution, he declined to allow his only child to be vaccinated. In the same issues it was announced that the Conservative candidate would be Sir Thomas Colford. So the die was cast. I had crossed the Rubicon.
I sent one of the parlour-maids to her room to ask if she was coming down, and stood awaiting the answer with much the same feeling as a criminal on his trial awaits the verdict of the jury. Presently the girl returned with the message that Miss Therne would be down in a few minutes, whereat I breathed again and swallowed a little food, which till then I had been unable to touch.
People did not talk openly; they shrugged their shoulders and nodded and hinted, and all their hints had to do with the smallpox. "I say, Therne," said an old friend, the chairman of my committee, with a sudden outburst of candour, "what a dreadful thing it would be if after all we A.V.'s were mistaken. You know there are a good many cases of it about, for it's no use disguising the truth.
I answered that I did not, and, having thanked him again, we parted without more words, as I was in no mood to enter into an argument with an enthusiast of this hopeless, but to me, convenient nature. Although it took place so long ago, I suppose that a good many people still remember the case of "The Queen versus Therne," which attracted a great deal of attention at the time.
"A doctor is not infallible, he may make mistakes." But if it does not happen to have been a mistake, if, for instance, all those dead, should they still live in any place or shape, could say to me, "James Therne, you are the murderer of our bodies, since, for your own ends, you taught us that which you knew not to be the truth." How then? I ask. So let them say it if they will.
Now the excitement grew intense, for if the run held in two more votes I should tie. Every eye was fixed upon the counter's hand. To the right and left of him on the table were two little piles of voting papers. The pile to the right was the property of Colford, the pile to the left was sacred to Therne.
Word Of The Day