CHAPTER XXIV. LIFE IN THE SWAMPS.

Ourreaderswillperhapsfeelaninteresttoturnbackwithus,andfollowthesingularwanderingsofthemysteriouspersonage,whosewilddenunciationshadsodisturbedthemindsoftheworshippersatthecamp-meeting. Thereisatwilight-groundbetweentheboundariesofthesaneandinsane,whichtheoldGreeksandRomansregardedwithapeculiarveneration.Theyheldapersonwhosefacultieswerethusdarkenedaswalkingundertheawfulshadowofasupernaturalpresenceand,asthemysterioussecretsofthestarsonlybecomevisibleinthenight,sointheseeclipsesofthemorematerialfacultiestheyheldtherewasoftenanawakeningofsupernaturalperceptions. Thehotandpositivelightofourmodernmaterialism,whichexhalesfromthegrowthofourexistenceeverydewdrop,whichsearchesoutanddrieseveryrivuletofromance,whichsendsanunsparingbeamintoeverycoolgrottoofpoeticpossibility,witheringthemoss,andturningthedroppingcavetoadustyden—thisspirit,soremorseless,allowsusnosuchindefiniteland.Therearebuttwowordsinthewholedepartmentofmodernanthropology—thesaneandtheinsanethelatterdismissedfromhumanreckoningalmostwithcontempt.Weshouldfinditdifficulttogiveasuitablenametothestrangeandabnormalconditioninwhichthissingularbeing,ofwhomwearespeaking,passedthemostofhistime. Itwasastateofexaltationandtrance,whichyetappearednotatalltoimpedetheexerciseofhisoutwardandphysicalfaculties,butrathertogivethemapreternaturalkeennessandintensity,suchassometimesattendsthemorecompletely-developedphenomenaofsomnambulism. Inregardtohisphysicalsystemtherewasalsomuchthatwaspeculiar.Ourreadersmayimagineahumanbodyofthelargestandkeenestvitalitytogrowupsocompletelyunderthenursinginfluencesofnature,thatitmayseemtobeasperfectlyenrapportwiththemasatreesothattherain,thewind,andthethunder,allthoseforcesfromwhichhumanbeingsgenerallyseekshelter,seemtoholdwithitakindoffellowship,andtobefamiliarcompanionsofexistence. SuchwasthecasewithDred.Socompletelyhadhecomeintosympathyandcommunionwithnature,andwiththoseformsofitwhichmoreparticularlysurroundedhimintheswamps,thathemovedaboutamongthemwithasmucheaseasaladytreadsherTurkeycarpet.Whatwouldseemtousinrecitaltobeincrediblehardship,wastohimbutanordinaryconditionofexistence.Towalkknee-deepinthespongysoiloftheswamp,toforcehiswaythroughthickets,tolieallnightsinkingintheporoussoil,ortocrouch,likethealligator,amongreedsandrushes,weretohimsituationsofasmuchcomfortaswell-curtainedbedsandpillowsaretous. Itisnottobedenied,thatthereisinthissavageperfectionofthenaturalorgansakeenandalmostfiercedelight,whichmustexcelthesoftestseductionsofluxury.Anybodyw