Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 1
Hehad,itappears,losthisregardforthemthroughsheerfamiliarity;andallhisfinaleffortswereobviouslybenttowardmasteringthosecommonfactsofthemodernworldwhichhadbeensototallyandunmistakablyexpungedfromhisbrain.Thatthiswholesaledeletionhadoccurred,hedidhisbesttohide;butitwascleartoallwhowatchedhimthathiswholeprogramofreadingandconversationwasdeterminedbyafranticwishtoimbibesuchknowledgeofhisownlifeandoftheordinarypracticalandculturalbackgroundofthetwentiethcenturyasoughttohavebeenhisbyvirtueofhisbirthin1902andhiseducationintheschoolsofourowntime.Alienistsarenowwonderinghow,inviewofhisvitallyimpairedrangeofdata,theescapedpatientmanagestocopewiththecomplicatedworldoftoday;thedominantopinionbeingthatheis"lyinglow"insomehumbleandunexactingpositiontillhisstockofmoderninformationcanbebroughtuptothenormal.
ThebeginningofWard’smadnessisamatterofdisputeamongalienists.Dr.Lyman,theeminentBostonauthority,placesitin1919or1920,duringtheboy’slastyearattheMosesBrownSchool,whenhesuddenlyturnedfromthestudyofthepasttothestudyoftheoccult,andrefusedtoqualifyforcollegeonthegroundthathehadindividualresearchesofmuchgreaterimportancetomake.
